A really interesting day today, despite the strong wind. In fact it was interesting because of the strong wind. Our Autumn Safari logged some pretty typical late September species including an Osprey which caught a fish in the Wareham Channel, 2 Great White Egret also in the Wareham Channel, a lone Little Tern off Giggers Island and a definite increase in Marsh Harrier with 4-5 around Swineham. The floodplain at Swineham was teaming with duck, mostly Teal, Shoveler and Gadwall and good numbers of feral Canada, Greylag and Egyptian Geese. The Brownsea Lagoon held c60 Spoonbill, 38 Avocet, c20 Ringed Plover, 4 Greenshank and 100+ Gadwall, along with smaller numbers of Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Oystercatcher. There still seems to be a good number of Sandwich Tern around with c30 logged across the harbour today. It wasn’t just Sandwich Terns though with 4 Black Tern together over Swineham Point this afternoon and another in Brands Bay, plus another (or the same) Little Tern was in Brands Bay with a juv Common Tern. Incredibly a Great Skua was in the Wareham Channel this afternoon harassing gulls and terns, and out in Studland Bay, 2 skua headed west (most likely Arctic Skua) and 2 Black-necked Grebe were also out in Studland Bay. Elsewhere 6 Spotted Redshank were in Middlebere this AM and then (probably) the same 6 were off Swineham Point this afternoon. Also in Middlebere this AM was 1 Goshawk, 1 Great White Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier, 4 Knot, 22 Avocet and 18 Pintail. 

A busy September WeBS count in the Wareham Channel