If there was ever a reminder to check those gull flocks properly then todays juvenile Ross’s Gull at Dorchester would be it! As we head into the latter part of February and into early spring, scarcer gulls should be on the radar with Ring-billed Gull, Caspian Gull, Iceland Gull and Glaucous Gull all possible, hiding in amongst the more commoner species. A Ross’s Gull is a different level though, a dream Poole Harbour bird, a species thats currently missing from the official Poole Harbour list. Maybe todays Dorchester bird will do the kind thing and come and drop down onto Baiter over the next few weeks!

Forgetting dreamland for a moment, there were definitely more signs of spring today with the first early passages of Meadow Pipit trickling over Ballard. Not huge numbers, but certainly the beginnings of Meadow Pipit passage, plus there were up to 5 Water Pipit on Lytchett Fields, suggesting new birds are arriving in and staging in the harbour en route south. A White-tailed Eagle was in the Wareham Channel before drifting off high north with 2 Marsh Harrier also in the Wareham Channel. Yesterday, a stunning juvenile Goshawk buzzed through Middlebere and off Middle Beach 4 Black-necked Grebe were just off shore. The Wareham Channel had 6 Goldeneye, 5 Spoonbill were at Shipstal and 2 Common Chiffchaff were singing briefly in the PCW drain.