Another beauty of a day and plenty more Red Kite were on the move with multiple counts of 2 or more right across the harbour with 4 over Holes Bay, 3 over Arne, 1 over Swineham, 4 over Lytchett Minster, 1 at Lytchett Bay, 4 over Brownsea and 3 at Morden Bog. The springs first Garganey of the year was found in Lytchett Bay and reappeared later in the day in the Turlin Channel, viewable from the Turlin shoreline. Another evening vigil for Bittern returned no ‘barking’ departures but there were 2 Marsh Harrier present. On Brownsea, wader and wildfowl totals included  97 Avocet, 57 Bar-tailed Godwit, 32 Brent Geese, 12 Grey Plover, 4 Greenshank, 27 Dunlin, 20+ Shoveler, 400+Black-tailed Godwit & 75+ Redshank along with 6 Sandwich Tern and 55 Med Gulls. There was a Great White Egret at Middlebere with 2 Spotted Redshank and a Marsh Harrier, with another Marsh Harrier in Lytchett Bay with a tardy Jack Snipe. With April fast approaching and a few early migrants already having turned up elsewhere in the UK (Sedge Warbler in Kent and Bristol, Willow Warbler, Cornwall Portland etc), plus, with this coming weeks weather looking fine and decent for some more early migrants, it now finally feels like the torrid winter period of 2021/22 is over and we can try and make the most of what the coming months provide in terms of ornithological interest!

Greenshank – Brownsea Lagoon – Martin Adams

Shoveler – Brownsea Lagoon – Martin Adams