Some more surprises today with news that a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was photographed in Middlebere back on Sept 16th. An evening watch of the Starling roost in the Wytch Channel (next to Middlebere) managed to confirm it was still around as it joined c200 other Starling on the power lines before dropping down to roost. Lets hope it sticks around a few more days. Another White-tailed Eagle was seen briefly in the Piddle and Frome Valley this AM making them almost common now, to the point we’ll probably stop reporting sightings because we’re bored of them…..only joking of course. It’s been a fantastic week! The Lytchett Bay Little Stints seem to have disappeared but one remained at Brands Bay and at Lytchett Bay there were still 2 Ruff, 1 Spotted Redshank and 9 Greenshank, At Swineham a Cattle Egret was on the Stilt Pools and with a Montagu’s Harrier seen at St Aldhelms this morning, could it have been the same mystery ‘ringtail’ that was seen briefly in Middlebere yesterday? At Arne there were 3 Hobby, 1 Osprey, 1 Great White Egret and 1 Marsh Harrier and another Hobby in the Piddle Valley. At Holton Lee there was another Marsh Harrier plus several Yellow Wagtail and a Whinchat. In Holes Bay there were 885 Black-tailed Godwit along with c300 Wigeon now back, also 2 Shoveler, 4 Pintail, several Kingfisher bombing around and 2 Common Sandpiper in the PCW Drain.

Great White Egret with Little Egret – Middlebere – Lyn Lambert