Today we hosted our first ever Birds of Poole Harbour public bird boat. All previous trips we’ve done have always been in partnership with RSPB, DWT, NT etc so it was nice to see so many people happily coming to support ‘us smaller guys’ too. The trip was great consider the weather of previous days and highlights included 2 Great Northern Diver off the Brownsea SE shore, 14 Barnacle Geese on Rempstone fields along the southern shore, several Black-necked Grebe in central harbour and South Deep, 11 Spoonbill on Shipstal and 3 on Brownsea Lagoon, a Marsh Harrier near Long Island as well as good numbers of Red-breasted Merganser, Goldeneye and Great Crested Grebe. The lagoon was looking fab with 3 Spotted Redshank, 4 Greenshank, 199 Grey Plover, 34 Knot, 181 Bar-tailed Godwit, 291 Avocet, 5 Pintail, 41 Shoveler, 57 Gadwall, 16 Brent Geese, 1 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern, 3 Med Gulls, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard as well as the commoner waders and wildfowl. In the Wareham Channel, 2 Marsh Harrier went into roost and 2 ringtail Hen Harrier were in the Arne Moors/Bestwall area. 3 Woodcock were seen flying out to feed at dusk along Slepe Moor. The Lesser Yellowlegs was on French’s Pools, Lytchett Fields and there was a single Black-necked Grebe in Shell Bay. At Greenlands Farm, Studland there was a flock of 13 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Firecrest and a single Crossbill. The Smew was still in Holes Bay north. There were another 2 Great Northern Diver on the seaward side of Studland and finally, a night ringing session near Sunnyside Farm produced 1 Jack Snipe, 2 Common Snipe and a single Woodcock seen. 

Brent Geese over the harbour – Simon Kidner

Common Scoter – North Channel – Simon Kidner

Great Northern Diver – South Deep, near Brownsea SE – Simon Kidner