Well, with a New Year there often comes new plans, new ideas and new aims. One thing we know many of you do is a year list, a simple concept to see how many bird species you can see in a single year. You can choose to do this in your own garden, your favourite nature reserve or create your own ‘patch’. Not only does this really get you looking and understanding an area a lot better it also provides motivation to just get out and explore. People have been ‘year listing’ for…well…years, but it seems there are many of you out there who have never taken up the challenge. It doesn’t have to be competitive, you can keep it a secret list, but either way year lists are really great fun (if not a little addictive) and you’re sure to see and discover species you’d not perhaps see otherwise…Why not give it a go?

As with most ‘year listers’, Jan 1^st is always a busy day and sightings came in thick and fast. Starting off at Lytchett Fields where the Green-winged Teal and Lesser Yellowlegs were ticked off quickly with a Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank c400 Dunlin c30 Snipe, a Green Sandpiper and a Marsh Harrier. Only the Canford Heath Great Grey Shrike was found today but almost certainly the Hartland (and Godlingston) birds will be around somewhere. In Poole Park 11 Goldeneye were on the Boating Lake with a Kingfisher, 21 Tufted Duck and 2 Little Grebe. Along footpath 12 at Lytchett Bay Bearded Tits could be heard pinging away with Avocet and Red-breasted Merganser feeding out in the Bay. At Swineham only 14 of the 22 Barnacle Geese were present. At South Haven, Studland there were 4 Great Northern Diver, 5 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Eider (Shell Bay), 28 Sanderling, 1 Peregrine and 2 Razorbill. In Brands Bay 1 Great Northern Diver and 1 pale-bellied Brent Goose and off Middle Beach another Great Northern Diver and 19 Black-necked Grebe. In the mouth of the Frome Valley a Great White Egret was feeding with 2 Spoonbill and there were 2 ringtail Hen Harrier and 5 Marsh Harrier in Poole Harbour west with a male Merlin on Stoborough Heath. At Arne there were 2 Firecrest in the car park and finally a flock of 12 Goosander were seen off Baiter before flying off towards Holes Bay. 

Yet more fog made things really difficult today and only the Lesser Yellowlegs at Lytchett Fields gave its self away at Lytchett Fields and a potential Great Grey Shrike was seen along the Arne Road.

Well, 2016 has been another great year for us here at Birds of Poole Harbour and it wouldn’t be made possible without the support many of you have given us over the years . So with the a new year on the horizon we’d like to wish you all a very Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you and working with you in 2017, which we hope to be our busiest and best yet!

Sightings wise it was fairly quiet today with highlights being the Lesser Yellowlegs at Lytchett Fields with 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank and 400+ Dunlin. In the Bramble Bush Bay area there was 1 Razorbill, 2 Great Northern Diver, 1 Sandwich Tern, 15 Ringed Plover, 43 Sanderling and 1 Greenshank. At Upton CP there were 16 Knot and 120+ Avocet.

Its great when the harbour gets so much coverage as it allows us to paint a bigger and better picture as to what’s going and what’s about.  Amazingly today 3 different Great Grey Shrikes were seen within the harbour area with one on Godlingston Heath, another on Hartland and the Canford Heath bird. For a scarce winter migrant that’s a pretty incredible total! Holes Bay north was busy again, mostly on the Upton CP side with 300+ Avocet, 400+ Dunlin, 600+ Black-tailed Godwit and the Ruff was still in the field just north of the stone bench. On Lytchett Fields the Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal were still present with a Marsh Harrier over. The Cattle Egret was along Holme Lane again and on Littlesea, Studland the Great White Egret was present again and on the Brownsea Lagoon 22 Spoonbill were present with 3 Spotted Redshank. Off Jerry’s Point a Great Northern Diver and 4 Goldeneye were feeding. Another Woodcock ringing session up near Hartland saw 5 new birds ringed and we also caught a re-trap that was originally ringed in February 2014. 

Woodcock – Hartland – re-caught tonight but originally ringed in Feb 2014

We’re going through a spell of incredible post Christmas weather with calm waters and still conditions making for perfect mid winter walks. There are plenty of places to visit and still lots of good birds about. The Cattle Egret is still along Holme Lane, feeding with up to 12 Little Egret. After a slight lull in numbers there are now up to 7 Marsh Harrier and 2 Hen Harrier frequenting Poole Harbour west with a Merlin on Slepe Heath and Peregrines on Brownsea and Hartland Moor. The Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal were still on Lytchett Fields. A Great White Egret was on Littlesea, Studland and after an absence of several weeks there are now 3 Purple Sandpiper at North Haven. The recent cold snap has seen a moving off of Woodcock from favoured haunts with just 1 seen at Arne Farm (usually 8-10 present). Along Slough Lane, Lytchett Bay there was a Firecrest with another at the PC World Drain. At Poole Park boating Lake up to 6 Goldeneye were still displaying. 

 Today was a perfect Poole Harbour day, cold crisp and perfectly still. Plenty reported to us, starting with the Studland area where 29 Black-necked Grebe were counted in the Knoll Beach evening roost with another 4 off Jerry’s point. Also 4 Great Northern Diver in the area with 2 off Jerry’s Point and 2 off Middle Beach. Also in the area was a Marsh Harrier near Brands Bay, 36 Sanderling and 16 Ringed Plover off the Houseboats and 100+ Lapwing in Brands Bay. At Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal was on French’s Pools and the Lesser Yellowlegs was on Sherford Pools with a Water Pipit on the Pools Field along Slogh Lane and a Woodcock and Firecrest along there too. This evening a Great White Egret flew towards Arne and the Cattle Egret was still along Holme lane. There was also a report of a Cattle Egret at Upton CP ‘with cattle’ which is worth checking up on and near the ‘Stone Bench’ just on the outskirts of Upton CP 11 drake Pintail were close to the wooden bridge with Avocet, Redshank and Wigeon. In the harbour entrance there were 3 Razorbill feeding. At Arne 15 Spoonbill were on Shipstal and a decent sized raft of Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser were out in central harbour late afternoon/early evening. 

Red-breasted Merganser – Baiter – Keith Rawling

Razorbill – Poole Harbour entrance – Nicky & Larry Sweetland

 Turnstone – Sandbanks – John Pick

The Boxing Day blues can easily be blown away with a brisk walk out around the harbour and with so many good birds about you could be mistaken for still thinking its Christmas Day! The Lytchett Fields Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal and the Holme Lane Cattle Egret are all still present and correct and should hopefully be three nice ‘list boosters’ for anyone looking to start a year list on Jan 1^st. At Lytchett Bay 22 Barnacle Geese passed over before looking as if they were heading back to Swineham. At Arne there were 18 Spoonbill out on Shipstal and Marsh Harriers were in Middlebere, Lytchett Bay and out in the Wareham Channel. Out on Hartland a Peregrine was on one of the obvious posts and a Merlin was seen along Soldier Road. The rising tide at Middlebere saw c400 Avocet and c350 Brent Geese. At Lytchett Fields there were 2 Green Sandpiper. Finally, there was a report on Rare Bird Alert of a 1^st winter Caspian Gull at Poole Park Lake. If anyone has any further information about this sighting we’d be really keen to get some details.

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 😉