Near perfect conditions around the harbour with all water bodies (even out in Poole Bay) like an oil slick which made viewing diving and open water species easy. Out in Poole Bay 4 Great Northern Diver, 2 Red-throated Diver, 5 Shoveler and c15 Great Crested Grebe were settled and out off Middle Beach, Studland there were 37 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Slavonian Grebe and 1 Great Northern Diver with a Firecrest in the car park. There were also 6 Black-necked Grebe in Shell Bay and 3 in Bramble Bush Bay giving a harbour total today of 46 which is the highest for quite some time. There was also a third Slavonian Grebe in Brands Bay. This evening the Common Crane flew into Hartland Moor at 16:40 and then off to Slepe Bog. The White-fronted Goose also re-appeared at Bestwall with the Greylag flock. Poole Park boating lake is now almost fully drained of water and looks FANTASTIC. There were so many birds out there including the 2 Avocet, but also c10 Redshank, c15 Black-tailed Godwit, 9 Little Grebe and c30 Tufted Duck. Along Poole Quay c20 Ringed Plover were along the sea wall at Fisherman’s Dock with a Kingfisher and 6 Turnstone there too. On Hartland 2 Merlin were seen and the ringtail Hen Harrier was seen at Sunnyside Farm. At Holme Lane 6 Cattle Egret were feeding and then moved down towards the Wareham bypass. In Arne Bay 25 Spoonbill were on Shipstal and a Black Brant was in with c550 Brent Geese. Firecrest were pretty numerous with 2 in the Arne car park, 1 at Upton CP and 1 at Middle Beach, Studland. An early morning (pre-dawn survey) saw 8 Woodcock on top of Hartland Stud. At Lytchett Fields there were 3 Green Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank and 1 Water Pipit. At Norden sewage works c15 Chiffchaff were in scrub around the filter beds and along Thrashes Lane, 8 Yellowhammer, c10 Reed Bunting and good numbers of Chaffinch were in hedgerows bordering the fields.
Redwing – Upton CP – Rene Goad
Common Buzzard – Upton CP – Rene Goad
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