This morning welcomed our final Autumn Safari Cruise of the season! It certainly felt autumnal with intermittent showers and a growing cast of winter visitors, but our perseverance certainly paid off, enjoying views of a Merlin carrying prey, abundant Marsh Harrier action (including the striking adult male), a flyby Peregrine and a hunting Sandwich Tern as we explored the Wareham Channel. Continuing up the River Frome added good numbers of Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Teal and Shoveler all from the recently flooded Wareham Water Meadows and a couple of passes of the Brownsea Lagoon to conclude the cruise revealed 47 Spoonbill, small carpets of Dunlin and Ringed Plover, as well as a slight increase numbers of Greenshank, Grey Plover, Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit. Merlin action was as logged at Greenland’s Farm and Hartland Moor while Lytchett Bay received good coverage logging 2 Firecrest along the new path to Rock Lea View. Counts from the new watchpoint totalling 568 Wigeon, 2 Golden Plover and a vocal Yellow-browed Warbler while the Fields continued to hold the 2 Curlew Sandpiper in with 331 Dunlin and a Spotted Redshank.

Birding Brownsea Lagoon – from Autumn Safari Cruise

Rainbow over Poole – from Autumn Safari Cruise – Mark Wright