Is it really November tomorrow? Where the blooming heck did October go??? Well, autumn migration will get wrapped up this month and winter birding can commence for the next four months, which is always an exciting period in a Poole Habour birding context. Today in Holes Bay north-east a very wintery scene was already being created as the rising tide mid-morning pushed plenty of birds close to the cycle path. This included 48 Avocet, 700+ Wigeon, 200+ Black-tailed Godwit, 59 Dunlin, 1 Pintail plus a good covering of Curlew, Redshank and Oystercatcher. At Holton Pools early morning there were 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Marsh Harrier and several Rock Pipit passing overhead with a Water Pipit on the pools later in the day and the Little Owl was near the reception cottage. There was a Great White Egret in Bramble Bush Bay mid-morning and at dawn 50 Shag, 7 Red-breasted Merganser and 1 Common Guillemot entered the harbour through the harbour mouth. A dawn raptor watch in Poole Harbour west produced 4 Marsh Harrier leaving the roost, a ringtail Hen Harrier over Keysworth and a single Merlin. The Hen Harrier was also seen at Holton Pools/Lytchett Fields mid-afternoon. In Middlebere there were 5 Spoonbill, c200 Avocet and a fly through Merlin.

With the end of the ‘summer’ now here, we’d like to thank everyone who visited, made use of, and spent money in our Birds of Poole Harbour HQ on Poole Quay this year. Having only opened on March 1^st we’ve now made many new friends and great contacts through our HQ and we can’t wait to see what next year brings. Please note that we’ve changed our opening times to our winter opening hours now, which is…

Monday to Friday – CLOSED

Saturday – Open 10am – 4:30pm

Sunday – Open 10am – 4:00pm.

Summer opening hours will commence on March 1^st 2019.

We’ll be releasing our 2019 event and boat schedule soon which will include our new ID course, weekly Nightjar walks, new boat tours and much more!

Kingfisher – Holton Pools – Paul Morton

Dartford Warbler – Slepe Heath – Paul Morton