Today we hosted a joint partnership field trip with the Dorset Wildlife Trust around the Holes Bay Nature Park, starting at Upton CP and walking round to Holes Bay NE. This walk provides wonderfully close views to a whole range of winter species. Our group managed to gather quite a list and some of the views were spectacular.  From ‘the stone bench’ out the outskirts of Upton CP we saw 500+ Black-tailed Godwit, 200+ Avocet, 25 Dunlin, 200+ Teal, 200+ Wigeon, 11 Pintail, 5 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall plus Redshank, Curlew, Little Egret, Shelduck and Grey Heron. As we walked through the woods along to Holes Bay the Black-tailed Godwits made their way to feed into one of the fields behind us with 150+ Canada Geese and 2 Mistle Thrush. Up in Holes Bay NE it was more of the same plus 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Med Gull, 1 female Goldeneye and 2 Great Crested Grebe. Studland received some good coverage again today. A seawatch from South Haven saw 4 Red-throated Diver, 23 Gannet and 10 Auk sp south and in the bay 2 Great Northern Diver, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Black-necked Grebe (2 at the Housboats with 13 Sanderling) and 1 Razorbill. In Brands Bay there were 9 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Spoonbill, 1 Marsh Harrier and c200 Black-tailed Godwit. And from Middle Beach 4 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-necked Grebe, 14 Black-necked Grebe and 2 Common Scoter. Of minor interest, during a ringing session at Holton Lee a Blue Tit was caught that had originally been ringed as an adult on the 13/11/10 making the bird a minimum of six years old…hardy little thing! Also 1 Lesser Redpoll and 4 Nuthatch were ringed.