The Glossy Ibis roosted on Otter Point, Lytchett Bay last night, but there was no sign of the bird in it’s favoured Lytchett Minster field through the day. Holes Bay South West featured the Spotted Redshank and a notable flock of 13 Dark-bellied Brent Goose. A small mobile flock of Siskin passed through Upton CP and the delicate calls of Goldcrest graced the woods. A dedicated watch at Coombe Heath viewpoint, RSPB Arne enjoyed Marsh Harrier, Great White Egret, 3 Spoonbill, Avocet and a flock of Redwing. A further 3 Marsh Harrier quartered Lytchett Bay airspace and only the second site record of Pale-bellied Brent Goose was logged off footpath 12 (Lytchett Way).

Curlew – Wareham Channel – Robin Morrison (@robinmmorrison)
Captured on a Bird of Poole Harbour Cruise last weekend

Nice conditions for a school bird boat around the harbour this morning, first stopping off at Brownsea Lagoon, where numbers of c. 200 Avocet and c.300 Black-tailed Godwit were present, as well as 3+ Greenshank and good numbers of Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Redshank. Along with high numbers of Red-breasted Merganser across the harbour, 5 Black-necked Grebe were present off between Shipstal and Long Island, c.20 Spoonbill roosting at Shipstal Point, as well as 1 drake Goldeneye seen in the central harbour. The Glossy Ibis is still present at Lytchett Minster, in the cattle field behind the Courtyard Centre off Post Green Road, and was seen returning to roost in Lytchett Bay at 16:27, viewed from the Turlin screen. Sightings from Middle Beach today included 1 Great Northern Diver and 3 Black-necked Grebe. 1 Purple Sandpiper was also reported on the groynes at North Haven this morning.

Glossy Ibis – Lytchett Minster – Mark Wright (@markwright12002)

Conditions similar to yesterday made for another beautifully calm public cruise around the harbour this morning. This time one of our new Winter Safaris which took us different route to usual, past Round and Long Island – where a large flock of Oystercatcher were roosting on the beach – to the mouth of the Middlebere and Wych Channels. Here we enjoyed hunting Marsh Harrier and Buzzard interacting over the saltmarsh, Dark-bellied Brent Geese, Curlew, Little Egret and Shelduck on the shore, and Red-breasted Merganser and Great-crested Grebe on in the water alongside 3 inquisitive Common Seal. As we passed Shipstal Beach in each direction, the flock of Spoonbill were just visible on the sandspit tucked up in Arne Bay.

Back out in the Central Harbour we encountered dozens of Red-breasted Merganser in loose groups and pairs, along with several more solitary Great-crested Grebe and Common Gull, at least 3 (though likely more) Goldeneye, and a single Guillemot. Continuing on around the back of Green Island and out through South Deep, 3 Scaup and 2 Common Scoter (including one drake of each) were spotted between Jerry’s Point and Redhorn quay.

Our final stop, the Brownsea Lagoon, was buzzing with Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, Shelduck, Black- and Bar-tailed Godwit, Avocet, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, and singles of Grey Plover and Greenshank. There was a great deal of excitement from our boat full of onlookers when many of the waders took to the sky: usually a sure sign of a raptor intrusion! But alas, the cause was a sika deer bounding across the lagoon. On our return leg to Poole Quay we were treated to a Great Norther Diver amongst the buoys alongside the Main Channel north of the island.

Elsewhere, from early morning the Glossy Ibis was once again associating with the cows, Little Egret, Black-headed Gulls, and Pied Wagtails in the field adjacent to the Courtyard Centre in Lytchett Minster (west of Huntick Road and south of Post Green Road). At 16:49 it repeated its usual evening routine and flew south west towards Lytchett Bay, but rather than alighting in the eastern channel off Turlin Moor, this time it appeared to continue onwards in the Holes Bay direction.

Common Gull – Central Harbour – Clive Hargrave

Sika Deer with Avocet and Dunlin – Brownsea Lagoon – Clare Slade

Another stunning morning and another stunning winter cruise! This time our Wareham Channel & Harbour cruise saw us explore at high tide, enjoying glorious views of open-water species (that’s your Great Northern Divers, Goldeneyes and Red-breasted Mergansers) across the harbour which was flat as a pancake. Marsh Harriers offered close views, even dropping down into the nearby reedbeds with prey, while the scarcer Hen Harrier (adult female) delighted the cruise with a brief showing over Arne Moors. Swineham Gravel Pits delivered with a Goosander, Pochard and Spotted Redshank (latter at Swineham Point) before a meander behind the islands to pick up the 3 Scaup and Common Scoter. A bustling Brownsea Lagoon also produced brilliant views of chattering Bar-tailed Godwit, feeding Avocet, needling Dunlin and frantic Sanderling among the more composed Greenshank, Curlew and Dark-bellied Brent Geese. Other notables from the trip included Guillemot, Spoonbill and particularly good views of a perching Peregrine.

We’re back out again tomorrow making the most of these perfectly still conditions and there’s still a ticket or two left! Book your place on our Winter Safari Cruise here, departing Poole Quay at 10AM tomorrow. And if you can’t make the boat, try searching for the Glossy Ibis which was seen feeding in a cow field behind the Courtyard Centre in Lytchett Minster. Elsewhere, a Black-throated Diver was off Middle Beach, Studland until 11:30, when it flew high south beyond Old Harry. The watch also logged 1 Great Nothern Diver, 12 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 7 Common Scoter and 1 Slavonian Grebe.

Glossy Ibis – Lytchett Minister – Mark Wright

It was so beautiful this morning, that almost every inch of the harbour looked to have been sprinkled with ice dust. Quite literally one of the most scenic days of the winter so far. The high pressure is due to stick around too, so hopefully more beauty days on the way. Watching the open harbour and water bodies was great today with the Black-throated Diver still off Knoll Beach, along with 1 Great Northern Diver, 6 Common Scoter this evening and 21 Black-necked Grebe were in the evening roost. Once again the Glossy Ibis came into Lytchett Bay again this evening, viewable from the Turlin shoreline, and a minimum of 10 Marsh Harrier went into the west harbour roost. Off Redhorn Point there was a Slavonian Grebe, 3 Common Scoter and a Great White Egret flew into Brands Bay. A single Purple Sandpiper was on the 3rd groyne along from the Haven Hotel.

Sub-adult male Marsh Harrier – Arne -Mark Wright

Another nice day of sightings with one of the highlights being the Black-throated Diver visible in Studland Bay this afternoon, reported from both Middle Beach and then Knoll later on in day. Also from Knoll, were 8+ Black-necked Grebe, 5 Great Crested Grebe and 4 Common Scoter. Also at Studland, 1 Siberian Chiffchaff was seen from the boardwalk to Shell Bay. Another Siberian Chiffchaff was present at PC World Drain this morning too. The Glossy Ibis was visible again this morning, seen flying north over Lytchett Bay and dropped back into the bay for dusk at 16:40. Not many bird of prey sightings reported today, apart from a Kestrel at Greenlands Farm. The Spoonbill count off Shipstal Point today reached 32 individuals. Finally, 28 Sanderling and 1 Purple Sandpiper were reported at North Haven on the Sandbanks groynes. At Soldiers Road there were 31 Fieldfare. A couple of Crossbill were moving on the edge of Wareham Forest near the Piddle Valley.

We’re currently wrapping up on collecting the data from last Sunday’s Big Poole Harbour Bird Count. If you still have your count to submit, please send it to sightings@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk to make sure it gets included! Once we have all data in, we’ll be putting together and inviting everyone to a FREE online presentation to highlight the results, talk about species status in the harbour and talk about how you can make the most of your harbour birding during the winter. Keep an eye out for more details soon.

Kestrel – Greenlands Farm – Rob Johnson

Today saw the first piece of unsettled weather for a while which was a tad frustrating for our School Bird Boat trip, although all the regulars were logged with a Guillemot off Poole Quay, a Great Northern Diver off Jerry’s Point, c20 Spoonbill on Shipstal and a Marsh Harrier over there too, 11 Goldeneye in central harbour and plenty of Red-breasted Merganser. The Siberian Chiffchaff was calling perfectly and beautifully in the PCW Drain this morning too with 3 collybita (Common) Chiffchaff in there too. The Glossy Ibis dropped out into the centre of Lytchett Bay again this evening and off Middle Beach there was a Black-throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Diver, 12 Black-necked Grebe, 7 Common Scoter and 4 Ring-necked Parakeet.

Siberian Chiffchaff – PCW Drain

Another cold and beautiful day. The Glossy Ibis flew into Lytchett Bay again this evening, this time spending quite a bit of time out on the mud out in the centre of the bay until it got dark. The Brownsea Lagoon was busy and saw 310 Avocet, 16 Greenshank, 140 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Knot, 6 Sanderling, 920 Dunlin, 12 Turnstone, 1 Spotted Redshank and 530 Black-tailed Godwit. At the harbour mouth 2 Great Northern Diver were seen and a Black-throated Diver flew to the harbour entrance before turning back and heading off to Studland Bay. The Siberian Chiffchaff was at the Shell Bay boardwalk again, 6 Black-necked Grebe were off Middle Beach and a Great White Egret was at Littlesea, Studland.

Glossy Ibis – Distantly out in the centre of Lytchett Bay this evening – Shaun Robson

This afternoon a Short-eared Owl was seen over Great Ovens Hill just near Sandford, heading south towards the Keysworth area of the Wareham Channel. They’ve been scarce this year, but spring passage of birds will start around now, so as individuals move from over-wintering areas, they’ll begin moving through the harbour during the latter part of the winter and early spring. The Common Sandpiper was seen at the PCW Drain entrance and 4 Chiffchaff were in the channel. This morning 12 Marsh Harrier left the harbour roost and 3 Spoonbill were in Middlebere.

Thank you to everyone who has sent in their sightings from the Big Poole Harbour Bird Count yesterday, do keep them coming if you’ve got any left to submit!

Reevse’s Pheasant – Norden

Big Poole Harbour Bird Count

Today was our Big Poole Harbour Bird Count, a survey that encourages everyone to get out and log literally everything they see right across the harbour. This enables a series of habitats to be watched and (hopefully) a decent species total to be logged throughout the day, providing info on the locations and totals of some of the harbours most watched (and under-watched) birds. The count also coincides with the Poole Harbour WeBS count, meaning all areas of the open mud and water are counted by the WeBS team, providing a full census of all waders and waterfowl to add to the days results.

Although we’re still waiting for lots of sightings and results to come in, it looks as if it could have been a decent count with so far 136 different species logged throughout the day. Below are some highlights, but we’ll try and bring the main bulk of the results together over the next few weeks.

Many areas were covered today, and out in Poole Bay (from Branksome) was 1 Velvet Scoter, 1 Common Scoter, 4 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-throated Diver, c30 Razorbill, 2 Guillemot and 67 Cormorant. From Old Harry there were 6 Fulmar and 2 Gannet were off Middle Beach. Around the rest of Studland there was 1 Slavonian Grebe off Jerry’s Point with 4 Scaup and 1 Great Northern Diver. The Black-throated Diver was out in central harbour again and the male Black Redstart was at the Tatnum. The Lytchett Bay Glossy Ibis appeared again this evening and headed out over Lytchett Bay towards Rockley at dusk. 2 Great White Egret were seen at Brands Bay and there were also 2 at Swineham. Also at Swineham were 3 Goosander and several Bearded Tit. The Purple Sandpiper were found, originally off Jerry’s Point but then over at Sandbanks in front of the Haven. Lesser Redpoll have been rare this winter but one was on a feeder in Upton and 2 flew over Wareham Common. The only Crossbill were 7 logged at Rempstone and a Woodcock was flushed from the side of the road at Soldiers Road. Most raptor species were logged (apart from Goshawk, Sea Eagle and Red Kite) with ringtail Hen Harrier in Middlebere, 5+ Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel and 2 Merlin off Shipstal/Wytch Lake. In Brands Bay there was a Yellow-legged Gull and a Black Brant was off Goathorn. A Marsh Tit was in Upton CP (an excellent find) and a Woodlark was on Upton Heath, with 8 near the Dorset Water Park. In Holes Bay SW 2 Spotted Redshank were feeding, 22 Spoonbill were off the NW Arne shoreline and 17 Black-necked Grebe were off Middle Beach. Other scarcer species such as Firecrest, Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare and Water Pipit were all reported too in varying totals but the WeBS count seemed to be bustling in some areas with huge numbers of Teal, Wigeon, Dunlin, Avocet and like feeding during the low tide.

Once again, a huge thanks to everyone that took part, and we’re already looking forward to the Spring Big Bird Count (date TBC)

Fieldfare – Soldiers Road