Our ‘Focus On’ Shell Bay was a brilliant success, clocking up a wonderful species list featuring 1 Great Northern Diver, 5 Black-necked Grebe, 8 Sanderling, 5 Brent Goose and constant Mediterranean Gull sightings included an individual ringed in Poland! More focus on events are taking place on the 25^th January and 8^th February – you can visit our events page here for more info.

Elsewhere, Middlebere saw 15 Snipe, 13 Shelduck, 190 Avocet, 53 Grey Plover, 265 Dunlin and singles of ringtail Hen Harrier, Tawny Owl, Raven, Firecrest, Stonechat and Reed Bunting. Jerry’s Point offered 2 Long-tailed Duck, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver, 2 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Common Scoter and 4 Goldeneye. A Siberian Chiffchaff located in PC World drain was also of note.

Once again, Holes Bay looked like an Urban Birders dream with great numbers of Wigeon, Teal, Avocet, Dunlin, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit in both north and south sectors with Pintail, Shoveler, 3 Goldeneye and 1 Great Northern Diver.

A male Merlin was again seen this evening at the Middlebere lay by and a Peregrine was located on its usual ASDA perch this afternoon. Also at Middlebere a Merlin, Peregrine and Hen Harrier were active at the same time from the hide. There was another Merlin at Lytchett Fields too. Two Long-tailed Duck off Jerry’s point amongst several Goldeneye, Black-necked Grebe, Great Crested Grebe and Red-breasted Merganser. Nearby, a single Great White Egret was on Little Sea. The Black Brant was still present today, located on the north side Arne Bay and the Siberian Chiffchaff remained at Wareham Common at base of Northwest Walls in ditch by River Piddle, 100 metres west of North Mill along with 1 Firecrest. On Poole Park boating Lake there were 6 Goldeneye.

Our ‘Focus On’ Knoll Beach, Studland event in partnership with the Purbeck National Trust team offered superb views of 6 Common Scoter, 10 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Gannet, c15 Great Crested Grebe and various Brent Goose and Curlew passing south. Later 2 Slavonian Grebe were logged off South Beach. Tomorrow we will be setup at Shell Bay offering a chance to learn about and see a range of special winter visitors. Drop in anytime between 9am and 12pm to join us as we work through Divers, Grebes, Gulls, Seaducks and more…

More details about our free ‘Focus On’ can be found by following the link below.

https://www.birdsofpooleharbourbookings.co.uk/events

Bullfinch – Middlebere – Paul Swann

HAPPY NEW YEAR! – Yes…it all starts again!

Lots of people out today starting their year lists, and despite the drizzle a good haul was logged. Off Jerry’s Point the 2 Long-tailed Duck were still present along with 2 Great Northern Diver, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Common Scoter. In Holes Bay south there was 1 Great Northern Diver with another off Hamworthy Beach. In Poole Park a Water Rail was seen on the main boating lake along with 2 Goldeneye. In Middlebere there were 2 Spoonbill, 1 Hen Harrier, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Merlin, 1 Firecrest, 2 Egyptian Geese and decent totals of Avocet, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Wigeon and Teal. At Lytchett Fields there was a single Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 105 Lapwing and 22 Dunlin. A Great White Egret was seen briefly at the mouth of the Wytch Channel and off Middle Beach, the easterly wind forced 8 Black-necked Grebe close into the shore. The Siberian Chiffchaff was still in the ditch along the River Piddle, along Wareham Common.

With the year drawing to an end the decent winter run continues with not one but two Hen Harrier in Middlebere today, both ringtails. Also 3 Marsh Harrier present in and around the Arne Peninsular and a Merlin on Hartland. At Swineham the gravel pits are still busy with birds, mainly Coot (150+) and Gadwall (100+) but also a single Pochard, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Little Grebe and 8 Tufted Duck. Off Swineham Point there were 4 Bearded Tit and 2 Marsh Harrier with 5 Cetti’s Warbler along the River Frome. At the PC World Drain the Firecrest was still present along with 4 Common Chiffchaff with another Firecrest at Middlebere. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 2800+ Black-tailed Godwit, 750+ Dunlin, 32 Ringed Plover, 91 Avocet, 88 Bar-tailed Godwit, 180 Grey Plover, 19 Redshank, 3 Spotted Redshank, 2 Sanderling, 2 Pintail and 11 Brent Geese. The 2 Long-tailed Duck were off Jerry’s Point again with 2 Great Northern Diver there too and 4 Black-necked Grebe.

The conditions were wonderful for today’s Wareham Channel cruise. The calm weather offered cracking views of all of the star winter species present in the harbour at the moment. The journey along Wareham Channel produced 2 Marsh Harrier and Red-breasted Merganser in abundance.

The meander up the River Frome to Wareham provides great flooded fields covered in Lapwing, Curlew and Black-headed Gulls. As we returned to the open waters of Poole Harbour it was not long before we were spotting Great Northern Divers seemingly everywhere!  The South Deep again produced the best open water birding spectacles, offering 2 Long-tailed Duck, 1 Common Scoter, and many of the Black-necked Grebe and Goldeneye observed from the boat. 

The Brownsea Lagoon was also looking fantastic with a whole spread of waders and wildfowl including c2000 Black-tailed Godwit, c100 Grey Plover, c300 Avocet, c1500 Dunlin, c70 Bar-tailed Godwit (including the regular returning summer-plumaged individual), c50 Shoveler, 32 Ringed Plover and 1 Sanderling.

Off Middle beach there was a single Slavonian Grebe and a further 2 Slavonian Grebe were spotted from a watch off Goathorn. At Middlebere the ringtail Hen Harrier was sat on a fence post and 2 Firecrest were in Bramble next to the hide. The second ever recorded Black-necked Grebe featured in the Lytchett Bay this morning (first recorded back in 1997!). Elsewhere, 23 Spoonbill were roosting at Shipstal Point, Arne.

Long-tailed Ducks – Brands Bay – Rene Goad

Sightings were fairly thin on the ground again today, perhaps because we’re all still recovering from the big day, or maybe due to the thick mist which shrouded the harbour from early afternoon.

Despite consistent high tides, Holes Bay harboured some 38 Curlew, 50+ Avocet, 9 Lapwing, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Little Egret, good numbers of the usual suspects of Wigeon, Teal and Shelduck, plus 1 leucistic Canada Goose in amongst conspecifics. At the Upton Country Park end, Redwing were gathered in a flock of 60+ birds.

Baiter Park was also fairly productive with 1 Great Norther Diver and 11 Red-breasted Merganser showing down to a very good distance, alongside both male and female Goldeneye. Also present were Dark-bellied Brent Geese, Turnstone, Redshank, and Oystercatcher.

Brands Bay held good variety today, with three grebe species showing: 1 Slavonian Grebe, 2 Black-Necked Grebe, and plenty of Great Crested Grebe. Also present were 2 Long-tailed Duck, 2 Great Northern Diver, and an abundance of Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser. 

At the opposite end of the harbour a ringtail Hen Harrier passed over the mouth of the Wareham Channel around midday and 3 Marsh Harrier were over Swineham Point. The river valley’s are still extremely flooded and are holding good numbers of Lapwing, Shoveler and Gadwall.  Meanwhile, the 25 over-wintering Spoonbill still appear to be spending most of their time in a communal roost on Shipstal Point at Arne.

Spoonbill – Shipstal Point – Lyn Lambert

At least the winds have subsided but that rare orange ball in the sky still remains elusive other than it’s day out on Christmas Day. Despite the dank conditions todays highlight was a Short-eared Owl hunting over a waterlogged Arne Moors and Swineham Point. The Siberian Chiffchaff was still along the North Walls at Wareham and Firecrest were conspicuous with 1 at Middlebere, 1 behind Wareham Hospital, 1 at PCW Drain, 2 in Upton CP and 2 at Arne. At Middlebere a ringtail Hen Harrier was seen briefly also 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Spotted Redshank and c300 Avocet. Off Jerry’s Point there was 1 Slavonian Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver and 1 Black-necked Grebe.

Firecrest – Middlebere – Nigel Gidney

Bullfinch – Middlebere – Nigel Gidney