Plenty of great sightings today, with a good range picked up on the survey boat, including c150 Red-breasted Merganser, 200 Great Crested Grebe and 450 Brent Geese. Brownsea Lagoon was highly productive, with 1000+ Dunlin, c50 Grey Plover, 15 Spoonbill, 4 Sanderling, c150 Avocet, 3 Spotted Redshank, Knot, Ringed Plover, 12 Bar-tailed Godwit, c800 Black-tailed Godwit, and Common Snipe.

Unusually, there was a record of a Sanderling feeding at Lytchett Bay this morning. This is the first sighting during winter on record. At Lytchett Fields there were reports of 1 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 3 Green Sandpiper and 70 Lapwing, as well as over 100 Avocets and 57 Brent Geese in Lytchett Bay and 4 Water Pipits on the Pool Field.

Unfortunately, still no sign of the Long-eared Owl at Swineham, but otherwise great sightings of Marsh Harrier, 300 Curlew, 134 Lapwing, 1 Swallow, 2 Pochard and 1 Peregrine. Other highlights include 3 Great Northern Diver, 3 Common Scoter, 3 Velvet Scoter in the central harbour, 1 White-fronted Goose at Bestwall, 1 Merlin feeding at Arne, 12 Black-necked grebe and 1 Red-throated Diver seen near Hamworthy beach.

A Red-necked Grebe was seen to fly into the harbour this morning, along with 85 Shag, 25 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 diver sp. & 1 Sandwich Tern and the groynes opposite Sandbanks Pavilion features 22 Ringed Plover & 5 Sanderling. A Slavonian Grebe was recorded at Baiter amongst 2 Goldeneye, 2 Great Crested Grebe and a Rock Pipit.

Unfortunately, no sightings of the Long-eared Owl today at Swineham, hopefully it will be seen again in the next few days. However, still good sightings of 3 Marsh Harrier, c15 Bearded Tit, 1 Merlin, 107 Curlew, 93 Gadwall, 1 Brambling and 3 Cetti’s Warbler at Swineham.

Some nice sightings of 3 Common Scoter, 1 Great Northern Diver and Black Necked Grebe seen at Jerry’s Point.

Other records include 25 Wigeon, 4 Gadwall and 1 Pintail at East Holme, and 20 Pintail, 80 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Common Sandpiper and 110 Brent Geese recorded in Brands Bay.

Unfortunately, no sightings of the Long-eared Owl today at Swineham, hopefully it will be seen again in the next few days. However, still good sightings of 3 Marsh Harrier, c15 Bearded Tit, 1 Merlin, 107 Curlew, 93 Gadwall, 1 Brambling and 3 Cetti’s Warbler at Swineham.

Highlights from a visit to to Jerry’s Point include 3 Common Scoter, 1 Great Northern Diver and Black Necked Grebe. Other records include 25 Wigeon, 4 Gadwall and 1 Pintail at East Holme, and 20 Pintail, 80 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Common Sandpiper and 110 Brent Geese recorded in Brands Bay.

A Long-eared Owl at Swineham was the showstopper today. The species remains very rare in Dorset and extremely rare in the Harbour, with only a couple of records confirmed within the Harbour this century! Our school bird boat today logged 2 Velvet Scoter seen in the central harbour area this morning. Other highlights from the trip included 2 Spoonbill on Brownsea Lagoon and building numerous of Red-breasted Merganser in the Central Harbour.

A high tide visit to Coombe Viewpoint offered c200 Lapwing, c250 Avocet, Wigeon, Black-tailed Godwit & a female Marsh Harrier and a brief visit to the Holton Lee pool early afternoon produced 4 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 3 Redshank, 2 Green Sandpiper and a Kingfisher.

Amigrant Red Kite passing over Upton Heath early afternoon was a pleasant highlight today. Coombe Heath Viewpoint this morning provided views of 2 Marsh Harrier and a Peregrine along with a mobile Avocet flock, several Curlew, Shelduck, Black-tailed Godwit and numerous Teal and Wigeon.

A Great Northern Diver and 2 Black-necked Grebes remained visible off Middle Beach today. Jerry’s Point featured c40 Red-breasted Merganser, 3 Common Scoter, 1 Black-necked Grebe, 6 Brent Goose, 56 Oystercatcher, 2 Grey Plover, 8 Dunlin & Ringed Plover. While Brand Bay produced 1 Great White Egret, c110 Brent Goose, 1 Spotted Redshank, 40 Lapwing, as well as abundant Pintail & Curlew, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Shelduck, Great Crested Grebe, Teal and Wigeon.

Another nice autumnal day brought in good reports from around the Harbour. Shell Bay provided several sightings including 7 Brent Geese, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Black-necked Grebe, 4 Meadow Pipit, 1 Rock Pipit and 2 Stonechat. Bramble Bush Bay harboured a similar assemblage as well as 28 Turnstone and a single Redshank.

Off Middle Beach a maximum of 9 Black-necked Grebe were reported, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Razorbill and 2 Great Crested Grebe. Brands Bay was also productive with 700 Wigeon, 50 Pintail, 10 Avocet, 170 Brent Geese, 5 Grey Plover, 3 Common Scoter, 2 Dartford Warbler, 15 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Red-breasted Merganser, 20 Turnstone, 300+ sinensis Cormorant, 11 Shelduck, 45 Curlew, 1 Great White Egret, 3 Black-necked Grebe and a Knot.

Jerry’s Point featured 1 Long-tailed Duck, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Common Scoter, 3 Black-Necked Grebe and 15 Red-Breasted Merganser, 35 Oystercatcher, 1 Great Northern Diver and 5 Great Crested Grebe this afternoon. Other highlights include 1 Great White Egret at Littlesea, 50+ Avocet at Stonebench, 2 Spotted Redshank and 3 Green Sandpiper seen at Lytchett Fields and 70 Avocet at Upton Country Park. Swineham recorded upwards of 50 Lapwing, 21 Curlew, 2 Grey Plover, 2 Raven, 2 Green Sandpiper and 23 Black-tailed Godwit.