Autumn took on different twist today with a species we normally associate with later in the season as a Lapland Bunting passed over South Haven at 8am, along with a high count of 745 Siskin, 190 Swallow and 18 Meadow Pipit which highlights the Vis-Mig season is building nicely. At Lytchett Fields 3 different Great White Egret were seen with one during the morning and then two together late afternoon. Also at Lytchett fields were 9 Greenshank, 43 Dunlin, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Hobby and 10 Yellow Wagtail. At the Holme Lane GP there were 20 Egyptian Geese and 5 Tufted Duck. Both Pectoral Sandpiper were still on the ‘Stilt Pools’ at Swineham, 3 Cattle Egret were in the same field and the first group of Spoonbill have already de-camped from Brownsea and were seen on the Shipstal Spit with 20 roosting around midday. Out in the Wareham Channel 2 Osprey were seen hunting, both looked to be juveniles.

We’ve also just finished putting together a video that highlights how much the Osprey season, and specifically CJ7 meant to us as a team and to our friends and partners. Please watch the video below for an insight to the emotional connection we all made to the harbour this spring……..

Ok, things calmed down a bit today but it was still a great day to be out. The Pectoral Sandpiper was still on ‘The Stilt Pools’ at Swineham where 2 Cattle Egret later joined it. Osprey were still numerous with 2-3 in Lytchett Bay and other sightings of 2-3 in the Wareham Channel area. Having spoken to Roy Dennis today about the high ‘stop over’ rate in the harbour this autumn he explained to us that it’s likely these are birds that have been struggling to feed sufficiently enough up on their breeding grounds and are looking to put on maximum weight before departing soon. There’s no doubt we’ve seen more activity this autumn than in previous years which just goes to show that Poole Harbour is absolutely the right place to try and re-establish a south coast breeding population. The Brownsea Lagoon saw the Spoonbill flock increase to 41 and there were also 6 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Little Stint, 143 Avocet, 554 Dunlin, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Knot, 6 Greenshank, 24 Ringed Plover, 85 Redshank and 20 Curlew. Around Lytchett Bay there was a decent fall of 38 Blackcap and 58 Chiffchaff caught at Lytchett Heath during a ringing session along with 4 Grasshopper Warbler, 4 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler and 1 Whitethroat plus a Great White Egret was on Lytchett Fields from mid-morning.

Pectoral Sandpiper – Swineham

Cooooor…September is such a great month. It was a great range of birds today, with a Barred Warbler reported at Swineham near the ‘Stilt Pools’ (sadly couldn’t be re-found) where one of the two Pectoral Sandpiper was still present.  Also a possible Black Kite drifted west between Norden Park and Corfe. On the Brownsea Lagoon the Spoonbill flock is building nicely with 35 present today. At Lytchett Fields there were 2 Ruff, 2 Spotted Redshank, 20 Dunlin and 3 Green Sandpiper. Osprey were back in force with 3 together over Lytchett Bay, plus sightings from the Wareham Channel and Middlebere. Holes Bay north had 746 Black-tailed Godwit, 118 Wigeon, 8 Pintail, 2 Water Rail and 1 Kingfisher. Middlebere held a really good range of species which included 26 Little Egret, 29 Pintail, 50 Wigeon, c500 Black-tailed Godwit, c100 Avocet, 10 Knot, 1 Spoonbill, 4 Curlew Sandpiper, 29 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 24 Dunlin, 2 Greenshank, 2 Whinchat and 3 Yellow Wagtail. The Swineham Fields had 2 Cattle Egret too.

Meadow Pipit – Hartland Moor 

It was a red letter day in the harbour today that started off with an early morning foggy and very (very) brief Glossy Ibis at Lytchett Fields then the Pectoral Sandpiper was re-found on the ‘Stilt Pools’ at Swineham, however you could have been forgiven in thinking you’d gone cross-eyed when there was suddenly two all of a sudden! A ‘Pec Sand’ alone is rare enough in Poole Harbour but two together is exceptional, although not the first. In 1992 there was another occurrence of two at Swineham. Anyway, the scarcity hat-trick was completed when a Wryneck was found along the Raptor Trail walk at Arne and photographed by Andy Hirst. It’s funny how in the space of 2 years Cattle Egret are no longer considered ‘hot’ enough to make it on to a days scarcity list, but hey ho, we’ll still mention there were 2 at Swineham today. The weather forecast over the next week or so is mouth watering with east/north-easterly/south-easterly winds settling for a decent period of time. The wind had already swung by dawn today and look what it delivered! Osprey were seen with 2 at Lytchett Bay and another in Middlebere and Marsh Harrier were seen at both sites. Willow Warbler seem to have all but moved through now with Chiffchaff now dominating the phyllosc abundance. On Ballard there were 2 Wheatear and a Whinchat. In Brands Bay there was a Curlew Sandpiper, c160 Black-tailed godwit, 22 Dunlin and 2 Greenshank. There was also a Ruff at Lytchett Fields along with 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat and 1 Yellow Wagtail.

Two Pectoral Sandpiper – Swineham – David Foster

Wryneck – Coombe Heath, Arne – Andy Hirst

A few Osprey sightings this morning, with one hunting over the Middlebere Channel and another over Lytchett Fields. A single Spoonbill was also reported from the Middlebere Channel, as well as a count of 23 on Brownsea Lagoon. A count from Holes Bay North this morning reported 148 Wigeon, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Pintail, 30 Teal, 3 Knot, 4 Dunlin, 100+ Redshank and 250+ Black-tailed Godwit. 1 Cattle Egret was reported on the Swineham Gravel Pits this morning. Unfortunately, the Pectoral Sandpiper not seen at Arne Moors.

Spoonbill – Middlebere Channel – Kate Plater

The pace picked up again today with the Pectoral Sandpiper being seen on Arne Moors during the afternoon but relocating to a watchable spot on the scrapes at Swineham with a Ruff. Also at Swineham GP was a migratory Black-necked Grebe which is one of the earliest autumn harbour records. At Lytchett Fields a surprise Great White Egret was found which sadly only stayed for several seconds before disappearing off over the Bakers Arms roundabout. In Middlebere there were 6 Pintail, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 13 Redshank, 9 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Hobby, 2 Whitethroat, several Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff and 10+ Stonechat. At Holton Lee there were 30+ Yellow Wagtail in with the cattle and a Hobby. In Middlebere 2 Curlew Sandpiper joined 60 Avocet, 80 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Spotted Redshank, 34 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Grey Plover, 36 Dunlin, 4 Knot and 6 Pintail plus an Osprey caught a fish in the channel.

Great White Egret – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Steady today with a good mix right across the harbour. Starting off on the urban side of the harbour in Holes Bay NE where Wigeon almost peaked at 100 although not quite with 97 out on the water, also 30 Curlew, 49 Redshank, 3 Dunlin, 14 Little Egret but only 63 Black-tailed Godwit feeding until c200 arrived in with the rising tide. In the Middlebere channel today there were 80 Avocet, 40 Dunlin, 125 Black-tailed Godwit, 28 Redshank, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 male Marsh Harrier and 1 juvenile, 6 Little Egret and 1 Greenshank. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 4+ Curlew Sandpiper and Osprey sightings today came from Lytchett Bay (2), the Wareham Channel (1) and Middlebere (1).

Late news from Middlebere yesterday saw 43 Avocet, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, c200 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Curlew, 20 Dunlin, 6 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 4 Knot, 1 Ringed Plover, 5 Spotted Redshank, 30 Redshank.

Wheatear – Middlebere