Sightings23/10/2024

Harbour Update – posted 23/10/24

It was a classic late October day today, with fog at dawn, soon lifting to reveal a mixture of damp golden greens across the landscape. Our Autumn Safari saw the perfect mix of autumn, winter and even some summer birds moving around the harbour this morning. The summer-vibe consisted of c40 late Swallow moving south out across the Wareham Channel. The harbour was like a glass again and allowed for 4 Black-necked Grebe to be located out in the Wareham Channel with a minimum of 4 different Marsh Harrier also logged and a Great White Egret. The White-tailed Eagle pair were fairly sedentary in the Wareham Channel but soon lifted and moved off north by late morning. The Brownsea Lagoon hosted 56 Spoonbill, c300 Avocet, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, c15 Grey Plover, 4 Greenshank, 5 Sanderling, c50 Dunlin and decent numbers of Teal, Wigeon and Gadwall. The first Water Pipit of the autumn/winter was ringed in Lytchett Bay this morning and amazingly a 5th Yellow-browed Warbler of the autumn was ringed at the Carey Secret Garden ringing station. A Black-necked Grebe was in Studland Bay with 44 dark-bellied Brent Geese and yesterday there were 9 Ruff on the floods at Swineham and Bestwall. This evening 2 Mandarin Duck were on Poole Park lake again, an Osprey was eating a fish on a post on Middlebere Heath this afternoon and up to 4 different Merlin are currently present along the southern shores (2m & 2f).

Dark-bellied Brent Geese arriving into the harbour from Autumn Safari this AM – Alison Copland

Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon from Autumn Safari this AM – Alison Copland

Water Pipit ringed at RSPB Lytchett fields this AM – Shaun Robson

Female White-tailed Eagle G466 flying across the Wareham Channel from Autumn Safari this AM – Alison Copland

Yellow-browed Warbler ringed at Carey Secret Garden ringing station – Matthew Scraggs

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