Stunning day with good birds. Pulses were racing briefly from our Up with the lark cruise this AM when a ‘ringtail’ harrier was seen flying along Arne Moors, but only distantly before it disappeared. The date suggested it was likely to have been Montagu’s Harrier, but fortunately it re-appeared several minutes later high over Bestwall and showed all features of a ringtail Hen Harrier. There were also 4 Wheatear on the sea wall off Poole Quay. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were c50 Dunlin, 3 Avocet, c150 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Ringed Plover and 3 Knot. In the mid- Frome Valley there were 12 Cattle Egret and also 2 Curlew were heard possibly suggesting breeding. There were 2 Hobby over Slepe Heath, one over Middlebere and 1 over Holme Lane. In Middlebere there were 4 Spoonbill and on Lytchett Fields there were 9 migrant Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover and a Whimbrel. There was a Red Kite over Upton and a pair of Mandarin around Bog Lane.

Mandarin Duck (female) – Bog Lane – OTBT Birder (Twitter – @BirderOtbt)