Just a few sightings from today including a Hen Harrier in the Lower Frome Valley near Swineham, and with the strong winds during the morning 3 Fulmar and 1 Gannet passed Branksome Chine.

Mediterranean Gull (summer plumaged) – Baiter Park – Ian Ballam

With all the terrible weather recently it was nice that a (minor) break in the relentless wind and rain occurred with the wind dropping off a bit meant our Poole Harbour WeBS count was rewarded with a good spread of winter birds still present. In the Brands Bay/Jerry’s Point area there were 5 Great Northern Diver, 6 Goldeneye, 5 Slavonian Grebe, 23 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Common Scoter and c1300 Black-tailed Godwit. Near the Wytch Channel the Black Brant was still in with the Dark-bellied Brent Geese as were 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese. There are huge numbers of gulls arriving into the harbour each evening currently of many different species, but mainly Herring, Common and Black-headed Gulls with smaller numbers of Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls. There were 4 Spotted Redshank in Middlebere with 2 Firecrest near the hide and a Short-eared Owl was in the mouth of the Frome near Swineham at dawn. There were 4 Spoonbill in the south of the harbour in Newton Bay. At Swineham there were 600+ Lapwing and 200+ Dunlin off Swineham Point and on the main pit 2 Egyptian Geese and 2 Pochard with a minimum of 12 Cetti’s Warbler singing in the area. The fringes of the southern shores (only accessible by boat) were busy with c800 Wigeon, c400 Dunlin, 350 Brent Geese and c250 Shelduck with 3 Great Northern Diver and 5 Black-necked Grebe in central harbour. At Holton lee the small Redwing flock which contained 2 Fieldfare were still in the horse fields opposite the car park.

Little Egret – Holes Bay

Well, with the promise (and hope) that last nights storm would blow through by 9am we decided to press ahead with our winter Wareham Channel boat cruise, which ended up being quite tough going in terms of finding birds due to the chop on the water. The wind did eventually ease with about 45 minutes left of the trip and for a whacky hour or so it actually felt a spring like. We were much more sheltered up the River Frome which produced 400+ Lapwing, 1 Green Sandpiper, several Common Snipe, c50 Curlew and plenty of Coot on Swineham GP. The Brownsea Lagoon had c1500 Black-tailed Godwit, c300 Dunlin, c200 Avocet and c50 Bar-tailed Godwit. Off the Brownsea north shore 2 Great Northern Diver were feeding together. Reports from Poole Park included 12 Red-breasted Merganser and 10 Tufted Duck and Brent Geese, 4 Red-breasted Merganser and 1 Bar-tailed Godwit. Other highlights include a Merlin flyover Poole Quay, as well as a Great Northern Diver reported in Holes Bay South.

We’re glad to announce that our Poole Harbour Big Bird count data is now available to view. We’ve spent a few weeks bringing the data together and trying to make sure we’ve allowed for any double counting etc. So, if you took part…thank you very much and we hope you enjoy our perusing through what was a thoroughly busy day!

https://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/big-poole-harbour-bird-count-the-results/

Pintail – Holes Bay – Rene Goad

The day began with a Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl having a mini-bust up in Lower Frome Valley, near Swineham. A minimum of 8 Mediterranean Gull were recorded at Baiter this morning, along with a Common Gull. A walk from Knoll beach to Jerry’s Point, Studland offered views of a Mediterranean Gull, Little Egret, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 11 Wigeon, 30 Oystercatcher, 5 Redshank, 3 Sanderling, 7 Turnstone, 4 Great Northern Diver, 15 Red-breasted Merganser, 5 Great Black-backed Gull and 25 Brent Goose.

Mediterranean Gull – Baiter – David Foster

Some of the Black-tailed Godwit are beginning to show off their summer finery, with large numbers of birds still visible at Brownsea Lagoon on the high tide. A huge Lapwing count was recorded at Sunnyside scrape today, peaking at 356 individuals in the afternoon.

Fancy a day in with a good book during this bleak weather? We’ve got your birding material covered as the Lytchett Bay 2019 report is hot off the press! Check it out here.

Black-tailed Godwit transitioning into summer plumage – Brownsea Lagoon – Hamish Murray

Up to 11 Spoonbill were feeding out in the Wareham Channel today and a maximum of 4 Marsh Harrier could be seen along West Poole Harbour throughout the day. Other notable sightings include a Great White Egret frequented Ower Bay and a quartering ringtail Hen Harrier was seen near Hartland. The long-staying Holes Bay Scaup remain in the harbour, accompanied by a female Goldeneye, while a further 2 Goldeneye and 3 Red-breasted Merganser were present at Poole Park Boating Lake. The lake also offered superb views of Water Rail, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit. Baiter park produced 37 Brent Goose, 48 Oystercatcher, 12 Turnstone, 1 Little Egret, 1 Great Crested Grebe, Pied Wagtail and several hundred Starling feeding in the field.

Great White Egret -Ower Bay – Shaun Robson

With such huge flooding in numerous river valley’s across the UK, it seemed a large proportion of the south coast Black-tailed Godwits have taken to residing on the Brownsea Lagoon with another Poole Harbour record broken today as c3900 were counted by the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Later in the evening an amazing 3500-4000 gulls, mostly Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls came into roost just before dark, and another few thousand Black-headed Gull’s in Holes Bay south. With so many gulls visiting the harbour now and being late Feb, this is the best time to be watching out for scarcer species such as Iceland, Glaucous and Ring-billed Gull. Plus, it was Feb 2008 when a Franklin’s Gull was found in the Wareham Channel gull roost, so you just never know! In Holes Bay south 3 Scaup remained and on the main Poole Park boating lake the Water Rail was still showing well with the lower water levels.

Black-tailed Godwits – Brownsea Lagoon – Hamish Murray

Today was a bit calmer now Storm Dennis has passed through the harbour. Few sightings to report despite the improved weather. A count on Brownsea Lagoon recorded 4 Mediterranean Gulls and 1 Spotted Redshank, amongst high numbers of Black-Tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Avocet. 2 Spoonbill were again reported roosting on Otter Island in Lytchett Bay this morning.

2 Mediterranean Gulls, Brownsea Lagoon – Martin Adams

Very limited coverage of the harbour today, unsurprisingly. An inclement visit to Baiter Park this morning offered 6 Black-tailed Godwit in with c300 Dark-bellied Brent Goose. With weather like this is hard to imagine the first migrant Ospreys arriving in just over a months time…

Look out for smart summer plumage birds (like this Cormorant below, photographed yesterday) as we slowly creep towards spring.

Cormorant – Poole Park – Phyl England

Storm Dennis battered the harbour today. Those who battled the winds enjoyed 2 feeding Spoonbill on the rising tide at Lytchett Bay this morning and a Firecrest sheltering in the nearby bramble at Turlin Moor Local Nature Reserve. The water levels were so high at Sunnyside scrape that a Cormorant was diving! Elsewhere, Baiter Park featured, c50 Oystercatcher, c30 Starling and c200 Dark-bellied Brent Goose and a Great Crested Grebe offshore. The Poole Park Water Rail made another appearance today.

Sunnyside “lake” – Jol Mitchell