The sighting of the day undoubtedly is awarded to the late news of a male Ring Ouzel that’s been over-wintering in a private garden in Bournemouth since mid-December! A cracking record. A commute from work saw one observer flush 2 Snipe from Holes Bay shoreline near Asda, at 04:15(!). The lone Swineham Ring-neck Duck remained present throughout the day. No sign of the Red-throated Diver or yesterday’s Little Gull. Chiffchaff and vocal Cetti’s Warbler also noted, and 4 Greylag Goose occupied Curlew Pool, of which one colour-ringed bird – U060. Baiter Park recorded a max count of 55 Dark-bellied Brent Goose and a Bar-tailed Godwit feeding among a flock of 99 Oystercatcher on the playing fields early morning. Other records included 2 Mediterranean Gulls kicking around from the site and a Sandwich Tern briefly west through Parkstone Bay. PC World Drain featured 2 collybita (Common) Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Grey Wagtail, 4 Teal and a small mixed tit flock.A decent tally of 115 Bar-tailed Godwit were recorded at Whitley Lake at low tide, accompanied by 6 Curlew, 8 Turnstone and numerous Oystercatcher. Are things finally winding down for Jerry’s Point? A ‘mere’ 1 (female) Scaup, 1 Great Northern Diver 31 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Sanderling and only one species of grebe (Great Crested) logged today.

Dark-bellied Brent Goose – Baiter Park

Bar-tailed Godwit & Oystercatcher – Baiter Park

Goldcrest – PC World Drain