Several sea watches from the same place today provided a good range of species including Poole harbours second record of Long-tailed Skua with a dark phase juvenile off Branksome Chine. Also counted were 60 Gannet, 25 Common Terns, 20 ‘commic’ terns, 2 Arctic Terns, 32 Sandwich Terns, 3 Fulmar, 15 Great Black-backed Gulls, 45 Herring Gull all imm, 17 Black headed Gulls, 1 Spoonbill, 3 Balearic Shearwater, 5 Cormorant and 1 Shag. Our Osprey cruise was a tad windy but did produce 3 different Marsh Harrier, 1 Osprey, 1 Peregrine, 15 Spoonbill, c200 Dunlin, c80 Ringed Plover, 8 Avocet and a frustratingly distinct wader which had features possibly suggesting a Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Brownsea Lagoon, but sadly the views were brief and over too quickly! Lytchett Fields still held the Wood Sandpiper, the Ruff, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Hobby, 1 Osprey, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Common Sandpiper and c40 Lapwing.
Sanderling – Brownsea Lagoon – Rene Goad

Marsh Harrier – Wareham Channel – Rene Goad

Wood Sandpiper – Lytchett Fields – Paul Morton

The day-long deluge provided little inspiration to venture outside, however with Leach’s Petrel and Little Gull logged elsewhere…
Find out moreWell, Storm Austen has been in full force today, with heavy winds and rain making for tricky birding…
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