Today was our second low-tide cruise of the month, and what better way to celebrate it by getting stuck on the low tide! Never fear, it was only for about 20 minutes and the fact we had 4 Spoonbill feeding out on one side of the boat and plenty of Avocet and Curlew on the other side, finished off with a fly by Marsh Harrier it made the whole experience rather enjoyable. With the high pressure system currently in place over the UK the tide was 30cm lower than predicted meaning that there was plenty of mud on show, and as we edged our way up the Wareham Channel Curlew, Dunlin, Avocet, Redshank, Oystercatchers, Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal and plenty of gulls were scattered across the mud whilst in the restricted channels Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser and Great Crested Grebe fed happily. In the mouth of the Wareham Channel 2 Great Northern Diver were active and were 2 of 10 logged across the trip. Also seen was the Black Brant on the Rempstone shoreline along with c300 dark-bellied Brent Geese. Light was fading as we approached South Deep but a couple of Black-necked Grebe were still active and 2 Common Seals were busy keeping a close eye on us. Despite the temporary unscheduled stop on a sand bar, it was a fantastic trip and such a privilege to see the harbour in such a unique way. Then, if that wasn’t enough we then had an evening ringing demo to host at Sunnyside Farm which was likely to produce some interesting results with the recent cold weather. It certainly seemed if there had been an arrival of birds with c15 Jack Snipe logged and 6 caught and c20 Woodcock seen and 2 caught. Elsewhere, the Siberian Chiffchaff was again on Wareham Common at the base of NW walls along with 2 Firecrest. The 4 Scaup were still quite happy in Holes Bay SE feeding and roosting for most of the day and there was also a report of 2 Black-throated Diver in Studland.
So cold! Mid-week was delightful with even a hint of spring warmth, but today was proper chilly. Cold…
Find out moreAnother beautiful February day, although the slight NE wind added an edgy chill. There was both a male…
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