A count at Middlebere today reported 1 Spotted Redshank, 32 Curlew, 13 Shelduck, 11 Redshank, 1 Firecrest, and a Merlin and Peregrine flyover. Between Norden and Middlebere 17 Skylark were also counted. 2 Ringtail Hen Harrier were reported either side of the Wareham Channel this afternoon. The Peregrines are still present on the ASDA building. An attempted watch for Bittern leaving Swineham this evening was unfortunately not fruitful, but the calmer weather ahead looks promising. Despite no Bittern, 9 Sand Martin, 2 Water Pipit, 3 singing Chiffchaff and c.150 Black-tailed Godwit were recorded.

Sunset at Swineham

What changeable weather! One minute there were blue skies and the next it was bucketing it down. A Great Northern Diver frequented Parkstone Bay and a ringtail Hen Harrier was seen again over Hartland Moor. A single Swallow was zipping around Corfe Castle this morning. The Corfe Castle – Swanage walk via Nine Barrow Down offered 2 singing Yellowhammer among Skylark, Stonechat and more numerous Meadow Pipit. Elsewhere, Swanage logged its first Wheatear at Peveril Point.

Mediterranean Gulls – Brownsea Lagoon – David Foster

At least 2 Sand Martin were picked up over Swineham GP this morning, with more possible low over the water. Today’s highlight was a male Hen Harrier quartering over Swineham today, seldom recorded in the harbour this winter! Although, a male has been recorded around Wareham Forest on several occasions. Bramblebush Bay held 2 Great Northern Diver and 10 Red-breasted Merganser (5 male  & 5 female).  Outside of the harbour, a female Osprey turned up at Rutland Water today.

With south-westerlies today, turning southerly overnight, what will the weekend hold for the harbour?

Green Woodpecker – Piddle Valley – Julian Wardlaw

It’s official, spring has arrived in Poole Harbour! The first of our spring migrants have turned up… at least 12 Sand Martin were whizzing around Swineham gravel pits this morning before the first of many sporadic torrential rain showers set in. The welcome agile fliers were also accompanied by a Swallow, another aerial feeder returning to the UK.

Spring migration won’t peak until late-April and early-May, however March signals the start of an exciting few months ahead. Little Ringed Plover will being to appear at wetland sites, where they can appear as either individuals or sometimes in small groups. White Wagtail, the continental sub-species of our more familiar Pied Wagtail, also begin to pass through in March as they head towards their summer breeding grounds in Scandinavia. Other birds to look out for include Ring Ouzel at sites like Ballard Down and Challow Hill, Corfe or the handsome Garganey, a cracking duck that often favours Swineham GP and surrounding floodplains when they do appear. Wheatear has the potential to turn up anywhere with suitable open ground to feed on, with mild, wet mornings being the best time to look as migrating birds drop down at dawn due to rain. So, with an exciting season ahead, why not get out and see how many spring migrants you can log before April kicks in.

Avocet – Brownsea Lagoon – Hamish Murray

Mediterranean Gull – Brownsea Lagoon – Hamish Murray

Swineham Point – Adam Day

We can’t wait for this wind to die down, as we’re pretty sure it’s that simple break in the weather that will allow the first decent flurry of migrants to come in. It’s pretty amazing that It’s now March 11^th and Dorset still hasn’t seen any Sand Martin or Wheatear yet, suggesting that the wind is keeping them at bay. The class on our school bird boat were treated to views of a Red Kite this morning as it entered the harbour over Sandbanks, soaring west over the harbour towards Brownsea Island and Arne and a second over Canford Heath. As the boat skirted around Brownsea, the lucky group also enjoyed views of a Great Northern Diver offshore. Among the many waders on Brownsea Lagoon, highlights included 2 Spotted Redshank, 8 Greenshank, 110 Bar-tailed Godwit, 36 Knot, 520 Dunlin, 150 Avocet and 30 Mediterranean Gull. With a handful of Spoonbill visiting the Lagoon over the last fews days, it’s certainly worth a visit as spring starts to ramp up. The Holton Lee the Little Owl was captured on camera this morning, this bird is regularly calling at the moment, offering a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of this diminutive owl. At the PC World Drain, 5 Common Chiffchaff were singing as was the male Blackcap, but there was no sign of the Siberian Chiffchaff. Off Baiter there was a single Great Northern Diver, c50 Med Gulls and 3 Turnstone. The Great Grey Shrike was at Morden Bog still along with several Crossbill. An Osprey was seen only 25 miles away this morning, cruising over Southampton at 9.41am! The harbour’s first wave of migrants are only days away…

The male and female Peregrines at Holes Bay continued to show great interested in the high rise section of the ASDA building. This recent activity is showing promising signs for a potential breeding attempt.

We will be running a free Peregrine Pop Up event this Sunday to help interpret and hopefully provide superb views of these impressive birds of prey. Join us anytime between 10am and 4pm on Sunday (15th March), where we will have several spotting scopes and binoculars primed, ready to enjoy these cracking birds. You’ll find us near the ASDA charity recycling banks in the ASDA car park.

Little Owl – Holton Lee – Tony Furnell

Spotted Redshank – Brownsea Lagoon – Hamish Murray

With a ridge of high pressure reaching us on Sunday (well, thats what it says at the moment) we could be in for a nice week next week, and potentially the first decent arrival of early spring migrants with the harbour (and Dorset) still to record it’s first Wheatear, Sand Martin or Little Ringed Plover. The wind was still whipping across the harbour today (like it has been for most of the winter) but there were still some good birds to be had. One of the Siberian Chiffchaff was singing at the PC World Drain conveniently in time with a Common Chiffchaff which offered a good comparison of their song. Also present were several other Common Chiffchaff including some with sticky pollen on their bills and foreheads indicating that they’re newly arrived migrants from further south. On the tall section of the Asda building there were 2 Peregrine Falcon which consisted of the male ‘HF’, a male which hatched from the Bournemouth clocktower nest back in 2016, and a newly arrived female who seems very interested in ‘HF”s urban pad. We’re watching carefully and noting their behaviour and hoping we may see a first Poole Town nesting attempt of Peregrines for many many years.

Also today a Great Northern Diver was off Baiter with 6 Great Crested Grebe, c20 Med Gulls and 6 Turnstone. In Holes Bay SE a further c50 Med Gull came in late afternoon on the massive low tide and began to feed on the mud. At Holton Pools there were 5 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper and at Lytchett Fields 1 Spotted Redshank, 76 Redshank and 1 Peregrine.

We’ve also just published info on the new Osprey feeding platform we’ve installed on Pergins Island, Holes Bay which you can read about HERE.

Male Peregrine ‘HF’ being ringed as a chick – June 2017 – Jason Fathers

Male Peregrine ‘HF’ now a full adult – Asda Poole – Paul Morton

A beautiful start to the day ended with more grey, wet murk, but that didn’t stop a good variety of birds being logged. A Woodlark survey in the south of the harbour produced several singing birds but a highlight was a small party of 9 Crossbill in conifers in the Corfe River Valley next to Wytch Oil Farm. There also seemed to have been a decent arrival/movement of Stonechat with males everywhere on southern harbour heathlands. On Upton Heath 10 Dartford Warbler were counted, 5 in full song and at Holton Lee there 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank and 3 Reed Bunting.

Other highlights included……..

Shell Bay saw 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and 1 Great Northern Diver.

Bramble Bush Bay; 3 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers.

Jerry’s Point; 18 Red-breasted Mergansers, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Slavonian Grebes, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Common Scoter.

Brand’s Bay; 102 Shelduck, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 157 Wigeon, 32 Teal, 33 Curlews, 136 Brent Geese, 3 Redshank, 6 Pintail, 10 Oystercatchers, 8 Grey Plover, 3 Turnstone, 13 Dunlin, 5 Great Crested Grebes.

Middle Beach; 2 Common Scoter, 3 Black-necked Grebes, 3 Great Crested Grebes.

Corfe Sewage Works, Norden; 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Siberian Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest.

Swineham; 10 Curlews, 10 Oystercatchers, 6 singing Cetti’s Warbler

Morden Bog offered good views of the Great Grey Shrike.

A cold westerly wind whipped across the harbour today but there was still plenty to see with some nice highlights. Best bird was an adult Glaucous Gull which was found in the Brownsea gull roost this evening by Graham Armstrong. The Black Brant was still in the Brent Goose flock off Ower Bay and a Great White Egret was off the end Goathorn Point late afternoon during the Poole Harbour WeBS. Mid afternoon saw a tag team effort of 2 Merlin and the ringtail Hen Harrier chasing down a lone (and unfortunate) Meadow Pipit out in the mouth of the Frome off Swineham. There seemed to be some birds on the move as a ‘skywatch’ from the Slepe Heath viewpoint saw good numbers of finches and Meadow Pipit heading west along with a few alba wagtails. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 5 Spoonbill and 3 were logged off Arne during the WeBS. An adult male Hen Harrier was seen at Morden Bog, along with another monochrome species in the shape of the Great Grey Shrike. Off Jerry’s Point there were 3 Black-necked Grebe and 2 Slavonian Grebe along with 3 Great Northern Diver.

We’ve also had our SM4 recorder out in the Lower Frome Valley this week. We haven’t really strated going through it properly yet, but did check one file and found this nice recording of a Red Fox calling which alarmed some Water Rail briefly as a small group of Grey Plover could be heard calling overhead…..departing perhaps?

Red-breasted Merganser – Central Harbour – Ian Lewington

Jerry’s Point offered views of four Black-necked Grebe (most of which in summer plumage) and a Great Northern Diver. A scan over Poole Quay from our office also produced a Great Northern Diver towards Brownsea Island. Morden Bog enjoyed the full song of Woodlark throughout the day. The Great Grey Shrike was again flitting around the favoured Old Decoy Pond area. Due to the recent rainfall, Upton Heath featured a Grey Wagtail along the running water on one of the paths. The Peregrine was once again seen perching on the ASDA building near Holes Bay this afternoon.

Be sure to check out the Peregrine webcam situated on clock tower at Bournemouth College…

http://www.bournemouthperegrines.org.uk/

Great Grey Shrike – Morden Bog – Aidan Brown

This morning we surveyed the harbour from a boat with a great range of species in fine conditions logged. Highlight was a male Golden Pheasant seen on the Furzey Island lawn as 2 Long-tailed Duck circled the boat a few times before heading towards the harbour mouth. Also out on the water were 6 Great Northern Diver (4 Jerry’s point and 2 in central harbour), 7 Black-necked Grebe (most in summer plumage), 1 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Goldeneye, c150 each of Red-breasted Merganser and Great Crested Grebe and 10 Spoonbill on Shipstal. Up the Wareham River 8 Reed Bunting were singing as were 9 Cetti’s Warbler with a pair of Bearded Tit logged. Also 3 Chiffchaff in full song, 1 ringtail Hen Harrier and 2 Merlin on Arne Moors and c30 Gadwall dotted around. Brownsea Lagoon saw 1 Spotted Redshank, c40 Bar-tailed Godwit, c70 Avocet, c20 Shoveler and 2 Greenshank. Add to that cronking Ravens, singing Skylarks and warm sunshine then it made for a great mornings birding.

Elsewhere a Short-eared Owl and ringtail Hen Harrier were seen off Swineham Point this evening and a Firecrest was at Middlebere this morning with 1 Spotted Redshank and 2 Grey Plover seen from the hide. Over Hartland/Slepe 3 Woodlark were heard and a Merlin was also on Slepe Heath. The Peregrine was on it’s usual balcony ledge on the Asda building.

Common Gull – Hatch Pond – Ian Ballam