It was still pretty mild this morning but the still dawn, and light wind meant some more Redwing got through last night with 3 ringed at Lytchett Bay this morning along with a late Willow Warbler, 44 Chiffchaff and 24 Blackcap. Female White-tailed Eagle G801 was once again active in the Wareham Channel and there were 4 Marsh Harrier at the Swineham end of the channel. At Lytchett fields there was 1 Little Stint, 1 Ruff and 7 Curlew Sandpiper. Holes Bay continues to be productive with 540 Wigeon, 271 Teal, 6 Shoveler and 5 Pintail with 1 Greenshank (NE), 534 Black-tailed Godwit, 100+Redshank, 39 Curlew, 6 Knot, 118 Dunlin, 19 Ringed Plover and 11 Grey Plover (almost certainly a Holes Bay high count)! The Brownsea Lagoon oddity today was a Cattle Egret, but also there were 44 Spoonbill, 1 Little Stint, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 10 Greenshank and 20 Grey Plover.

Common Chiffchaff – Lytchett Bay – Ian Ballam

Despite it being the weekend, very few reports came in today other than a juvenile Osprey was in Middlebere and a White-tailed Eagle was seen in the Wareham Channel. Another Osprey (an adult) was in Brands Bay and there were 72 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon with at least 1 Curlew Sandpiper and 1 Spotted Redshank. Holes Bay saw a really decent sized Ringed Plover flock with 42 present as well as 17 Knot and 8 Grey Plover, three species that have traditionally been scarce in Holes Bay. From Middlebere there were 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine, 3 Spoonbill and c100 Avocet. Strangest find of the day was a Dartford Warbler that got trapped in WHSmiths in Poole, but then safely caught and released.

Curlew Sandpiper – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Another day with lots more decent mid-Autumn birds. The day started off well with 10 Cattle Egret on the Swineham floodplain with the cattle and 2 White-tailed Eagle (females G801 and G318) in the Wareham Channel. Lytchett Fields saw a site record breaking 13 Curlew Sandpiper plus a whole suit of other waders including 1 Little Stint, 1 Ruff, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Spotted Redshank, 351 Dunlin, 89 Redshank, 79 Black-tailed Godwit, 45 Lapwing, 15 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper and 4 Common Snipe. This morning 11 Marsh Harrier came out of the west harbour roost and a Goshawk was seen over Slepe Heath. There were lots and lots of Chiffchaff and Blackcap passing through again this morning and last night, some Common Crane were heard calling over Poole. The Piddle floods had 4 Ruff, 1 Wood Sandpiper and 2 Marsh Harrier over with the Pectoral Sandpiper only being seen earlier in the day.

Dunlin (above) and Little Stint (below) – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

The day started pretty much the same as it ended yesterday, with the 8 Common Crane that were seen arriving late yesterday evening being found from our Autumn Safari Cruise over on the private Keysworth Estate. For a brief magical moment, female White-tailed Eagle G801 flew low over the cranes, to which they took no notice. Also from our Autumn Safari were 3 different Marsh Harrier (9 came out of the west harbour roost this AM) around Swineham, and later in the day a full adult male Marsh Harrier was active in the mouth of the Piddle near Swineham. There 5 Bearded Tit off Swineham Point and the sinensis Cormorant flock in the Wareham Channel has grown considerably to c350 birds. The Brownsea Lagoon had 72 Spoonbill, 38 Avocet, 8 Grey Plover, 11 Greenshank, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 12 Knot, 22 Ringed Plover and 5 Sanderling. Lytchett Fields didn’t see too much change from yesterday but it was still amazing with 2 Little Stint, 8+ Curlew Sandpiper, c200 Dunlin, 2 Spotted Redshank, 7 Greenshank, c80 Black-tailed Godwit, 100+ Common Redshank and 1 Ruff. Out in Lytchett Bay a Peregrine took a Redshank and in Holes Bay north a Common Sandpiper was near the PCW outflow. In Poole Town centre a male Common Redstart was in a tree just outside the Barclays building. Chiffchaff’s were once again on the move with decent numbers (20+) in the PCW Drain and 70+ ringed at Lytchett Bay. Another White-tailed Eagle arrived this afternoon around 16:30 with the 3-year old female G318 being seen over Rockley Park. An Osprey was hunting in the Wareham Channel mid-morning but soon disappeared. The Pectoral Sandpiper was on the Piddle floods again, north of Swineham GP.

Marsh Harrier – Swineham, from Autumn Safari Cruise – Mark Wright

Common Cranes – Wareham Channel, from Autumn Safari Cruise – Mark Wright

Common Cranes – Wareham Channel, from Autumn Safari Cruise – Mark Wright

More good birds today, with 8 Common Crane, which were first seen heading west over Stanpit, Christchurch late afternoon, eventually made it into Poole Harbour airspace by around 17:15 where they were seen over Lytchett Fields before then heading off low towards the Wareham Channel, looking like they may had settled somewhere for the evening. Lytchett fields was also super busy on the high tide this morning with 15 species of wader alone, including c330 Dunlin, 9 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Little Stint, 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Knot, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Ruff, 130 Redshank, 10 Greenshank as well as several each of Lapwing, Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit. At Swineham there were 5 Ruff split between the point and the Piddle floods and the Pectoral Sandpiper was also still there. The autumns first dark-bellied Brent Goose arrived, joining the 4 that were already here having over-summered. There was an Osprey in Holes Bay as well as one in Middlebere.

Wader flock feeding on high tide – Lytchett Fields – Shaun Robson

Bird of the day was a late find Pectoral Sandpiper which was on the open pools in the Lower Piddle, north of the gravel pits along with 1 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Ruff, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 8 Black-tailed Godwit, and a scattering of Wigeon, Teal and Gadwall. Lytchett Fields looked incredible this morning with 244 Dunlin, 9 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Little Stint, 24 Greenshank, 1 Ruff, 1 Knot, 4 Spotted Redshank, 8 Ringed Plover, 4 Green Sandpiper and c60 Common Redshank. The Brownsea Lagoon Spoonbill flock looks to be static for the time being at 72 and an Osprey flew down the Middlebere Channel. Although roughly c150 Avocet are currently back in the harbour a few ventured into Holes Bay for the first time yesterday with 4 in the NW sector. Chiffchaff and Blackcap were really active after the rain this morning with many areas around the harbour seeing good numbers moving through various hedgerows. Off Swineham Point there were 3 Marsh Harrier yesterday a Merlin was on Hartland.

Autumnal Avocet – Brownsea Lagoon 

We’ve been so lucky with weather this year, with most trips drenched in warm sunshine and clear sky’s, and todays autumn Safari was no different. It’s amazing how many Osprey are still around with a minimum of 2 seen from the cruise this morning, with another 2 juveniles in Holes Bay north this afternoon and another hunting in Brands Bay this afternoon. Also from our cruise this morning were 3 Marsh Harrier, 3 Sparrowhawk, a decent passage of Swallow and House Martin over the harbour, c70 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon, 3 Sanderling on the lagoon beach, c50 Avocet on the lagoon along with c25 Dunlin, 8 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Curlew Sandpiper and 8 Greenshank. At Lytchett Fields there were 2 Little Stint, 6 Curlew Sandpiper (including the colour ringed individual), 1 Ruff, 3 Spotted Redshank, 3 Ringed Plover, 10 Greenshank, 150 Dunlin and 40 Lapwing. Although not seen from the boat this AM, female White-tailed Eagle G801 was in the Wareham Channel all day, moving around the area

Spoonbill flock – Brownsea – Mark Wright

Sandwich Tern – Wareham Channel – Mark Wright

Another 20 degree day, and as we push towards the end of September there seems to still be no shortage of Osprey with 2 hunting in Holes Bay today, including a blue ringed left leg individual, plus at least another 2 or 3 around the Middlebere/Wareham Channel area. Although remaining elusive today, 3 different White-tailed Eagles paid the harbour a visit touring between Arne, the Wareham Channel and Lytchett Bay. At Lytchett Fields there were 5 Curlew Sandpiper including the Norwegian ringed bird and 1 juv Little Stint. At Holes Bay north the Wigeon numbers pushed up to over 530 and on the Brownsea Lagoon there were 72 Spoonbill which is a fantastic record. We’re now getting reports that Rock Pipit are now being seen at traditional wintering sites such as the Haven Hotel area and South Haven at Studland which is another indicator that winter is not that far away. A vis-mig (visible migration) count from South Haven produced 242 Meadow Pipit, 121 Linnet and 49 Goldfinch all heading north along with 333 House Martin. At Lytchett Bay, a whopping 111 Chiffchaff were ringed this morning along with 22 Blackcap, 7 Sedge Warbler and 1 Whitethroat. There were Firecrests at the PCW Drain, in Upton CP, Swineham and Arne.

Rock Pipit – Sandbanks slipway – Nick Gadenne