Poole Harbour WeBS days (Wetland bird Surveys) always produces good totals and range of species as the whole harbour gets surveyed at a certain time on a single day. Although a cold and icy wind blew in from the north, almost the whole harbour covered with highlights being a Great White Egret on Littlesea, Studland, a Goosander in Holes Bay SE, 22 Spoonbill in Lytchett Bay and 16 in the mouth of the Middlebere/Wytch Lake area. Also in the mouth of Wytch Lake were c750 Avocet, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Peregrine. Over Brands Bay 2 Peregrine were having an aerial dispute, therefor spooking all the waders and wildfowl. Brent Geese totals seem to be low for the time of year with only c150 off Shipstal, Arne and another 200 off Goathorn. In Middlebere a late (or over-wintering) Curlew Sandpiper was reported in with 21 Knot. On Lytchett Fields there was a single Ruff and 340 Lapwing with a single Woodcock seen mid-evening during a survey and a Sandwich Tern was fishing in the bay. At South Haven there was some finch passage first thing as 1 Brambling, 4 Bullfinch, 10 Siskin and 18 Meadow Pipit passed over and there were 7 Sanderling back on the beach with a Razorbill offshore. In Brands Bay 44 Pintail, 112 Wigeon, 100 Shelduck, 19 Turnstone, 15 Ringed Plover and 120 Lapwing were counted. In Poole Harbour west there were 4 Marsh Harrier and this morning 2 Hen Harrier were counted although only one came back into roost this evening and there were 2 Merlin on Hartland. At Ridge a Hawfinch flew over the entrance of Sunnyside Farm, suggesting one or a few may be settled in the area with another photographed in the same area last week. 

Hen Harrier – Middlebere – Simon Buckell (02/11/17)