With all the terrible weather recently it was nice that a (minor) break in the relentless wind and rain occurred with the wind dropping off a bit meant our Poole Harbour WeBS count was rewarded with a good spread of winter birds still present. In the Brands Bay/Jerry’s Point area there were 5 Great Northern Diver, 6 Goldeneye, 5 Slavonian Grebe, 23 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Common Scoter and c1300 Black-tailed Godwit. Near the Wytch Channel the Black Brant was still in with the Dark-bellied Brent Geese as were 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese. There are huge numbers of gulls arriving into the harbour each evening currently of many different species, but mainly Herring, Common and Black-headed Gulls with smaller numbers of Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls. There were 4 Spotted Redshank in Middlebere with 2 Firecrest near the hide and a Short-eared Owl was in the mouth of the Frome near Swineham at dawn. There were 4 Spoonbill in the south of the harbour in Newton Bay. At Swineham there were 600+ Lapwing and 200+ Dunlin off Swineham Point and on the main pit 2 Egyptian Geese and 2 Pochard with a minimum of 12 Cetti’s Warbler singing in the area. The fringes of the southern shores (only accessible by boat) were busy with c800 Wigeon, c400 Dunlin, 350 Brent Geese and c250 Shelduck with 3 Great Northern Diver and 5 Black-necked Grebe in central harbour. At Holton lee the small Redwing flock which contained 2 Fieldfare were still in the horse fields opposite the car park.

Little Egret – Holes Bay