We’ll start off with some non-birdy news which is that a Seal pup was photographed on Studland beach yesterday, it seemed very obliging apparently! Although we regularly see Common Seals in and around the Shipstal area, we’ve never seen a young pup before. Holes Bay was again looking great early morning on the low tide with 1 Spotted Redshank by the outflow, 64 Avocet, 200+ Dunlin and 100+ Black-tailed Godwit very close to the cycle paths. In the PCW Drain a ringed Firecrest was seen and 3 Chiffchaff. A female type Black Redstart was photographed in a back garden in central Oakdale, feeding on mealworms. In Lytchett Bay, raptors consisted of 1 each of Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel with a Spotted Redshank off the Black Pipe. A Woodcock was caught by Stour Ringing Group on Sunday night at Sunnyside Farm that had first been ringed by the group at the same location on 30/11/13. There were another 2 Woodcock seen on Lytchett Fields too. At Swineham Point, 3 Jack Snipe were flushed along the footpath.