We had an excellent but blowy Winter Safari Cruise this morning with gusts of up to 45mph! But those who braved it were rewarded throughout the trip with a Kingfisher and Great Northern Diver to start, just close off Poole Quay while we were loading on to the boat. As we then headed up the Wareham Channel 5+ Marsh Harrier were wheeling around over Swineham and Arne Moors as well as the first Black-throated Diver of the season, a juvenile just off the Keysworth shoreline. The action continued with an adult male Hen Harrier heading up the channel and into Arne Moors. We were just about to return to the main harbour when a juvenile Peregrine was seen mobbing a Marsh Harrier off Keysworth and was soon joined by a White-tailed Eagle meaning all three birds of prey could be seen in one view interacting with each other!

2 Eider were still in Central Harbour along with several Red-breasted Merganser and 2 more Great Northern Diver. We finished at the Brownsea Lagoon where thousands of waders were roosting at high tide including c300 Avocet, c400 Black-tailed Godwit, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Grey Plover, c200 Dunlin, c20 Ringed Plover and 2 Greenshank.

In Lytchett Bay today was 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Common Scoter and a ringtail Hen Harrier.

Juvenile Black-throated Diver from our Winter Safari Cruise – Andy Ryde

White-tailed Eagle and Marsh Harrier from our Winter Safari – Andy Ryde