It’s always worth doing a sea watch if possible during September and especially with a strong southerly wind. A quick check off Branksome Chine this afternoon produced Poole Harbour’s 4^th only record of Sooty Shearwater late afternoon. It arrived in from the east and did a couple of lengths of the waterline before being lost to the mist. There wasn’t much else moving other than a few Sandwich Tern and Gannet. In Whitley Lake, 28 Sandwich Tern were roosting on the jetty pylons of East Dorset Sailing Club. Off Knoll Beach another Brent Goose had arrived and an Osprey was again seen hunting in Lytchett Bay before the wind and rain kicked in. On Lytchett Fields there was a single Curlew Sandpiper also 2 Spotted Redshank, 1 Ruff, 3 Ringed Plover, 12 Greenshank, 446 Teal and 24 Dunlin. On Holton Pools Greenshank and Kingfisher were seen from the hide along with 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Peregrine. At Baiter 31 Turnstone and 8 Ringed Plover were on the beach and a light passage of House Martin flew along the quay front at dawn.

Over the weekend the first wave of Yellow-browed Warbler hit the east coast, so it won’t be too long before the first Dorset/Poole Harbour record appears….we just need the forecast SW winds to ease off now and swing the other way.

Sooty Shearwater – Branksome Chine – Paul Morton