Today we were able to run a full harbour survey, the first of the year, in order to census the harbour and to complement the data gathered during the January WeBS on the 10^th which was partially incomplete due to covid restrictions. With the settled weather recently there seemed to have been a big clear out of Great Northern Diver with only 2 across the harbour! In contrast we managed a respectable 217 Red-breasted Merganser which is more than the WeBS total of 170. There were 101 Great Crested Grebe and 52 Goldeneye. Of note the 4 Scaup seemed to have relocated to the west side of Green Island and there were 13 Black-necked Grebe logged in total. There were 2 Slavonian Grebe off Jerry’s point and the 4 Long-tailed Duck were also in South Deep. A Black Brant was at Shipstal Beach, Arne and a singles of Hen and Marsh Harrier were in the Wareham Channel. On Swineham GP there were 2 Pochard and 77 Curlew were on the Stilt Pools. Lapwing numbers seemed low with only a single flock of c120 seen. Three different Sparrowhawk were logged in different places and the Brownsea Lagoon held 1 Spotted Redshank, 103 Bar-tailed Godwit, c1500 Black-tailed Godwit, c30 Knot, c60 Grey Plover, 8 Sanderling, c20 Ringed Plover, 4 Greenshank and c120 Avocet. In total only 17 Spoonbill remain with 13 on Shipstal and 4 roosting on ‘Gull Islands’, which was a first for us. In Holes Bay there were 1476 Wigeon, 1000+ Black-tailed Godwit, c170 Avocet, 150+ Dunlin, 31 Curlew plus still good numbers of Pintail and Shoveler with a single Goldeneye in Holes Bay NE. The PCW Drain still held the Siberian Chiffchaff as well as 10 Common Chiffchaff, 1 Firecrest, 4 Goldcrest, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Kingfisher and 1 Grey Wagtail.

Siberian Chiffchaff – PCW Drain 

Black Brant – Shipstal Beach, RSPB Arne

Pretty miserable conditions throughout the day wasn’t inspiring of some birding exercise. The day was brightened by the presence of a Water Pipit at Holton Pools, accompanied by a Green Sandpiper. Due to the murk, it was difficult to call categorically whether this pipit is colour-ringed or not. A c.150 strong Linnet flock were on the wires above the Arable Field, Lytchett Bay.

Water Pipit – Holton Pools – Tony Furnell

We’ve delved into our archives again and put together a Holes Bay Lockdown Birding feature. With restricted opportunities to be out and about connecting with nature, we hope that this series will offer an insight into the birdlife to look out for when taking your daily exercise. As always, please adhere to and follow all current government advise, rules and guidelines when exercising locally.

Holes Bay welcomed a true wildlife spectacle today. Among the 100+ Avocet, 90+ Dunlin and carpet of 800+ Wigeon a staggering 1700+ Black-tailed Godwit murmuration took place over the bay. Absolute magic on the fringes of Poole Town! The Sandbanks Purple Sandpiper was spotted one of the groynes near the volleyball Court. Similar totals around Jerry’s Point again today with 4 Long-tailed Duck, 3 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Common Scoter, 1 Great Northern Diver, 2 Black-necked Grebe and a Goldeneye offshore, and a supporting cast of Sanderling, Greenshank and Bar-tailed Godwit on the low tide. A colour-ringed Sanderling was scuttling around Shell Bay beach. A cracking Kingfisher was captured on camera at Poole Park and 2 Lesser Redpoll seen feeding around the Stone Bench and pond at Upton Country Park.

Hampshire ringed Sanderling – Shell Bay – Nick Mudge

Kingfisher – Poole Park – Clare Slade

Purple Sandpiper – Sandbanks – Garry Hayman

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