There was a nice selection of scarcities around today starting off with a newly found Cattle Egret along Holme Lane, near the Springfield Hotel. There’s been a mini influx of this species into the UK this autumn/winter and it was just a matter of time before one was found within our harbour boundaries. It was feeding with 12 Little Egret, but easily distinguishable with its smaller structure and short, thick orange bill. On Canford Heath the Great Grey Shrike was seen again in its favored area and at Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal rooting up on one of the newly created islands. More general sightings came in the form of a Great Northern Diver off Baiter, 3 Marsh Harrier in the lower Frome Valley, 2 Water Pipit at Holton Lee and 15 Black-necked Grebe off Middle Beach.  

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Green-winged Teal – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

What a great day to be out around the harbour, which although was hampered by fog first thing, it soon cleared giving way to another picture perfect day. There was plenty of coverage today as we led the commentary of an RSPB/NT bird boat, plus it was the Poole Harbour WeBS in the afternoon too. Starting with off with the bird boat where highlights included 23 Spoonbill (15 on Brownsea and 8 on Shipstal), 4 Common Scoter, 5 Great Northern Diver, 3 Black-necked Grebe, c100 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Common Seals, 1 Goosander (in Fishermans dock Poole Quay), 2 Spotted Redshank and 4 Greenshank on the Brownsea (Full species list for the trip can be FOUND HERE). Off Middle Beach, Studland there were 35 Black-necked Grebe and off Jerry’s Point 2 Great Northern Diver and 22 Sanderling with 1 Sandwich Tern in Brands Bay and a Merlin near the hide. In Holes Bay south-east, 2 pale-bellied Brent Geese were a surprise. At Swineham the 22 Barnacle Geese were back on the main pit again with 244 Canada Geese and 17 Greylag Geese. Also around the Swineham area was a Jack Snipe off the point with 14 Common Snipe, 2 Bearded Tit and 11 Skylark. At Swineham Farm there is an over-wintering Chiffchaff and on the pit 104 Gadwall, 198 Coot and 25 Shoveler with 2 Marsh Harrier in the Frome Valley. At Lytchett Bay the Lesser Yellowlegs was recorded in the WeBS count for a 4^th month in a row, also a ringtail Hen Harrier there too. Along the southern shore there were a minimum of 1330 Avocet in the mouth of both Wytch Lake and the Middlebere Channel, mostly viewable from the Arne side, also a ringtail Hen Harrier over and 2 Marsh Harrier over Wytch Lake with several Water Pipit present. Along Shore Road, Sandbanks there were 71 Bar-tailed Godwit and in Blue Lagoon 48 Ringed Plover and 19 Turnstone. Off Fitzworth Point the over-wintering Whimbrel was seen again and there were 71 Red-breasted Merganser, 60 Great Crested Grebe and 33 Goldeneye and on the Wytch Causeway 6 Water Pipit. On Poole Park Lake there were 8 Goldeneye including 6 drakes. Finally, two night ringing sessions in the lower Frome Valley produced 2 Woodcock and 2 Jack Snipe.  

Jack Snipe – Lower Frome Valley – Terry Elborn

A bit grim today but some decent birds reported to us. Around the Studland area there were c25 Sanderling, 1 Great Northern Diver and c150 Brent Geese off Pilots point. Both Merlin and Peregrine were seen near Brands Bay. Bramble Bush Bay was busy with another Great Northern Diver, more Sanderling and both Ringed and Grey Plover present. Off Middle Beach there were 25 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Razorbill, 14 Common Scoter, 1 Great Northern Diver and several Med Gulls.

On Canford Heath the Great Grey Shrike was seen again in its favored area (SZ03190 95529 see map below). At Lytchett Fields the Lesser Yellowlegs was still present with a single Avocet also on the fields which was notable. Off Hamworthy Beach a single Great Northern Diver was feeding and on Shipstal 11 Spoonbill.

Map showing location on Great Grey Shrike location just NW of Tower Park – SZ03190 95529

Today was pretty quiet on what was a really very gloomy, yucky day in the harbour. The Lesser Yellowlegs was out on at Lytchett Fields and 21 Black-necked Grebe were photographed off Middle Beach, Studland with a possible smaller additional flock suggesting possibly up to 30 birds present. In Holes Bay NE, the rising tide again offered opportunities to see good birds close up as groups of Avocet, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew, Wigeon, Teal and a Spotted Redshank all fed really close to the path. 

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After going missing for a day the Green-winged Teal reappeared on Lytchett Fields showing really well on Sherford Pools mid-morning and the Lesser Yellowlegs was again feeding out in Lytchett Bay on the low tide with 2 Spoonbill and a Marsh Harrier there. At Middlebere a ringtail Hen Harrier past the hide several times where it was superbly photographed by local photographer Simon Kidner. At Arne 2 Merlin were seen dashing about in Middlebere and a male Marsh Harrier was also present. At the mouth end the Middlebere Chanel up to 1000 Avocet were feeding in a single flock with Grey Plover, Black-tailed godwit, Dunlin and Curlew also feeding. Off Middlebere 11 Black-necked Grebe were in a single flock. 

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Hen Harrier – Middlbere – Simon Kidner

The Green-winged Teal couldn’t be relocated today but efforts to find it were rewarded when a Great White Egret passed over-head going north and a high count of 7 Water Pipit on the fields. The Lesser Yellowlegs was again off the Black Pipe in Lytchett Bay and a Jack Snipe was flushed from the path. A Marsh Harrier and ringtail Hen Harrier flew by the Middlebere hide mid-morning but there was no sign of the Black Brant that was reported yesterday. There was a (re)sighting of the Great Grey Shrike on Canford Heath again on Saturday and the below map shows the area its been favoring since its stay. Thanks Terry Elborn for the map. At Arne, Firecrests can still be found (with a bit of searching) in the car park and there seem to be good numbers of Dartford Warbler visible around the paths on Coombe Heath.

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Lesser Yellowlegs – Lytchett Bay – Ian Ballam 

Map of favored Great Grey Shrike area on Canford Heath just NW of Tower Park

For a drab, foggy Monday morning, the harbour was bustling with birds today. You could be mistaken for thinking Lytchett Fields was in fact some marshy wetland in North America when not one but two North American visitors were on site with the long staying Lesser Yellowlegs and a new find of a Green-winged Teal, a close relative of our Teal. Hidden in amongst the resident flock of Teal on Sherford Pools it could have been present for quite some time but it wasn’t until sharp-eyed patch watcher Ian Ballam picked out the cream vertical lines that run either side from the Teals shoulder down its flank that it could be picked out and separated from the rest of the flock. There was also a report of another North American visitor toady when a Black Brant was seen at Middlebere, this being a very close relative of our dark-bellied Brent Goose. Our school bird boat trip was busy too with a redhead Goosander off Hamworthy beach, 3 Great Northern Diver in central harbour, 2 Black-necked Grebe off Jerry’s Point, 4 Common Scoter in South Deep (near Brands Bay), 8 Spoonbill on Shipstal and 1 on the Brownsea Lagoon, c30 Goldeneye in central harbour and roughly equal numbers Great Crested Grebe and Red-breasted Merganser of c100 of each. Out in Shell Bay a Slavonian Grebe was feeding and there were 17 Black-necked Grebe off Middle Beach. As to be expected in early December, Holes Bay on this mornings rising tide provided great views of a whole range of species including Avocet, Curlew, Dunlin, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Pintail and 2 Tufted Duck all just meters away from the cycle path in the NE corner. 

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Green-winged Teal – Lytchett Fields – Nick Hull

Red-breasted Merganser – Central Harbour – Paul Morton

Common Scoter – South Deep (near Brands Bay) – Paul Morton

It’s been a quiet Short-eared Owl autumn/winter this year compared to last year but finally one was seen out from Shipstal Hide today at Arne. In Holes Bay 4 Spoonbill were feeding by the out flow along with a single Spotted Redshank with another 20 Spoonbill at Arne. Looking out across the Wareham Channel from Slepe Heath 4 Marsh Harrier were counted.

Spoonbill – Holes Bay – Ian Ballam

Winter has a nice habit of throwing up the odd oddity here and there and this morning 2 Common Crane seen heading west up the Frome Valley near Wareham was a good start to the day. A (the) flock of 22 Barnacle Geese ended up on Swineham GP again mid afternoon with 3 Marsh Harrier seen in the general area there too. At Middlebere 2 Woodcock were seen heading out at dusk with a Firecrest calling outside the hide and out in the channel c350 Avocet were sat hunkered down out of the wind on the rising tide. At Arne, apart from the 2500 people there for their now famous ‘Pull a Pine’ event a male Merlin, 3 Spoonbill and a Firecrest were seen. Off Jerry’s Point there were 16 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Goldeneye, 16 Grey Plover along with several Turnstone and Sanderling. Out in Lytchett Bay the Lesser Yellowlegs was off the black pipe and there were 199 Avocet out in the bay. Out in Brands Bay there were 4 Common Scoter and a Peregrine whilst out from Middle Beach a minimum of 5 Black-necked Grebe were noted, although choppy sea made counting difficult. 

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Lesser Yellowlegs – Lytchett Bay – Ian Ballam