The conditions couldn’t have been any better today for visible migration along the Poole Harbour coastal areas and with two vis-mig sessions taking place at the usual spots, Glebelands and South Haven. At Glebelands the sheer number of birds passing up and over the ridge was staggering, a true migration spectacle. It started around 6:30am when a few Redwing and Song Thrush were noted passing overhead and by 7am the first Goldfinches started to pass by. Over the next hour Linnet, Goldfinch, Siskin and Chaffinch all started going by in flocks of between 10-50 every few seconds and that continued right up until 9am. Redpoll were also present in good numbers moving over every 5 minuets in 4 or 5s and a total of 13 Crossbill were reached with flocks of 7, 3 and 3. Another highlight was potentially 4 Tree Sparrow that traveled with a flock of Chaffinch and there were also 3 Reed Bunting, 2 Yellowhammer and a constant stream alba Wagtails, Meadow Pipit and to a lesser extent Hirundines. No definitive counts were made as we were trying to work out flight lines for all birds passing by and in total 3 definitive lines were found. One that the finches were following, then one further west that finches, alba wagtails and Skylark were following and another further west again that only thrushes were following. A Ring Ouzel was even discovered in the valley beneath the thrush line. At South Haven a coordinated count was made with 3 Reed Bunting, 3 Bullfinch, 323 Goldfinch, 116 Linnet, 271 Siskin, 13 Redpoll, 74 Chaffinch, 2 Tree Sparrow, 5 Fieldfare, 41 Redwing, 41 Song Thrush, 63 Meadow Pipit, 49 Pied Wagtails, 2 Skylark, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker all moving across the harbour mouth. There were 277 Cormorant all fishing in a feeding flock just in the harbour mouth. A session at Boarder Road, Lytchett Bay produced 21 Song Thrush, 4 Redwing, 4 Fieldfare and 2 Blackbird all north with a further 157 Thrush sp.
Autumn was clinging on with it’s fingernails today with not only the long-staying Osprey in Middlebere but also…
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