There have already been a good number of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker sightings this ‘spring’ and today produced another likely sighting at Lytchett Fields in the same area one was photographed this time last year. Between now and the end of March is a great time to try and find this now very scarce woodpecker, and by listening to their distinct drumming sound is a good way to try track them down in large old mature deciduous woodlands. At Swineham the 11 Barnacle Geese were on the main pit and in Poole Harbour mouth a Great Northern Diver was feeding with a Razorbill near by.  At Lytchett Fields a nice sight of 12 Spoonbill out on the fields was slightly out of the blue and a Hen Harrier hunted quite actively around the site for part of the day with Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Lesser Yellowlegs and Greenshank all in the bay on the low tide. 

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Drumming – Poole Harbour – Mark Constantine & The Sound Approach 

After being away for a week it was nice to return today and host our second ‘Birds of Poole Harbour’ public bird boat. A fully booked trip saw us head out in snow and finish with numb fingers and toes but that certainly didn’t hamper our enjoyment. A strange sight of a Sandwich Tern through dollops of snow got the trip underway and we were soon in to numerous Red-breasted Merganser and a few Great Crested Grebe. The lagoon was fairly busy giving good views of Avocet, Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Shoveler, Wigeon, Gadwall and Brent Geese. Near the harbour mouth 2 Great Northern Diver passed close and then a fly by Common Scoter zoomed by. Round the back of all the islands more Mergansers and Brent Geese were feeding and in central harbour 5 Black-necked Grebe were bobbing around on the choppy waters. At Shipstal the over-wintering Spoonbill flock of 16 remained faithful to their usual spot and in the mouth of Middlebere Curlew, Avocet, Grey Plover, Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin were feeding in the draining channels. In Holes Bay the redhead Smew remained faithful to the NE corner and the Lesser Yellowlegs was out in Lytchett Bay on the low tide. At Greenland’s Farm a Firecrest was at the end of the track and on the drained Poole Park boating lake Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit and a Turnstone were feeding close to the road on the mud.

Full species list from BoPH bird boat trip

Waxwing x 9 – Briefly at Rossmore Road but not seen after 9:30am

Smew x 1 redhead – Holes Bay

Lesser Yellowlegs – Lytchett Bay

Spoonbill x 10 – Shipstal Point, Arne

Common Scoter x 1 – Brands Bay

Black-necked Grebe x 12 – Central Harbour

Waxwing x 9 – Rossmore Road, Poole

Smew x 1 redhead, Holes Bay

Great White Egret x 1 Lytchett Bay

Ruff  x 1 – Upton CP

Spotted Redshank x 1 – Holes Bay

Woodcock – Lytchett Bay & Hartland Moor

Waxwing – Rossmore Road, Poole – Ian Ballam

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker – Corfe River Valley

Woodlark – Corfe River Valley

Marsh Harrier – Corfe River Valley

Firecrest x 1 – Upton CP

Purple Sandpiper x 2 – North Haven

Sanderling x 45 – Shell Bay, Studland

Great Northern Diver x 2 near harbour mouth

Sandwich Tern x 6 – Shore Road, Sandbanks

Spotted Redshank – Holes Bay

Spotted Redshank – Holes Bay – Nick Mudge

Long-eared Owl – Canford Heath

Spotted Redshank – Holes Bay

Spoonbill x 14 – Shipstal, Arne

Firecrest – PC World Drain

We apologise for the lack of updates on the website, however we’ve been away all week. We’re now back and will do a catch up of sightings from the last 5 days a bit later tonight.

Another nice day ended with a surprise when a Bottle-nosed Dolphin was found swimming around within the harbour off Jerry’s Point, half way between the point and Furzey Island. Dolphins outside the harbour are a pretty regular affair nowadays, but to see one within the harbour is exceptionally rare and we’re just hoping it’s ok and not injured or ill in any way. If anyone see its within the harbour over the next couple of days and think it looks distressed then please contact the British Divers Marine Life Rescue on 01825 765546 or 07787433412. Bird wise, it was much of the same with the Smew still in Holes Bay NE, the Lesser-spotted Woodpecker in the Upton CP wooded area to the north of the reserve, both the Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal back at Lytchett Fields with 1 Water Pipit and 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Great Northern Diver off Middle Beach with 6 Black-necked Grebe, 14 Spoonbill on Shipstal Point, Arne, 3 Purple Sandpiper on the Sandbanks slipway, 2 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Spoonbill, 1 Peregrine, 26 Grey Plover and good numbers of Avocet on the Brownsea Lagoon, 16 Chiffchaff at the PC World Drain and both Merlin and Hen Harrier in Poole Harbour west. 

Green-winged Teal – Lytchett Fields – Brett Spencer

Well the storm passed pretty quickly leaving behind it a settled enjoyable day with some good birds. At the PC World drain a Siberian Chiffchaff was fairly vocal and several of the over-wintering Common Chiffchaff were in full song giving a lovely early spring vibe. It was also a day of re-discoveries as the Great Grey Shrike reappeared on Slepe Heath and at Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal was back too. In Lytchett Bay a Goosander was out feeding and there were Great Northern Divers in Shell Bay, off Middle Beach and in South Deep and Black-necked Grebes were spread across Middle beach (4), Shell Bay (2) and Bramble Bush Bay (1). Spoonbills were at Arne with 14 there and 2 in the Frome mouth. In Poole Harbour west Hen Harriers were seen near Swineham Point and Arne, a male Merlin was on Hartland and Marsh Harrier totals are now back up to 5. There have also been good counts of Lapwing in some of the flooded areas with 600 in the lower Frome Valley and Middlebere which in turn attracted the attention of Peregrine at both sites. The 14 Barnacle Geese were back on Swineham GP. We also received a photo of a Snow Bunting on Studland Beach from January 24^th which we assume is the same bird that flew over the same area just a few days ago, indicating that it had been around for at least a week. 

Snow Bunting – Studland Beach – 24/01/17 – John Linfoot