With torrential rain hitting the harbour throughout the day, birding was a tad tricky, but with a survey boat out this AM, we managed to avoid most of the down pours. Despite the rain there was a great selection of birds out around the harbour with a distinct wintery vibe kicking in. In the Wareham Channel off Swineham Point there was a flock of 10 Spotted Redshank, 1 Great White Egret, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 89 Dunlin, 82 Avocet, c1000 Black-tailed Godwit, 38 Spoonbill, 120 Lapwing, 3 Marsh Harrier and 1 Merlin. At Swineham a flock of c20 Bearded Tit were in the reedbed and on the gravel pit there were 110 Coot, 1 Pochard, 5 Tufted Duck, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 3-4 singing Cetti’s Warbler, 2-3 Rock/Water Pipit and numerous Reed Bunting. On the Swineham Scrapes 432 Canada Geese were settled with 8 Greylag Geese and 38 Curlew. Out in central harbour a flock of 520 sinensis Cormorant were feeding in a pack with 11 Sandwich Tern hunting above. Kingfishers were seen from Poole Quay and up the River Frome. The Brownsea Lagoon was looking good with 24 Grey Plover, c50 Knot, c100 Dunlin, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, c50 Avocet, 12 Shoveler, 83 Wigeon and 1 Peregrine. Off Green Island there were 4 Red-breasted Merganser with another 2 in south deep and a second Great White Egret was in Newton Bay again. There are currently only around 30-40 Brent Geese back so far with another 10 off Studland Beach. A total of 10 Swallow went south low across the water near Hamworthy Beach and a few Meadow Pipit and Grey Wagtail were on the move before the rain kicked in. On the marina sea wall at Poole Quay 6 Ringed Plover were roosting on the high tide.      

With torrential rain hitting the harbour throughout the day, birding was a tad tricky, but with a survey boat out this AM, we managed to avoid most of the down pours. Despite the rain there was a great selection of birds out around the harbour with a distinct wintery vibe kicking in. In the Wareham Channel off Swineham Point there was a flock of 10 Spotted Redshank, 1 Great White Egret, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 89 Dunlin, 82 Avocet, c1000 Black-tailed Godwit, 38 Spoonbill, 120 Lapwing, 3 Marsh Harrier and 1 Merlin. At Swineham a flock of c20 Bearded Tit were in the reedbed and on the gravel pit there were 110 Coot, 1 Pochard, 5 Tufted Duck, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 3-4 singing Cetti’s Warbler, 2-3 Rock/Water Pipit and numerous Reed Bunting. On the Swineham Scrapes 432 Canada Geese were settled with 8 Greylag Geese and 38 Curlew. Out in central harbour a flock of 520 sinensis Cormorant were feeding in a pack with 11 Sandwich Tern hunting above. Kingfishers were seen from Poole Quay and up the River Frome. The Brownsea Lagoon was looking good with 24 Grey Plover, c50 Knot, c100 Dunlin, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, c50 Avocet, 12 Shoveler, 83 Wigeon and 1 Peregrine. Off Green Island there were 4 Red-breasted Merganser with another 2 in south deep and a second Great White Egret was in Newton Bay again. There are currently only around 30-40 Brent Geese back so far with another 10 off Studland Beach. A total of 10 Swallow went south low across the water near Hamworthy Beach and a few Meadow Pipit and Grey Wagtail were on the move before the rain kicked in. On the marina sea wall at Poole Quay 6 Ringed Plover were roosting on the high tide.

Another successful School Bird Boat managed to miss the worst of this morning’s weather. After departing from the Quay, the sun soon appeared revealing 2 Great White Egret (one at Newton Bay and the other at Ower Bay) and 46 Spoonbill on Brownsea Lagoon, along with 4 Sandwich Tern and c50 Brent Geese.

A visit to Lytchett Bay on a rising tide produced c140 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 40+ Oystercatcher, 26 Curlew, 20 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 9 Dunlin, 10 Avocet, 21 Lapwing, 4 Greenshank, Teal and Wigeon. A handful of Snipe and 3 Rock Pipit were recorded on the saltmarsh.

Another Great White Egret frequented Middlebere today, accompanied by 2 Spotted Redshank and the more common waders and wildfowl assemblages. A Kestrel was seen hovering over Holes Bay NE this afternoon and a Great White Egret was seen going into roost at Littlesea, Studland. Shell Bay Beach was really flooded this afternoon too and hosted just singles of Sanderling and Ringed Plover. 

Raptors in the harbour are mainly sticking to the southern shores. There’s still currently no Hen Harriers settling here yet this autumn, but it could be because they’re all being slaughtered on the uplands further north, with news today that a 4^th in four weeks has gone missing from a research program. It’s no wonder we don’t see the three, four or five roost sites that we did 15, 20 years ago. Things are a bit better for Merlin though with daily sightings around the Arne Moors/Swineham/Hartland area and there are still currently 4 Marsh Harrier about. At Swineham there were 30 Curlew on the new scrape along with c20 Black-tailed Godwit. Redwing and Song Thrush were on the move last night with the first decent wave of the autumn with peak passage between 10pm and midnight.

Another successful School Bird Boat managed to miss the worst of this morning’s weather. After departing from the Quay, the sun soon appeared revealing 2 Great White Egret (one at Newton Bay and the other at Ower Bay) and 46 Spoonbill on Brownsea Lagoon, along with 4 Sandwich Tern and c50 Brent Geese.

A visit to Lytchett Bay on a rising tide produced c140 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 40+ Oystercatcher, 26 Curlew, 20 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 9 Dunlin, 10 Avocet, 21 Lapwing, 4 Greenshank, Teal and Wigeon. A handful of Snipe and 3 Rock Pipit were recorded on the saltmarsh.

Another Great White Egret frequented Middlebere today, accompanied by 2 Spotted Redshank and the more common waders and wildfowl assemblages. A Kestrel was seen hovering over Holes Bay NE this afternoon and a Great White Egret was seen going into roost at Littlesea, Studland. Shell Bay Beach was really flooded this afternoon too and hosted just singles of Sanderling and Ringed Plover.

Raptors in the harbour are mainly sticking to the southern shores. There’s still currently no Hen Harriers settling here yet this autumn, but it could be because they’re all being slaughtered on the uplands further north, with news today that a 4^th in four weeks has gone missing from a research program. It’s no wonder we don’t see the three, four or five roost sites that we did 15, 20 years ago. Things are a bit better for Merlin though with daily sightings around the Arne Moors/Swineham/Hartland area and there are still currently 4 Marsh Harrier about. At Swineham there were 30 Curlew on the new scrape along with c20 Black-tailed Godwit. Redwing and Song Thrush were on the move last night with the first decent wave of the autumn with peak passage between 10pm and midnight.

Baiter playing field provided great views to compare feeding Bar-tailed Godwit and Black-tailed Godwit. A visit to Hatch Pond this afternoon produced views of 11 Tufted Duck, 2 Great Crested Grebe and a single Gadwall.

A Great White Egret was spotted this morning at Newton Bay from the School Bird Boat along with a handful of Brent Geese arriving into the Harbour. PC World drain continued to hold the c20 Chiffchaff and 10 Goldcrest along with a flock of 20 Redwing over in the morning.

At Swineham, despite the drop in wildfowl numbers in recent years there seems to be an upturn recently with c200 Canada Geese today (excellent Sea Eagle food) along with c150 Coot, 8 Great Crested Grebe, 40 Wigeon, 73 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 flyover Spoonbill and a decent Starling murmuration of several hundred birds is beginning to form. Along the Wareham Walls a Wheatear was feeding and at Middlebere there were 300+ Avocet, 1000+ Black-tailed Godwit and building numbers of Pintail, Wigeon and a few Brent Geese were present. At Lytchett Fields a Ring Ouzel was flushed from the approach path and a Peregrine was in the dead trees on the edge of the fields.

At Baiter the first Brent Goose for the site was present mid afternoon along with 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, 102 Oystercatcher, 27 Turnstone, 3 Rock Pipit and 2 Sandwich Tern. Whilst at Poole Park there were 2 Little Grebe, 25 Coot, 6 Sandwich Tern and a Sparrowhawk. At Shipstal, Arne only 40 Spoonbill were counted today. 

With no Osprey sightings today, could yesterday have been the depature date for the juvenile hanging around Holes Bay recently?

 Black and Bar-tailed Godwit – Baiter Park

The Osprey has been seen numerous times over at Holes Bay again today, settling on Pergins Island and circling the bay. A Peregrine, a Kingfisher and 2 Grey Wagtail were also spotted here.

PC World Drain has seen a nice variety of species with c30 Chiffchaff, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Kingfisher and 4 Goldcrest recorded. Baiter Park also had Black–tailed Godwit and Meadow Pipit Movement.

On Coombe Heath Trail (Arne) logged Black–tailed Godwit and Lapwing whilst over on the path to Middlebere; 7 Bullfinch, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Reed Bunting, increased Thrush numbers were observed.  55 Spoonbill were also recorded off of Shipstal and a Great White Egret seen at Middlebere.

A foggy start for the Brownsea Webcam but once cleared c20 Curlew, c30 Dunlin, Redshank, c50 Avocet, c20 Black–tailed Godwit were seen.

In Poole 2 Firecrest were at Constitution Hill Road viewpoint and on the Brownsea Lagoon 1 Knot, 1 Sanderling, 8 Greenshank, 4 Grey Plover, 6 Ringed Plover, 75 Avocet and good numbers of Common Redshank and Dunlin.  

The Osprey has been seen numerous times over at Holes Bay again today, settling on Pergins Island and circling the bay. A Peregrine, a Kingfisher and 2 Grey Wagtail were also spotted here.

PC World Drain has seen a nice variety of species with c30 Chiffchaff, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Kingfisher and 4 Goldcrest recorded. Baiter Park also had Black–tailed Godwit and Meadow Pipit Movement.

On Coombe Heath Trail (Arne) logged Black–tailed Godwit and Lapwing whilst over on the path to Middlebere; 7 Bullfinch, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Reed Bunting, increased Thrush numbers were observed.  55 Spoonbill were also recorded off of Shipstal and a Great White Egret seen at Middlebere.

A foggy start for the Brownsea Webcam but once cleared c20 Curlew, c30 Dunlin, Redshank, c50 Avocet, c20 Black–tailed Godwit were seen.

In Poole 2 Firecrest were at Constitution Hill Road viewpoint and on the Brownsea Lagoon 1 Knot, 1 Sanderling, 8 Greenshank, 4 Grey Plover, 6 Ringed Plover, 75 Avocet and good numbers of Common Redshank and Dunlin.  

Would you believe it…rain! It’s getting a bit boring now and we want those northerlies to kick in so the Redwing and Fieldfare can begin to arrive! The constant SW winds are certainly keep vis-mig migration at bay currently. That said, it seemed something tried to get going this morning with a number of Linnet and Meadow Pipit starting to move. At Lytchett Fields a single Spotted Redshank was on the fields along with 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 19 Common Redshank and 4 Grey Wagtail the highlights. At Holton Pools 3 Crossbill were in trees just behind the hide and at Fleets Corner c30 Chiffchaff were feeding in the Sycamores along the channel trying their best to look like a much rarer relative. In Brands Bay a single Osprey was present along with 1 Great White Egret, 3 Brent Geese and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit.

Would you believe it…rain! It’s getting a bit boring now and we want those northerlies to kick in so the Redwing and Fieldfare can begin to arrive! The constant SW winds are certainly keep vis-mig migration at bay currently. That said, it seemed something tried to get going this morning with a number of Linnet and Meadow Pipit starting to move. At Lytchett Fields a single Spotted Redshank was on the fields along with 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 19 Common Redshank and 4 Grey Wagtail the highlights. At Holton Pools 3 Crossbill were in trees just behind the hide and at Fleets Corner c30 Chiffchaff were feeding in the Sycamores along the channel trying their best to look like a much rarer relative. In Brands Bay a single Osprey was present along with 1 Great White Egret, 3 Brent Geese and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit.