Wow, long may this continue. Another beautiful and perfect day with both a sunrise and sunset to remember. True winter beauty. Lots of good birds again with the Black-throated Diver again out in central harbour, along with 17 Goldeneye, 1 Great Northern Diver and c50 Red-breasted Merganser. An evening visit to Brands Bay produced 1 Great Northern Diver, 4 Scaup, 2 Common Scoter and 2 Great White Egret went into roost at Littlesea. Holes Bay was looking amazing with still good numbers of birds present including c1000 Wigeon, c50 Pintail, 500 Black-tailed Godwit and c200 Teal. There was a Purple Sandpiper on the Groynes at Sandbanks still and in Lytchett Bay there were 3 Spoonbill and a Spotted Redshank. Marsh Harrier were logged at Lytchett Bay, the Piddle Valley and yesterday 17 were logged coming out of the west harbour roost. Merlin were seen in Middlebere, off Shipstal and on Hartland. There were 17 Fieldfare in the camping field along Soldiers Road and a Barn Owl was around Middlebere too.

Also, many thanks to Garry Hayman who recently sent us some interesting highlights and totals that were gathered from the Middlebere Hide Diary from 2021. There are some good records in here, and some that will certainly need ‘chasing up’. If anyone has any info or photos of the April Long-billed Dowitcher that was logged in the diary on April 9th 2021, we’d loved to hear from you.

Significant entries / rarities (not necessarily confirmed sightings)

Long-billed Dowitcher x 1 at 19.00 – 19.30 on 9th April
Garden warbler x 1  (Middlebere track) on 6th may
Hooded Crow x 1 on 6th June
Melodious Warbler (Harrier hide) 25th June
Common Crane x 1 on 9th August
Golden Plover x 2 on 13th September
Goshawk x 1 on 11th October
Redstart x 1 along Middlebere track on 23rd Oct 
Pochard x 1 on the 23rd October
White-tailed Eagle on 29th October
Hen Harrier x 1 (Adult Grey Male) on 31st October
Goosander x 1 (female) on 3rd November

First sightings /record of the year – season

Cuckoo: 28th April
Willow warbler (Middlebere track): 1st May
Reed Warbler (Middlebere track /reedbed): 1st May
Nightjar (Middlebere track): 7th June
Greenshank: 9th July
Spotted Redshank (1 in summer plumage) on 23rd July
Ruff: 13th September
Pintail: 20th September
Hen Harrier (Ringtail): 20th September
Merlin: 28th October

Highest count of a species

Whimbrel x 7 on 3rd May
Cuckoo x 3 on 16th May
Curlew x 229 on 19th July at 19.00 (observer-Sean)
Spotted Redshanks x 7 on 23rd July and 13th September
Great White egret x 3 on 11th October
Greylag Goose x 8 on 30th November
Pintail x 40 on 5th October
Marsh Harrier x 3 on 31st December
Spoonbill x 30 on 31st December
Whinchat x 3 (middlebere track) on 3rd September
Wheatear x 7 (middlebere track) on 3rd September
Redstart x 3 (middlebere track) on 3rd September
Greenshank x 15 on 13th September
Redshank x 95 on 28th October
Avocet x 800 on 2nd December
Merlin x 2 on 1st December
Lapwing x 220 on 24th December

Waders and wildfowl – Holes Bay – Martin Adams

Black Redstart – Heckford Park, Poole – Dani Vellender

Merlin – Middlebere – Pete Christie