The cold crisp winter mornings continue to impress with a stunning sunrise over the Purbecks today. As the blanket of gold spread out across the Frome and Piddle valleys both Marsh and Hen Harrier were stirring as the fleeted over the moors and out towards Swine. 4 Raven ‘cronked’ low over Slepe Heath and Dartford Warbler warmed up along Soldiers Road by seeking sheltered, frost free sun-spots. On calm waters the redhead Smew was easy to find in Holes Bay NW and then SE and at the PC World Drain 4 Chiffchaff and a Firecrest were feeding. At Lytchett Bay the Lesser Yellowlegs was feeding just off the black pipe again. At Arne, a wonderful spectacle of a Merlin utilising a ringtail Hen Harrier as she flushed Meadow Pipits from the ground was observed as a Marsh Harrier then joined in. The Starling murmuration at Studland is now causing quite a stir with roughly 250 people enjoying the show now. 

Sunrise over Slepe Heath – Paul Morton