Strong rain and wind set in early and it doesn’t look like showing much sign of easing over the coming days so birding largely restricted to looking out of the window! One lucky set of garden bird feeders received a visit from a Brambling, otherwise harbour sightings were very thin on the ground. The Lytchett Bay Brambling at the end f Slough Lane was also on the feeders too for a short while. The Common Sandpiper was again at the PCW Drain outflow, 12 Spoonbill were on Shipstal Point and on Brownsea 800+ Avocet were present with 4 Greenshank, c50 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Knot, c40 Grey Plover and a whole host of Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Dunlin and Bar-tailed Godwit. There was also a male Goosander on Swineham GP.

If looking for inspiration, with the prominent wind direction coming from the west, perhaps a late afternoon visit to Middle Beach, Studland could offer some shelter and yield a decent grebe roost before dusk…

Brambling – Poole Garden – Shazz Hooper @DorsetShazz

Curlew – Holes Bay – Mark Wright @markwright12002

Common Sandpiper – Holes Bay NE – Mark Wright @markwright12002