With torrential rain hitting the harbour throughout the day, birding was a tad tricky, but with a survey boat out this AM, we managed to avoid most of the down pours. Despite the rain there was a great selection of birds out around the harbour with a distinct wintery vibe kicking in. In the Wareham Channel off Swineham Point there was a flock of 10 Spotted Redshank, 1 Great White Egret, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 89 Dunlin, 82 Avocet, c1000 Black-tailed Godwit, 38 Spoonbill, 120 Lapwing, 3 Marsh Harrier and 1 Merlin. At Swineham a flock of c20 Bearded Tit were in the reedbed and on the gravel pit there were 110 Coot, 1 Pochard, 5 Tufted Duck, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 3-4 singing Cetti’s Warbler, 2-3 Rock/Water Pipit and numerous Reed Bunting. On the Swineham Scrapes 432 Canada Geese were settled with 8 Greylag Geese and 38 Curlew. Out in central harbour a flock of 520 sinensis Cormorant were feeding in a pack with 11 Sandwich Tern hunting above. Kingfishers were seen from Poole Quay and up the River Frome. The Brownsea Lagoon was looking good with 24 Grey Plover, c50 Knot, c100 Dunlin, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, c50 Avocet, 12 Shoveler, 83 Wigeon and 1 Peregrine. Off Green Island there were 4 Red-breasted Merganser with another 2 in south deep and a second Great White Egret was in Newton Bay again. There are currently only around 30-40 Brent Geese back so far with another 10 off Studland Beach. A total of 10 Swallow went south low across the water near Hamworthy Beach and a few Meadow Pipit and Grey Wagtail were on the move before the rain kicked in. On the marina sea wall at Poole Quay 6 Ringed Plover were roosting on the high tide.