Beautifully calm conditions left the harbour flat as a pancake today, receiving good coverage today and producing the first Black-throated Diver for several years! The juvenile Black-throated Diver was in Whitley Lake off Shore Road with 3 Great Northern Divers. Overall, 8 Great Northerns were logged around Central Harbour, South Deep and North Channel. An equally impressive total of 4 Long-tailed Duck were present in the harbour today. Three remained distant off Jerry’s Point and the forth was 3 in Central Harbour.

Jerry’s point also recorded an additional 17 Goldeneye, 4 Scaup, 3 Black-necked Grebe, 23 Sanderling, 3 Ringed Plover, 28 Turnstone and Grey Plover, as well as numerous Red-breasted Merganser, Great Crested Grebe, Oystercatcher, and Dark-bellied Brent Goose. An excellent minimum count of Pintail at Brand’s Bay came to 140 individuals. As well as the wildfowl regulars, 280 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Bar-tailed Godwit, c.700 Dunlin, 47 Knot, 31 Grey Plover, 67 Dark-bellied Brent Goose and 5 Avocet made for very enjoyable birding.

The best from Lytchett Bay this morning saw 72 Brent Goose, 38 Avocet, 2 Greenshank and 4 Green Sandpiper and another appearance from the Merlin. A Barnacle Goose was at Swineham this morning, feeding with c.50 Canada Geese. Three different Marsh Harrier in the area and 6 Chiffchaff were kicking around PC World Drain today.

Goldeneye – Garry Hayman – Jerry’s Point