What a beaut of a day. Lots more of these please! The warmth has really triggered some breeding activity as well as the emergence of numerous insect species. Red Admiral and a Comma Butterfly were on the wing, ponds and ditches are already bustling with Common Frog and Common Toad wrestling for females and soon to be laying spawn. Crocus’s, Daffodils and Snowdrops are all in flower and bird song is ringing in the air. There has already been multiple courtship displays logged with Sparrowhawk and Goshawk now in full display mode, Common Buzzard were also out in force today and the Poole Peregrines have been busy dropping down to the nest ledge on the (ex) Barclays building, attending to their nest and no doubt prepping for another busy summer of parenthood. Although White-tailed Eagles have been ‘around’ in recent weeks, they’ve not been spending long periods of time in the harbour, however today 3 were very active around the Wareham Channel and Lytchett Bay area. In Middlebere this afternoon 2 Hen Harrier were buzzing about. At Norden Sewage Works there was a minimum of 10 Common Chiffchaff and 3 Firecrest. Off Middle Beach a Slavonian Grebe and a Great Northern Diver were seen and at Lytchett Fields there were 2 Water Pipit and 1 Spotted Redshank. At Hatch Pond the female Bearded Tit was seen again.

Ringtail Hen Harrier – Middlebere – Rob Morrison

A nice mix of reports today despite low coverage, with a Slavonian Grebe in Poole Bay, off Alum Chine. This morning 2 Eider flew in to the harbour and around lunchtime a White-tailed Eagle flew over Lytchett Bay. Shipstal Bay hosted 17 Spoonbill, there were 7 Common Scoter, 2 Slavonian Grebe and 10 Black-necked Grebe in Studland Bay. At Swineham 4 Marsh Harrier were active this afternoon, Raven were ‘cronking’ over the gravel pit and a Chiffchaff was even in song briefly at the eastern end of the main pit. In the PCW Drain 10+ Chiffchaff were along the ditch with a Firecrest again (opposite KFC).

Black Redstart – North Haven, Sandbanks – Ian ballam

Another early spring-like day brought welcome sunshine and periods of warmth triggering plenty of birdsong. Woodlark have begun finding their voice and many more familiar garden birds are in full plastic song. Highlights from across the harbour include a Black Redstart in a Carey garden. A watch from Shell Bay enjoyed 2 Great Northern Diver occupying Poole Bay, with 5 Eider and 12 Pintail picked up flying into the harbour. While a Firecrest was actively feeding behind Rock Lea View, Lytchett Bay.

Black Redstart – Carey Garden – Seb Haggett

A bit of a blustery one today. Not too much birding to be had, but a good clean sweep of the usuals with male White-tailed Eagle G463 low over Lytchett Fields heading north. The 5 Eider were seen near the harbour mouth at dawn, before entering the harbour mouth, with a Great Northern Diver on the sea in Shell Bay and a Slavonian Grebe off Jerry’s Point. A male and female Goosander headed down river, towards the harbour over Holmebridge and 2 Woodlark flew over. There was a Spotted Redshank at Lytchett Fields and another in Middlebere. In the mouth of the Frome/Piddle 6 Marsh Harrier were active, 5 Black-necked Grebe were in a choppy Studland Bay, at Shipstal just 11 Spoonbill were roosting, but for pure spectacle this afternoon, Holes Bay north was stacked with birds including c4000 Black-tailed Godwit, c3500 Wigeon and in the PCW drain lots of Chiffchaff again and 2 Kingfisher.

White-tailed Eagle G463 – Lytchett Fields – Colin Moyes

An interesting Winter Safari Cruise today, with a bit of a shift in gears for species that were seen to kick off the new month’s birding. As we moved around the harbour on the low tide, it was apparent that many of the open water birds that we’ve been picking up recently have moved on, with the lack of Great Northern Diver particularly of note. However, the low tide provided a stunning array of wader and wildfowl activity, with c.800 Brent Geese between Newton and Ower Bay, with around 150 Wigeon amongst them. 5 Spoonbill were feeding in Ower Bay, with Avocet, Curlew, Grey Plover and Redshank amongst the many birds making the most of the exposed mud. 2 Goldeneye were picked up near Goathorn, and there were around 85 Red-breasted Merganser across the harbour. Brownsea Lagoon offered views of around 200 Avocet and 400 Black-tailed Godwit, which were seen moving off high over Poole in large streams as we approached the Wareham Channel.

The channel provided excellent views of waders, with c250 Lapwing on the mud, as well as 30 Grey Plover, 1 Greenshank, 1 Spoonbill, 25 Curlew, around 175 Dunlin, and 30 Redshank with a few Avocet amongst them. Marsh Harrier activity was nice at the top end of the Wareham Channel, with at least 5 birds active, and 1 Peregrine was perched on a post on Arne Moors. Elsewhere, 8 Black-necked Grebe were counted in Studland Bay this morning. 4 Spoonbill were seen feeding in the Middlebere Channel, along with decent numbers of Avocet and 1 Marsh Harrier. At Lytchett Fields this morning, a very high total of 625 Lapwing were counted across the two main fields – the highest count since 2015. In Lytchett Bay, 4 Spoonbill and 3 Shoveler were reported this afternoon. In Holes Bay, over 1000 Black-tailed Godwit, 185 Avocet, 87 Dunlin, 20 Brent Geese and 6 Gadwall were seen this morning, as well as 50+ Redwing at Upton Country Park.

Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson

It was another busy raptor morning with 19 Marsh Harrier out of the west harbour roost and yet again 7 different Hen Harrier were recorded today. A Merlin was seen at Middlebere and another was seen at Lytchett Bay. Considering Merlin have been so scarce this winter, could these already be a few new birds moving into/through the area? Also, 2 White-tailed Eagles were in the Wareham Channel, a Red Kite was over Studland. There was a Spotted Redshank at Middlebere with 2 at Lytchett Fields. This evening 8 Spoonbill headed up the Frome Valley at dusk and off Middle Beach 10 Black-necked Grebe were counted. Best of all today, was how spring-like it felt with Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming again in a few areas and both Blackbird and Song Thrush singing. Snowdrops are emerging en mass in traditional spots  and daffodils are appearing nicely, with even a few Red Admiral on the wing again today.

Wigeon – Wareham Channel

Today was our Big Poole Harbour Bird Count which saw great coverage across the harbour, despite a cold wind whipping across the area by later afternoon. A dawn start logged 2 Barn Owl at Middlebere and 7 calling male Tawny Owls along a stretch of the Piddle Valley. Scotland Farm had 6 Woodcock and 1 Jack Snipe, whilst last night a Woodcock was re-caught at Sunnyside having originally been ringed at the same site in 2016. From Old Harry this morning we had a decent sea watch with the recent 5 Eider arriving in from way out beyond Durlston, passing Old Harry, before then entering the harbour 10 minutes later. Also off old Harry were a minimum of 7 Red-throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Diver and 5 diver sp, also 1 Fulmar, 5 Gannet, c200 Guillemot and Razorbill, 3 Common Scoter and 4 Red-breasted Merganser. Meanwhile in Studland Bay a decent total of 16 Black-necked Grebe were counted along with another Great northern Diver, 10 Common Scoter, 6 Great Crested Grebe. The Black Redstart was on the red tiled building roof at North Haven, beach side, opposite the angled groyne and 18 Sanderling were on the groyne rocks. There were 2 White-tailed Eagle with one over Lytchett Fields around midday and one in Arne Bay. A decent count of 10 Marsh Harrier were in the evening roost and 7 different Hen Harrier were identified being present in the harbour during the course of the day. . At lytchett Fields 2 Water Pipit were on the fields and a Slavonian Grebe, 4 Black-necked Grebe plus a Velvet Scoter were off the Houseboats, near Jerry’s Point. A Golden Pheasant was seen seen on the lawn of Furzey Island during WeBS. In the mouth of Middlebere 9 Spoonbill were feeding/roosting. At the PCW Drain, 16 Common Chiffchaff were feeding along the channel, plus there was 1 Firecrest, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Grey Wagtail and 16 Teal. 

Little Grebe – Wareham Channel

Another brilliant Winter Safari Cruise this morning with the flat calm conditions permitting excellent views of 1 Black-throated Diver in the North Channel, along with a distant Velvet Scoter, 3 nearby Great Northern Diver, 2 Sandwich Tern, and a flock of 60 Bar-tailed Godwit. In the southern reaches of the harbour we encountered 750 Brent Geese, 1 Spoonbill, 6 Black-necked Grebe, 6 Eider (the usual group of five in the central harbour and a single female off Goathorn), plus 12 Goldeneye: one of our highest counts this winter! In the Wareham Channel there were 4 Marsh Harrier interacting as they quartered the reedbeds, where a small flock of Bearded Tit was heard and briefly seen. Another 2 Spoonbill were feeding on the rising tide, along with 90 Avocet, 25 Lapwing, 300 Dunlin, 1 Greenshank. Both Grey and Common Seal were also seen on the trip, along with the briefest glimpse of an Otter in the entrance to the River Frome!

Elsewhere between Studland and Shell Bays there was 1 Black-throated Diver (possibly the same individual seen from our cruise), 2 Great Northern Diver, 5 Common Scoter, 11 Black-necked Grebe, 9 Great Crested Grebe and 22 Sanderling, while just inside the harbour off Jerry’s Point there was also 1 Slavonian Grebe. In Lytchett Bay from Rock Lea View 150 Avocet, 50 Oystercatcher, 15 Lapwing, 30 Curlew and 2 Black-tailed Godwit, and in the Middlebere Channel a ringtail Hen Harrier was present this morning.