It felt ‘proper’ autumn today with a perfect autumnal chill in the air this morning, enough to finally need to wear a 2nd layer (or two). The NW breeze got some vis-mig underway with a good initial count of 712 Siskin up on Ballard and 319 over South Haven, Studland to start the vis-mig season, plus a decent movement of Meadow Pipit. There were some good birds to be had from our first Autumn Safari of the season with White-tailed Eagle G466 sat on Gold Point at RSPB Arne, 2-3 Osprey in the Wareham Channel, 2 Ruff, 2 Egyptian Geese, 1 Yellow-legged Gull, 8 Wigeon and 5 Shoveler on the ‘Stilt Pool’ at Swineham and 51 Spoonbill (56 counted later), 1 dark-bellied Brent Goose, 2 Curlew Sandpiper (5 counted later), 41 Ringed Plover, c50 Dunlin, 3 Avocet and 4 Greenshank (13 counted later) on the Brownsea Lagoon. Earlier in the morning a White-tailed Eagle had also been on the Brownsea Lagoon but departed by 8:57am and later in the day there were 4 Knot and a single Ruff on the lagoon. On Lytchett Fields this evening there were 172 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Knot, 3 Ringed Plover, 7 Dunlin, 5 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 8 Greenshank and 120 Common Redshank with 2 Spotted Redshank there earlier today. There were 2-3 Osprey present in the Lytchett Bay area throughout the day, a small number of Wheatear were around with 2 on Brownsea, 2 on Arne Moors and 1 at Baiter. Kingfisher are now appearing at harbour edge locations with 2 at Poole Quay, 1 on the Brownsea Quay and 1 at North Haven.

Female White-tailed Eagle G466 – from Autumn Safari Cruise this AM – Mark Wright (Twitter @markwright12002)