Sightings01/09/2020

Harbour Update – posted 30/08/20

We’re not quite sure where to start this evening, with the harbour quite literally brimming with good birds and totals from every corner of the harbour. We apologise in advance if we miss anyone’s sightings they’ve reported to us, but we’ll try and include everything from today. Starting off with Ospreys (well why not), it seemed that the northerly wind didn’t see too many leave but instead perhaps increased totals with 3-4 present in the Wareham Channel on and off for most of the day, along with another 3 or so in Lytchett Bay and numerous sightings of 3-4 birds from Middlebere too. It could easily be estimated that there were between 7-10 Osprey in the harbour today. Quite amazing. At Swineham there was a single Cattle Egret in the cattle field and on Arne Moors (viewed from Swineham) 3 Ruff were feeding. On Swineham GP and roost of c200 Sand Martin were feeding before soon moving off and 2-3 Marsh Harrier were present near the mouth of the Frome and in Lytchett Bay. Lytchett Fields also saw 3 Ruff, along with 2 Whinchat, 3 Wheatear, a few Dunlin and Ringed Plover, 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Hobby, 2 Marsh Harrier and a Peregrine. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 2 juvenile Little Stint and 2 juv Curlew Sandpiper along with 19 Knot, 20 Sanderling, 95 Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, 6 Greenshank, 35 Ringed Plover, 21 Avocet, 285 Dunlin, 17 Spoonbill and 1 Peregrine. In Brands Bay the first 2 Great White Egret of the autumn were present, along with 10 Wigeon, 1 Spotted Redshank, 5 Whimbrel, 19 Great Crested Grebe and 31 Med Gulls. In Holes Bay there were 676 Black-tailed Godwit and 100+ Redshank. Passerines finally gave themselves up after a cold start with a good spread of Wheatears, Whinchats, Redstarts, Spotted Flycatchers, Common Whitethroat, Yellow Wagtails and Willow Warbler right across the harbour especially the Hartland, Slepe Heath, Middlebere, Arne and Greenland’s Farm area. There were 9 Pintail in the mouth of Middlebere this afternoon highlighting the fact that winter is almost here. This is obviously just a snippet of what can be seen in the harbour currently. Add all this to the other species you can experience whilst ambling about out around the harbour and there’s no better place to be on a bank holiday Monday….so we can’t wait to hear about what turns up tomorrow!!!

Pintail arrival – Middlebere 

Wheatear – Hartland Moor

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