Tonight we hosted the commentary on the Brownsea Island Ferries Puffin cruise out to Dancing Ledge, which is always a pleasure. Leaving Poole Quay and heading out past Old Harry and Durlston Head it gives us a chance to see species we don’t often get to see during the summer here in Poole Harbour, in fact we’ve never seen a Puffin within our Poole Harbour recording area and chances are we won’t in the foreseeable future either! Highlights from the trip included 6+ Puffin off Dancing Ledge, a family of 5 Peregrine including an adult feeding 4 youngsters, 3 Gannet, c1000 Guillemot, c80 Razorbill, 10 Fulmar, c10 Kittiwake, Common and Sandwich Tern and several Med Gulls. Around Lytchett Bay Nightjar and Barn Owl were active and on Lytchett Fields there were 4 Little Ringed Plover, 7 Green Sandpiper, 30+ Black-tailed Godwit and 30+ Redshank. On the Brownsea Lagoon the Avocet chicks seem to be holding strong and with 2 more seeming to be sitting on eggs is this the beginning of a Poole Harbour colony?

Puffin – Dancing Ledge – Paul Morton

Guillemot Colony – Durlston Ledge – Paul Morton

Old Harry Rocks at sunset – Paul Morton