Todays blustery and pretty grim conditions didn’t produce the hoped for ‘wreck’ of birds in the harbour, although an adult Little Gull that went west through the harbour was good to see. The Great Grey Shrike was seen again on Canford Heath (Grid Ref SZ03309595). Other than that, the Lesser Yellowlegs at Lytchett Fields was seen with the Ruff, 300+ Dunlin, 1 Peregrine and 2 Marsh Harrier and 2 new Woodcock were ringed during a night ringing session. 

The big low tides at the moment, thanks to the ‘supermoon’ are providing some quite unique viewing opportunities at the moment. As we’ve explained before the average depth of the entire harbour is only 1m deep, so when we see big low spring tides, areas that aren’t normally exposed become open and fair game for feeding birds. Yesterday evening there was almost a clear walk-way from Hamworthy Beach over towards Shipstal Beach, Arne with just the channel in the mouth of the Wareham Channel blocking the route. With all this exposed mud, there no better time to go and see the thousands of wader and waterfowl species that are taking advantage. In Holes Bay, yet again good numbers of Curlew, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Wigeon, Teal and a handful of Pintail and Gadwall can be see at close range with this Sunday (20^th) being a good time to look as low-tide is at 8am meaning the sun (if there is any) will be behind you and as the tide rises between 8am and 10am, birds will get pushed closer and closer to the cycle path. The same goes for Baiter park where currently Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Rock Pipit and Meadow Pipit feed on the beaches during the low-tide and Brent Geese are also beginning to start using the playing field. At Shore Road, Sandbanks Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwit, Turnstone and Brent Geese can be found feeding out on the sandier substrate and in Brands and Bramble Bush Bay Grey Plover, Turnstone, Knot, Ringed Plover and Sanderling can be found, with the houseboats at the latter site being a good place to check. Elsewhere around the harbour keep an eye out for Black Redstart as one was present in Old Town Poole, but they could turn up anywhere, the Lesser Yellowlegs was still on Lytchett Fields, the Great White Egret was in Middlebere with 2 Marsh Harrier, 24 Spoonbill were on the Brownsea Lagoon and another 2 Woodcock were ringed, this time in the Hartland Moor area. 

Woodcock – Ringed in Lower Frome Valley on 14/11/16

We’re getting regular reports now of Black-necked Grebe and a few Slavonian Grebe from the Studland area with Middle Beach probably being the best place to look. Early morning or late afternoon is probably the best time to try and see these birds as they’ll still be in their roosting flocks. Each day they gather before dusk and settle in Studland Bay, with some also forming a roost within the harbour too. Black-necked and Slavonian Grebe can be tricky to tell apart, but the big white cheek patch of Slavonian Grebe can easily be made out if seen well, and if they’re within a mixed roost, the comparison of the duskier cheek and face of Black-necked Grebe should be easy to tell apart. Slavonian Grebe numbers have also fallen within the Studland/harbour area over the last few years with just 1 today but 12 Black-necked Grebe. Today an Eider was in Bramble Bush Bay and a Great Northern Diver was off North Haven. At Lytchett Fields the Lesser Yellowlegs was on the fields with the Ruff, 1 Brambling, 15 Skylark and 1 Marsh Harrier. At Shell bay, Studland there were 20+ Dunlin, 20+ Ringed Plover, 16 Sanderling, 1 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Sandwich Tern whilst in Brands Bay there were 2 Med Gulls, 20+ Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Red-breasted Merganser, 5 Grey Plover and 1 Knot.

Black-necked Grebe – Shell Bay – Ian Ballam

Sanderling – Shell Bay – Ian Ballam

For a drab Monday, the harbour certainly shone bird-wise with a good selection from right around the harbour. Starting in Studland bay where totals over-wintering open-water species are building with 3 Slavonian Grebe, 12+ Black-necked Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver and 12 Common Scoter. Out in central harbour the Scaup was still present along with 4 Common Scoter, 15 Goldeneye, 50+ each of Red-breasted Merganser and Great Crested Grebe. On Poole Park Lake there were 9 Little Grebe. In Poole harbour west an excellent count of 10 Marsh Harrier came out of the roost and a ringtail Hen Harrier was seen in Middlebere. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 14 Spoonbill, 400+ Avocet and a Merlin chase. At Lytchett Fields the Lesser Yellowlegs was still there, a ringtail Hen Harrier went through, a female Red-breasted Merganser was a new species for the fields and the Ruff and 2 Water Pipit were still present.  Both Brands Bay and Holes Bay were reported to be ‘full of birds’ on the low tides, all mostly common species but great to see good numbers of species such as Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Redshank, Avocet and Black-tailed Godwits. 

Great Crested Grebe – Holes Bay – Keith Rawling

Pintail – Holes Bay – Keith Rawling

Gadwall – Holes Bay – Keith Rawling

Today was the Poole Harbour WeBS count which meant almost all of the harbour was watched from somewhere at 3pm. As a result a whole suit of birds were found, starting at Brands Bay where a Great White Egret was off Goathorn and in the bay its self was 1 Eider, 5 Goosander, several Black-necked Grebe and good numbers of Red-breasted Merganser. In the Middlebere Channel a single Whooper Swan was in one of the low-tide channels late afternoon before upping and headed towards Hartland along with a ringtail Hen Harrier. At Lytchett Bay/Fields another good haul as the Goosander theme continued with 3 ‘redheads’ and 34 Brent Geese in the Bay along with the Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Ruff and 1 Jack Snipe on the fields. At Arne 24 Spoonbill were feeding on the western shoreline. Last night a Woodcock ringing session resulted in 6 new Woodcock being ringed in the Lower Frome Valley with a single Common Snipe and a Fieldfare. Off Middle Beach at Studland the first Slavonian Grebe of the winter was found with 15 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Razorbill and a single pale-bellied Brent Goose and from South Haven, Studland a Black-necked Grebe, 3 Chiffchaff and 13 Sanderling.

Shag – Brownsea north shore 

This morning was definitely one of those ‘ergh’ mornings until around midday when things brightened up the sun even tried to come out. Sightings-wise it was rather quiet with a ringtail Hen Harrier over Hartland, a good arrival/passage of thrushes, mainly Blackbird and Redwing around the Middlebere area with a male marsh Harrier near the channel too. The Lesser Yellowlegs was on Lytchett Fields with a single Water Pipit.

Every winter we see a handful of dates when the open areas of the harbour look like glass and not a breath of wind stirs amongst the marker buoys. Today was one of those days and we were lucky enough to be hosting a school bird boat too. This made seeing open-water species so much easier with the highlights being 1 Scaup off Arne, 7 Common Scoter, 3 Goldeneye, 50+ Red-breasted Merganser, 50+ Great Crested Grebe, 1 Sandwich Tern, a feeding flock of 120 Cormorant, 20 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon and 20 Sanderling that flew past the boat. Talking of boats, we’ll soon be launching two public ‘Harbour Cruise’ trips that will place early next year, so keep an eye out. Off Middle Beach, Studland 3 Goosander were feeding. A round up of raptor news from Poole Harbour south now sees up to 7 different Marsh Harrier and 4 Hen Harrier with 2 Merlin still active on Hartland Moor. In Whitley Lake, Sandbanks and all along Baiter Beach on low tides, Turnstone can be found feeding with 12 Ringed Plover at the latter site too. At Arne the Great White Egret was seen again and in the lower Frome Valley the seasons first Woodcock was ringed. At Lytchett Fields the yesterdays Ruff was again present along with the Lesser Yellowlegs. A late Swallow passed over Ridge late afternoon.

Common Scoter – South Deep (near harbour entrance) 

Red-breasted Merganser – South Deep (near harbour entrance) 

Spoonbill – Brownsea Lagoon

Very few reports today, although what is great is that there are obvious opportunities to see great birds around the harbour, with a little bit of ‘scouting out’ and exploring. The inner, sheltered bays in the south of the harbour such as Brands and Bramble Bush Bay are holding Grey Plover, Turnstone, Ringed Plover (on low tides) and on the water, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser and Brent Geese, all of which offer great, close viewing opportunities with a bit of field craft. The Studland Beaches will now hold Black-necked Grebe right the way through to March whilst other species such as divers and sea-ducks will come and go like the days, so you just never know what you’ll see on any given visit.  Lytchett Bay/Fields still hosts the Lesser Yellowlegs, along with a newly arrived Ruff but the whole Lytchett Bay area can be good right the way through the winter waders, wildfowl and birds of prey. And, although they’re not back yet, it won’t be long until our small over-wintering Purple Sandpiper flock comes back to North Haven, Sandbanks. 

Grey Plover – Jerry’s point, Brands Bay – Simon Kidner 

Turnstone – Jerry’s point, Brands Bay – Simon Kidner 

Highlights from today included 14 Common Scoter off Middle Beach, Studland with 3 Black-necked Grebe. At Arne the Great White Egret was present with 15 Spoonbill on Shipstal. 

Again, today the conditions proved excellent watching conditions out in the harbour as wind fell silent and grey sky offered “squintless” viewing opportunities. There was a good variety of species out in central harbour, viewed from Hamworthy Beach which included 1 Scaup off Arne, 1 Eider off Green Island, 1 Great White Egret feeding on the beach at Shipstal, 9 Common Scoter out in central harbour with the first 11 Goldeneye of the winter, 48 Red-breasted Merganser, 54 Great Crested Grebe and 2 Spoonbill were feeding on the southern shores of Rempstone. There was no question as to the birds of the day as 4 Common Crane flew over Ower on the Rempstone Estate along the southern shores which unfortunately didn’t stay long and ended up over at the Fleet, Portland by early afternoon. In Holes Bay NE a handful of birders were eagerly awaiting the arrival of some Spoonbill with the rising tide, and they were rewarded with 4 coming in to feed around 10am with 85 Avocet, 500+ Wigeon, 2 Pintail and good numbers of common wader species. There was another Spoonbill on the Upton CP side of Holes Bay too. Out off Middle Beach, Studland, there were 23 Black-necked Grebe feeding.

We also have an update regarding Lytchett Fields which is that we’re pleased to state that it now re-opened again. Many thanks for your patients. Today the Lesser Yellowlegs was still on site and 8 Spoonbill were on the fields too. 

As we’ve mentioned a couple of times this week, Holes Bay NE can offer a great viewing experience and opportunity to get close to some of the harbour’s most familiar over-wintering species. We hope you enjoy this sequence of photos taken by local birder Ian Ballam, all of which were taken from the main cycle path along Holes Bay and just meters away from the birds in shot!

Curlew – Holes Bay NE

Little Egret – Holes Bay NE

Spoonbill – Holes Bay NE

Wigeon – Holes Bay NE

Teal – Holes Bay NE