MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE and many thanks for all your support in 2016. We’re really looking forward to an exciting and full 2017 and hope you can join us along the way!

And, what better way to spend christmas morning than to get out early and see some great birds, with Middlebere producing 4 different Marsh Harrier, the ringtail Hen Harrier, 1 Peregrine, a Black Brant in amongst the c140 Brent Geese next to the hide and 200 Lapwing. Along Holme Lane the Cattle Egret was still there with 12 Little Egret and at Arne 17 Spoonbill were on Shipstal. 

 Marsh Harrier – Middlebere – Simon Kidner

A few people seemed to be out for pre-Christmas birding walks today with a good variety reported to us, starting at Lytchett Fields where the Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal were both present. At Holme Lane, the Cattle Egret was in the next cattle field along from its usual field, where 6 Woodlark, 2 Firecrest and c40 Redwing were present. Up on Slepe Heath a Merlin was perched on a dead tree stump and 3 Marsh Harrier were out hunting over Arne Moors. From Middlebere another 3 Marsh Harrier were lazily bouncing in the wind and c400 Avocet followed up the tide in the late afternoon. At Arne, 21 Spoonbill were on Shipstal Point and there were apparently 2 Eider in Lytchett Bay too, which would be a site ‘tick’. The 6 Poole Park Goldeneye were also still showing off all day.

Goldeneye – Poole Park – Ian Ballam

Very quiet from reports of around the harbour today, we assume everyone is gearing up for festive activities. The only news reported to us was of 2 Marsh Harrier at Middlebere and 11 Spoonbill on Shipstal Point, Arne. There were also 2 small Starling murmurations over the Hamworthy area with flocks of 200 and 300 finally gathering together and settling down behind Co-op. That’s not to say there isn’t stacks of great birds to go and see as there certainly are! You just need to go and find them 😉

Another great today with not one but two Great Grey Shrikes present with one on Hartland Moor again and the Canford Heath bird also seen. Bird of prey totals have dwindled somewhat with only 3 Marsh Harrier coming into roost in Poole Harbour west and just a single Hen Harrier with at least 2 Merlin still present on Hartland. The Brownsea Lagoon was fully surveyed today with highlights being 8 Spoonbill, 51 Knot, 7 Spotted Redshank, 123 Grey Plover, 6 Greenshank, 138 Bar-tailed Godwit and a pre-roost of 1500+ Herring Gull that came in before dusk. Also on Brownsea was a female Merlin, 3 Firecrest, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 80 Siskin and a male Golden Pheasant. On Poole Park Lake there were 7 Goldeneye, most displaying wonderfully close to the edges of the lake. The Lesser Yellowlegs was still on Lytchett Fields. 

Goldeneye – Poole Park Lake 

The Arne Wednesday walk was productive today, although sadly last weeks Great Grey Shrike didn’t reappear. A male Merlin dashed through Middlebere and 2 Marsh Harrier were out hunting again. From Coombe Fields at Arne c20 Spoonbill were feeding and there were at least c340 Brent Geese and c350 Avocet. Up on Coombe Heath its self, Dartford Warbler and Bullfinch were seen. Out in Shell bay there were singles of Great Northern Diver and Black-necked Grebe. Out in Bramble Bush Bay a good count of 41 Sanderling were noted with 10 Turnstone, 16 Ringed Plover, 2 Goldeneye and a small (but distant) flock of Black-necked Grebe. A late night lamping session saw 9 Woodcock at Arne Farm with 2 new birds ringed and c20 Woodcock seen in the Lower Frome Valley with 3 new birds ringed. Also 2 Jack Snipe were seen. ‘Urban Kingfishers‘ have recently been seen on Poole Park boating lake, along the Holes Bay cycle path, off Poole Quay and in the PC Word Drain.

Kingfisher – Holes Bay – John Pick

Not much change today with the Cattle Egret still along Holme Lane and the Lesser Yellowlegs at Lytchett Fields. At Arne 2 Marsh Harrier were seen along with 14 Spoonbill on Shipstal. The Ruff on the outskirts of Upton country park was still in the field to the north of the stone bench and a good number of Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, Pintail and Shelduck on the Spartina marsh just in front of the bench. Off Baiter looking out towards Parkstone Bay 6 Goldeneye were courting and several Red-breasted Merganser were also feeding. Near the harbour entrance 2 Great Northern Diver were seen from North Haven and 6 Black-necked Grebe were off Jerry’s Point.  

Today we hosted our annual free Family Bird Boat trip which is an extension to our hugely popular school bird boat project. The family trip which is hosted every December and titled ‘birding for beginners’ is open to anyone eager enough to come and learn a bit about their local environment. The trip is free and bookings are done on a first come first serve basis, so if you missed out this winter then please keep an eye out for our next one in December 2017! However, if you can’t wait that long we are carrying out our two new public bird boat tours in early 2017 and spaces are filling up fast! For more information CLICK HERE.

Highlights from the trip today included 4 Great Northern Diver off Brownsea, 2 Common Scoter off Goathorn, 12 Black-necked Grebe in central harbour and 3 in South Deep. On Shipstal there were c15 Spoonbill and the Brownsea Lagoon was packed with plenty of Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall and Shoveler along with decent sized flocks of Avocet, Black and Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Grey Plover, several Greenshank and 2 Spotted Redshank. At Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal and Lesser Yellowlegs were still present, the Cattle Egret was still along Holme Lane and a Great Grey Shrike was seen on Hartland Moor, which potentially could be the same bird seen at Arne on Wednesday last week. In Holes Bay north there was a good mix of birds with a Ruff being an exceptional find in one of the fields to the north in amongst 630 Black-tailed Godwit, also 14 Knot and 435 Dunlin on the mud with 21 Shoveler, 10 Pintail and good numbers of Curlew, Avocet, Redshank, Gadwall, Teal and Wigeon.

Today saw another good spread of birds around the harbour which included the obligatory Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal at Lytchett Fields with 500 Dunlin. Out on Arne Moors the 22 Barnacle Geese were feeding again with 100+ Canada and Greylag Geese as 2 Marsh Harrier and a ringtail Hen Harrier passed over…all viewed from Slepe Heath, looking north out across the Moors and a Jack Snipe was flushed off Slepe Heath too. The Cattle Egret was still in the cattle field along Holme Lane. The Great Grey Shrike was seen again on Canford Heath and off Hamworthy Beach a single Great Northern Diver and 4 Black-necked Grebe. Off Jerry’s Point, Studland there was another 2 Great Northern Diver and 6 Black-necked Grebe. 

 With more thick fog set in early morning it wasn’t until midday until sightings began to be reported. Of significance today an over-wintering Yellow-browed Warbler was seen near the villa on Brownsea Island. At Lytchett Bay the Green-winged Teal was seen out in the actual bay for the first time since its discovery, the Lesser Yellowlegs was out on Lytchett Fields with c600 Dunlin and c220 Lapwing. A ringtail Hen Harrier was seen out across Hartland Moor and the Cattle Egret was still in the cattle fields along Holme Lane. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 3 Spotted Redshank and 10 Spoonbill. In Rempstone Forest a flock of 7-8 Crossbill were seen, a good find seeing as they’ve been pretty scarce this autumn/winter.Don’t forget that this list of birds is just a selection ofhighlights from throughout the day, there is still plenty of other species to see that we don’t mention on a regular basis, such as Dartford Warblers on all the local heathlands, big numbers of Avocet in the Middlebere Channel, Fieldfares and Redwings in local fields, great numbers of wildfowl in Holes Bay NE not to mention ‘overlooked’ species such as Nuthatches, Siskins, Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Marsh Tit at feeding stations at places like Holton Lee and Arne whilst at the harbour mouth Shags, Ringed Plover, Sanderling and Grey Plover are all easy to find on the low tides. For any info on the harbour and its bird life then by all means contact us anytime.

Crossbill – Rempstone – Phyl England

Goldeneye – Poole park – Ian Ballam

After going missing for a day the Cattle Egret was back again at Holme Lane and the 22 Barnacle Geese landed out on the fields of Arne Moors at around 9:10am, again, only viewable from Slepe Heath. The Lesser Yellowlegs and 3 Water Pipit were still at Lytchett Fields and the was a combined total of c1000 waders and waterfowl on Sherford Pools alone! The 8 Goldeneye were still on Poole Park Lake and 2 Kingfishers at Poole Quay. The ringtail Hen Harrier keeps putting in brief appearances at places like Middlebere and Hartland and there are still a minimum of 5 Marsh Harrier in the harbour.