Horrid day today but with at least one star bird. A juvenile Goshawk was seen several times flushing waders in Middlebere and was superbly captured on film by birders in the Middlebere hide. Despite increasing populations in the New Forest and even here in Dorset these are still really rare birds in Poole Harbour, with this individual consisting of only the second record this year (the first also at Middlebere in September). The Stilt Sandpiper was again in the channel for most of the day until the high tide pushed all the waders off. Merlin, Marsh Harrier and Peregrine were also in Middlebere along with 3 Knot, 3 Spotted Redshank and c200 Avocet.

Goshawk – Middlebere – Steve Smith