Today was a perfect Poole Harbour day, cold crisp and perfectly still. Plenty reported to us, starting with the Studland area where 29 Black-necked Grebe were counted in the Knoll Beach evening roost with another 4 off Jerry’s point. Also 4 Great Northern Diver in the area with 2 off Jerry’s Point and 2 off Middle Beach. Also in the area was a Marsh Harrier near Brands Bay, 36 Sanderling and 16 Ringed Plover off the Houseboats and 100+ Lapwing in Brands Bay. At Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal was on French’s Pools and the Lesser Yellowlegs was on Sherford Pools with a Water Pipit on the Pools Field along Slogh Lane and a Woodcock and Firecrest along there too. This evening a Great White Egret flew towards Arne and the Cattle Egret was still along Holme lane. There was also a report of a Cattle Egret at Upton CP ‘with cattle’ which is worth checking up on and near the ‘Stone Bench’ just on the outskirts of Upton CP 11 drake Pintail were close to the wooden bridge with Avocet, Redshank and Wigeon. In the harbour entrance there were 3 Razorbill feeding. At Arne 15 Spoonbill were on Shipstal and a decent sized raft of Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser were out in central harbour late afternoon/early evening. 

Red-breasted Merganser – Baiter – Keith Rawling

Razorbill – Poole Harbour entrance – Nicky & Larry Sweetland

 Turnstone – Sandbanks – John Pick