So as it turned out, it wasn’t quite the great blizzard of 2021, but it did seem to see a few birds move into the area. Finally after much checking over the winter a Brambling appeared in the Holme Lane Chaffinch flock where c50 Chaffinch, c30 Goldfinch and c30 Redwing were also feeding and 2 Egyptian Geese were feeding. At Swineham several Bearded Tit were pinging in the reed beds off Swineham Point and the pits held mostly Coot (64) with 11 Tufted Duck, 9 Great Crested Grebe and 2 Egyptian Geese plus the high tide forced 8 Skylark and a number Rock Pipit off of the saltmarsh. There were 2 Water Pipit in the Lower Frome Valley and a group of Redwing started some early community song at Holme Lane, something we don’t tend to hear until it warms up slightly in the first week of March, just before they leave. Off Jerry’s Point the 4 Long-tailed Duck were seen near Furzey, plus there were 3 Great Northern Diver, 3 Slavonian Grebe and 4 Black-necked Grebe. At The PCW Drain the Siberian Chiffchaff was showing well with 3 Common Chiffchaff and a Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail were also in the channel.

Common Sandpiper – Holes Bay NE outflow – Rene Goad

Although we’re all hoping for spring to spring into action, there’s some snow due, and possibly/hopefully some cold weather movements. The next couple of days will tell, but its worth keeping an eye out for Fieldfare and Redwing movements as well as Skylark, Lapwing and Meadow Pipits, all of which respond to snow and cold weather quite dramatically. Also worth checking open water bodies for Smew, Goosander and winter geese in the floodplains.

Today 6 Slavonian Grebe were off Jerry’s point which is a winter peak count, also the 4 Long-tailed Duck were still off Furzey with 3 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Great Northern Diver and 3 Common Scoter in the general area. At the PCW Drain the Siberian Chiffchaff was seen again with 3 Common Chiffchaff and the Common Sandpiper was at the drain mouth with the female Goldeneye still present there too. A Lesser Redpoll was at the Stone bench, Upton CP and the Peregrine was on the Asda building. We’ve been receiving a lot of stunning photos on our social media channels from people who are making the most of their daily walks during lockdown, and documenting the harbours rich and varied bird life, certainly in the northern urban areas of the harbour. So, thanks so much for these, we love seeing them and please keep them coming…(and stay safe)!

Siberian Chiffchaff – Holes Bay Nature Twitter Account

A gorgeous January day with the standard mix of recent species observed including 3 Great Northern Diver, 4 Slavonian Grebe, 7 Black-necked Grebe, 4 Long-tailed Duck, 5 Common Scoter and a decent number of Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser around the Jerry’s Point area. At Whitley Lake, Sandbanks there were 24 Sanderling, 16 Turnstone, 95 Bar-tailed Godwit, 32 Oystercatcher, 50+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 6 Red-breasted Merganser and a Purple Sandpiper was on one the rocky groynes and the Common Sandpiper was seen again at Holes Bay and a Goldeneye was out off the PCW drain entrance.

Also, huge thanks to everyone that contributed towards our Osprey trail cam fundraiser. Today we hit our target of £1500 which will pay for the re-installation of the 5 cameras this spring and the photo packages that will allow us to monitor the other nest platforms around the harbour this spring and summer. Here’s looking forward to 9 weeks time and the first returning Ospreys of 2021! We purposefully left out one of the cameras this winter to see what species use the nest platforms during the colder months and recently the local Ravens have been gearing themselves up for the up and coming breeding season and the local Buzzards have been sunning themselves on there!

Raven and Common Buzzard on Osprey nest platforms in the last week

Last nights storm gave way to a brighter morning and by late afternoon there wasn’t a breath of wind. Main focus was on the open water where around Jerry’s Point/South Deep area there were 4 Long-tailed Duck, 2 Slavonian Grebe, 5 Great Northern Diver, 3 Scaup, 8 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Common Scoter, 37 Red-breasted Merganser and 18 Goldeneye. Off Middle Beach a large feeding flock of mixed gull species were feeding just before dusk with a minimum of 1000 birds present also 3 Great Northern Diver were in Studland Bay along with 8 Common Scoter, 6 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Gannet! At Sandbanks there were 2 Purple Sandpiper on the long groyn and a ringtail Hen Harrier was at Lytchett Bay. On Poole Park boating lake there were 5 Red-breasted Merganser and 3 Goldeneye and the Peregrine was back on the Asda building. It was also noted recently that 2 ringed Bearded Tit that were photographed well at Radipole on Jan 14th were in fact 2 individuals that were ringed in Lytchett Bay on October 10th last year, providing more examples of  local dispersal between Poole Harbour and Weymouth.

Goldeneye – Poole Park – Clare Slade

Red-breasted Merganser – Poole Park – Clare Slade

There’s been some pretty dire weather out there the last couple of days and its not surprising that sightings have been a bit limited. That said, the drake Scaup that’s been off Jerry’s Point all winter is now looking mighty fine and has mostly attained full adult plumage. There were also 2 Slavonian Grebe off Jerry’s Point with 7 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Great Northern Diver and c10 Goldeneye. The Siberian Chiffchaff was at the PCW Drain again and a ringtail Hen Harrier was at Swineham. And ‘of note’, 2 Black Swan appeared on Hatch Pond.

Siberian Chiffchaff – PCW Drain – Ian Ballam

Holes Bay saw quite a lot of focus, and a good number of people are really enjoying the urban Kingfishers. If you’re keen to see them, then now’s the time as they actually start heading back up the river systems in February and will be all but gone from the harbour fringes by late February. Holes Bay, Poole Park, even Shore Road, Sandbanks and Baiter all hold over-wintering Kingfisher. There seems to be 3-4 in Holes Bay north and south currently, and often shoot up the PCW Drain when the weather gets a bit wild. Also in Holes Bay there were good numbers of Shoveler, a Goldeneye and c30 Pintail with c10 Common Chiffchaff in the PCW Drain and the Siberian Chiffchaff. The/a Peregrine was back on the Asda building again. A pair set up a territory in this area last spring, commuting between the Asda building and the Barclays building. It seems they keen to breed somewhere in town, so we’d be really interested in any courtship/vocal interactions between the pair that anyone experiences over the next couple of months. Off Jerry’s Point there were 2 Slavonian Grebe and 7 Black-necked Grebe and a Great Northern Diver off Middle Beach. In Stoborough 2 Egyptian Geese were in fields near Sunnyside and there were another 2 along Holme Lane.

A frosty Siberian Chiffchaff – PCW Drain – Ian Ballam

It was another fine day with more signs of spring as 6 -7 Great Spotted Woodpecker were drumming in Upton CP and Mistle Thrush were in full song at Lytchett Bay. The strange (but annual) mid/late January arrival/influx of Chiffchaff into the PCW Drain occurred again with c20 present up near KFC including a Siberian Chiffchaff. Off Jerry’s point there were 4 Long-tailed Duck 3 Common Scoter, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 4 Great Northern Diver, 15+ Goldeneye and the 4 Scaup were in Brands Bay. A Merlin was dashing about Slepe Heath and Marsh Harrier seem to be on the up with decent numbers across the Wareham Channel. There were 2 Cattle Egret in the Organford/Bakers Arms Field today with several Little Egret and a Water Pipit was at Lytchett Fields. At Poole Park there were 5 Red-breasted Merganser on the boating lake and a Great Northern Diver off Baiter.

Red-breasted Mergansers – Bramble Bush Bay – Nick Gadenne

We can feel spring in the air. Once this morning rain cleared it was actually a pretty gorgeous day that spurred on both Mistle Thrush and Song Thrush to start singing away at several harbour fringe locations. Great Tit and Blue Tit already seem to be getting territorial and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming at Bog Lane where there were also 4 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Egyptian Geese, c20 Redwing and 2 Raven. A male Hen Harrier flew up the Piddle Valley from Swineham and a new adult male Marsh Harrier was in the harbour. A Cattle Egret was just inside the harbour boundary at Lytchett Minster/Bakers Arms area and at Middlebere there were 4 Spotted Redshank with 2 Spoonbill in Lytchett Bay. Sanderling were recorded at several sites across Studland, with 11 observed at Shell Bay and another photographed at Bramble Bush Bay.

Sanderling – Bramble Bush Bay – Nick Gadenne

A female Marsh Harrier graced Little Sea, disturbing c.50 Wigeon, c.40 Teal, 2 Shoveler and a Pintail in the process. Excellent range of open-water species on view at (yep, you guessed it) Jerry’s Point once again, clocking up an impressive 4 Great Northern Diver, 3 Common Scoter, 2 Scaup, 3 Slavonian Grebe, 1 Black-necked Grebe, 4 Long-tailed Duck, 24 Goldeneye, 21 Red-breasted Merganser and a Dartford Warbler flitting around the surrounding gorse. Central Harbour also featured a minimum count of 50 Red-breasted Merganser, 12 Goldeneye and 4 more Black-necked Grebe. A single Water Pipit was observed at Lytchett Bay and a cycle ride along Holes Bay SE produced 3 Kingfisher, 250 Wigeon and 30 Avocet feeding near the deep channel under the railway bridge. The 2 Poole Park Red-breasted Merganser offered particularly impressive views today…

Red-breasted Merganser – Poole Park – Clare Slade

Rather quiet over the last couple of days with Cattle Egret, Merlin and Water Pipit at Lytchett Fields Bay. Off Jerry’s Point there were 4 Scaup, 3 Common Scoter, 3 Slavonian Grebe, 4 Great Northern Diver and 4 Long-tailed Duck. At Swineham a Green Sandpiper was on the Stilt Pools and 12 Spoonbill and c5000 Common Gull were out in the Wareham Channel with a few Bearded Tit calling in the reedbeds. At Brands Bay the Great White Egret was seen and a male Merlin was in Lytchett Bay at dusk.

Pintail – Holes Bay – Ian Ballam