Despite the foul weather today, the weather held off for our Sunset Safari Cruise this evening and the rewards for heading out were well worth it with good views of the Forster’s Tern fishing off the side of the boat in the Wareham Channel, soon followed by a decent flying show of the White-tailed Eagle pair before they drifted off over RSPB Arne. An adult female Marsh Harrier flew close by near Giggers Island and c20 Swift were still around as the bombed off west over Swineham. The Brownsea north shore held c10 Common Sandpiper and 2 Turnstone and there were 4 Turnstone near the Hamworthy shore. On Brownsea the Avocet family were looking good and c40 Dunlin were feeding, plus the dark-bellied Brent Goose was still present and big numbers of gulls and terns were roosting on the lagoon. Elsewhere today the Pied Flycatcher was still at Shell Beach, next to the boardwalk, the Wood Sandpiper was at Sunnyside again, there were 2 more Turnstone on Lytchett Fields (the first for the Lytchett Bay area this year) and the Forster’s Tern spent most of the day off Shipstal Beach at RSPB Arne where there was also 1 Knot and a juv Yellow-legged Gull with 2 more on the Swineham Scrapes. At Holme Lane the Barnacle Goose was still there.

Wood Sandpiper – Sunnyside Scrape (yesterday) – Peter Moore