Another bitterly cold day, but with a result as the two Ring-necked Ducks that were located further up the Piddle Valley a few weeks ago have relocated to Swineham GP. These are the first since 2008 and it’s good that they’ve been relocated since Trevor Warwick found one on the smaller pit at Swineham earlier in the week. A Jack Snipe was also flushed off the end of Swineham Point. At Organford, the Golden Plover flock was still present with at least c15 still there. At Jerry’s Point there were 2 Long-tailed Duck, 4 Slavonian Grebe and on Littlesea the Great White Egret was present still. Holes Bay saw a Spotted Redshank and the mouth of the drain with up to 3 Kingfisher present in the area too. The PCW Drain logged the Siberian Chiffchaff, 1 Firecrest and 1 Kingfisher.

Ring-necked Duck – Swineham GP – Peter Moore

The highlight from today’s sightings was a great finding of 22 Golden Plover near Holton Heath Industrial Estate, the first reported since the drop in temperature this week. At PC World Drain, a single Spotted Redshank was seen this afternoon. A count from Ower Quay produced 225 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 41 Grey Plover, 113 Dunlin, 55 Lapwing, 17 Red-breasted Merganser and 8 Black-necked Grebes. At Studland, from Jerry’s Point and Redhorn, 2 Long-tailed Duck, 3 Slavonian Grebe, 2 Black-necked Grebe, 21 Goldeneye,  2 Great Northern Diver, c.20 Red-breasted Merganser, as well as 4 Common Scoter and the single Pale-bellied Brent Goose were reported. Over at Whitley lake this afternoon, 100 Bar-tailed Godwit, along with 14 Sanderling were counted. A male Merlin was also reported hunting at Hartland Moor.

This Sunday evening, we will be releasing the next episode in our Reintroduction & Rewilding podcast, created by Charlie Moores. This week, he chatted with Harvey Tweats and Tom Whitehurst from Celtic Reptile & Amphibian, after their project has sparked much debate amongst conservationists. Charlie got to grips with the motivations behind the project, how the team have reacted to criticism of their work, and how they believe their project sits in the future of conservation. An episode not to be missed, catch a quick preview here:

Golden Plover – Organford – Trevor Warwick

It was a bitterly cold day today. One of those days where you just want to watch the birds in your garden with a hot cup of tea in hand. A few brave souls did head out on their daily excersise. At Studland there was 1 Long-tailed Duck, 5 Slavonian Grebe, 2 Black-necked Grebe, 4 Common Scoter, 1 pale-bellied Brent Goose and the Great White Egret was still at Little Sea, Studland. The Common Sandpiper was seen again at Holes Bay and there were 3 Chiffchaff at the PCW Drain. Middlebere looked like the Arctic tundra with just a Bar-tailed Godwit and some Lapwing the only rewards. On the whole, birds mostly looked cold and miserable and the sooner this cold spell disappears the better and we can all get our minds back on spring again!

Redwing – Fleetsbridge – Rene Goad

Shoveler – Holes Bay – Rene Goad

A few nice sightings from Studland today, with the highlight of a Barnacle Goose amongst Dark-Bellied Brent Geese feeding at Goathorn Farm. From Redhorn, the Pale-Bellied Brent Goose was present, as well as 2 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Black-necked Grebe, 4 Common Scoter and 27 Bar-tailed Godwit. 1 Great White Egret was also reported from Littlesea. Elsewhere, a flock of c.150 Redwing were reported from Upton Country Park.

Barnacle Goose – Goathorn Farm – Garry Hayman

Best bird of the day goes to the female Ring-necked Duck found at Swineham this evening, presumably one of the individuals that was up the Piddle river valley a few weeks ago. The Glaucous Gull came into roost again on the Brownsea Lagoon this evening. A Great White Egret graced Little Sea, Studland along with 3 Grey Heron, 1 Little Egret, 17 Shoveler, 10 Teal, 3 Cormorant and 2 Pintail. A Greenshank was observed in the small lagoon off Bramble Bush Bay. A further 2 Great White Egret made an appearance over the Stoborough Causeway near Wareham, heading east towards Swineham. Jerry’s Point produced 1 Slavonian Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver, 4 Common Scoter, 1 Black-necked Grebe, 9 Goldeneye, 12 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Greenshank, along with Turnstone, Grey Plover, Oystercatcher, Great Crested Grebe and Shelduck. Lytchett Fields offered 5 Stonechat and 100+ Linnet in arable field and 15 Redwing in NE corner of approach field. A Marsh Harrier passed over Sunnyside this morning. Poole Bay featured 3 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver, 4 diver sp.  4 Common Scoter , 6 Teal, 3 Wigeon, 10 auk sp., c.50 Brent Goose east a and 10 Great Crested Grebe.

Greenshank – Bramble Bush Bay – Garry Hayman

Female Ring-necked Duck – Swineham GP – Trevor Warrick

Temperatures have really dropped today, resulting in higher numbers of Redwing been seen. A flock of c.150 were feeding in Poole Park, adjacent to Copse Close, with several Mistle Thrush and Goldfinch amongst them. Higher numbers of Redwing were also recorded at Holes Bay, along with a nice report of male Pintail starting to display. A count at Whitley Lake produced 5 Red-breasted Merganser, 3 Greenshank, 23 Dunlin, c.100 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Curlew and 4 Sanderling. Another report from Redhorn and Jerry’s Point over at Studland recored 14 Goldeneye, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 7 Red-breasted Merganser, as well as 8 Lesser Redpoll on the Greenlands Farm track. 1 Cattle Egret was also at Swineham and a possible Yellow-browed Warbler was reported at Broadwater View road in Poole.

Pintail – Holes Bay – Ian Ballam

Despite the cold there was excitement today for a number of reasons. Firstly, at dawn 2 Russian White-fronted Geese arrived in at Holes Bay and settled just off the Stone Bench at Upton CP. Hopefully this is just the start of a mini influx that could occur over the next week as snow persists in the east of the country and just across the North Sea. Redwing numbers definitely seemed to increase but no mass passage was observed (yet). The second sighting of interest (which wasn’t actually sighted by anyone) was that one of the White-tailed Sea Eagles from the Isle of Wight project arrived into the harbour just after 8am having roosted in the Avon Valley. It flew in over Sandbanks just after 9am drifting SW, flying over Brownsea and Rempstone and arriving near Kimmeridge at 9am. It then tracked north and flew of Hartland, Slepe Heath and Swineham before settling at Morden Bog for a while before then flying off SW again and settling at Abbotsbury to roost. This is the second Sea Eagle from the project that’s ventured over the harbour in the last year and we hope that many more will follow suit over the coming years. Although it would be nice if one stopped every once in a while. Other sightings today included the Glaucous Gull again on the Brownsea Lagoon, found using the webcam. Plus the first ‘migrant’ Red Kites of the year passed high over Lytchett Bay with 3 together, and another over Slepe Heath plus a male Merlin was also around Lytchett Bay. 5 Slavonian Grebe were off Jerry’s Point with 1 Great Northern Diver and 3 Black-necked Grebe. At Hatch Pond 171 Magpie went into the communal roost.

This evening we also launched the second podcast in our Reintroduction and Rewilding series which focus’s on the White stork Project.

Podcast 2 – The White Stork Project

Join Charlie as he chats with Lucy Groves, a project officer for The White Stork Project. Discover the motivations behind the project, the progress already made and what we can hope to see by 2030, as well as the impacts they have already had in engaging the public with the wildlife…

Rock Pipit – Whitley Lake, Sandbanks

Kingfisher – Holes Bay – Rene Goad

A gorgeous late winter (dare we say it….early spring) day, once the fog had lifted. It seems a few people were out getting their daily exercise today before the ‘Beast from east’ arrives….if it ever arrives? There were signs of an early cold weather movement wit 2 Pochard in Lytchett Bay with 4 Pintail. Up on Ballard 5 Rock Pipit were apparently displaying in full parachute mode on the cliff face highlighting how mild it was in the sun and 2 Fulmar were seen settled on the cliffs too. In Studland Bay there were 9 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Common Scoter, 1 Great Northern Diver, 11 Great Crested Grebe and 2 Shoveler. Off Jerry’s Point there were 5 Slavonian Grebe, 4 Long-tailed Duck, 4 Black-necked Grebe, 4 Common Scoter and on Little Sea the Great White Egret was roosting. At Wareham Common the first Reed Bunting was back on territory singing and both Mistle and Song Thrush were really going for it at different sites right across the harbour providing a wonderfully tranquil calm before the (snow) storm? The Siberian Chiffchaff was still at the PCW Drain with 2 Firecrest. In Brands Bay the pale-bellied Brent Goose was still present and Egyptian Geese were at Lytchett Fields and Swineham.

Footage of Caspian Gull from Brownsea webcam (05/02/21)

Sanderling & Turnstone – Whitley Lake, Sandbanks

Dunnock were in full song right across the harbour today – Upton CP

Without doubt, todays highlight was a Caspian Gull found on the Brownsea lagoon webcam whilst searching for the Glaucous Gull which also appeared. Caspian Gull are exceptionally rare in Poole harbour despite their building presence elsewhere along the south coast. In fact todays was only the 3rd confirmed record for the recording area. Other nice highlights today included 6 Red-throated Diver west at Branksome Chine this AM and 51 Great Crested Grebe sat on the water. At Whitley Lake, Sandbanks there were 2 Sandwich Tern, 11 Sanderling, c30 Dunlin, c50 Bar-tailed Godwit and 1 Great Northern Diver.  A quick scout around Baiter produced 66 Oystercatcher, 57 Brent Brent, 10 Turnstone, 2 Redshank with  Goldeneye offshore. A German colour-ringed Common Gull was was observed from Stone Bench, Upton Country Park. Both Peregrine were seen again on the ASDA highrise. Two Slavonian Grebe still towards Brand’s Bay early afternoon. Upton Country Park featured 3 Firecrest along the path that runs between Grove Pond and Lambs Leas Field, a pair as you enter from Back Drive and the other on it’s own at the other end of the path.

Caspian Gull – Brownsea Lagoon – screen grab from webcam

Common Buzzard – Upton CP – Ian Ballam

Firecrest – Upton CP – Ian Ballam

(Dark-bellied) Brent Goose – Baiter – Martin Adams

Join us on an online twitch this eve as we try & locate the Glaucous Gull again on our Brownsea Lagoon webcam. It’s been in the last two evenings so a good chance it could re-appear! We’ll start scanning from 5pm.

A Great White Egret made a welcome appearance at Redhorn Point, adding some variety to the old reliable Scaup, Slavonian Grebe,  Long-tailed Duck, Goldeneye and more. At least 380 Dunlin, 141 Avocet, 124 Redshank, 50 Curlew, 24 Oystercatcher on the low tide. Most notable was a sharp drop in Black-tailed Godwit numbers saw only 119 individuals recorded today! At least 106 Redwing on east field of Upton Country Park. A rising tide at Lytchett Fields held 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 230 Dunlin, 70 Redshank, 3 Green Sandpiper, 94 Lapwing and 65 Teal. A female Sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier made an appearance throughout the day, and a flock of 30 Linnet passed over.

Great White Egret – Redhorn Point – Garry Hayman