After disappearing yesterday the Lesser Yellowlegs reappeared on Lytchett Fields again. Chances are it was around somewhere but just wasn’t located, it was also in the company of 100+ Dunlin, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper and 6 Greenshank. In the Upton CP/Holes Bay area there was a single Wheatear near McDonalds, 2 Sandwich Tern fishing in Holes Bay south, 2 Spotted Flycatcher near the stone bench, 1 Firecrest in the Grove, a Peregrine went over and in Holes Bay, there were several hundred Black-tailed Godwit with a Knot mixed in with them and there were over 200 Wigeon. 

Today saw our first school bird boat of the autumn/winter season and although many birds still haven’t arrived back yet, there was still a great selection on show for the children. Highlights included a Great White Egret sat on the sea wall of the Brownsea Lagoon which it seems relocated to Middlebere about an hour later. On the lagoon there were 33 Spoonbill, 2 Ruff, 30 Avocet, 2 Spotted Redshank, several Greenshank, 2 Sanderling and 4 Ringed Plover on the shingle beach. Out in the harbour there were 6 Brent Geese back in Ower Bay. There was no sign of the Lesser Yellowlegs at Lytchett Fields today but a Curlew Sandpiper, 11 Grey Plover and 112+ Dunlin were the highlights and a Little Gull was out in the bay late evening. Night recording from our listening station in Old Town Poole over he last week has been really tough going with minimal numbers of birds going over but last night was a good night with plenty on the move. Totals included 8 Common Sandpiper, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Golden Plover, small flock of Ringed Plover at 03:30, 1 Dunlin, 1 Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit flock at 21:25, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Tree Pipit, 4 Meadow Pipit plus a decent passage at 04:20 for ten minutes, 20 Song Thrush calls and 1 Robin.

Bar-tailed Godwit & Golden Plover 20/09/16 @ 21: 25 Calls of night time migrants, Old Town Poole

The Lesser Yellowlegs was again at Lytchett Fields for its third day, arriving at around 8am then disappearing on the high tide and then returning about 4pm. Also there a Curlew Sandpiper and a Ruff. At Arne the Wryneck was again on Coombe Heath and the Great White Egret and Osprey were in Middlebere mid morning. On Brownsea the 33 Spoonbill stayed on the lagoon for most of the day and there were still 2 Ruff and several Curlew Sandpiper. 

Osprey – Middlebere – Simon Kidner 

Lesser Yellowlegs – Lytchett Fields – Paul Morton

Green Woodpecker – Middlebere – Simon Kidner 

Things just seem to be getting better for Lytchett Fields with a true red-letter day today. It began when a Great White Egret passed low over the fields around 9am and then news that the Lesser Yellowlegs was again present on the fields and stayed until around 11am. Then whilst watching the Yellowlegs a Spotted Crake was found at the back of the fields preening and having a wash. Plus, when you include a Wood Sandpiper, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 6 Ruff, 4 Greenshank, 3 Green Sandpiper and all the Teal, Redshank, Dunlin, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit and Snipe then it made for pretty impressive viewing! The Brownsea Lagoon was also looking just incredible with zero winds, flat calm water and BIG numbers of birds. The lagoon saw 33 Spoonbill, 9 Curlew Sandpiper, 5 Spotted Redshank, 12 Greenshank, c40 Ringed Plover, c120 Dunlin, 142 Avocet, 21 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Knot, 6 Turnstone, 2 Ruff, c150 Redshank and building numbers of Shoveler and Wigeon with 2 Firecrest and a Whitethroat in the woods behind the lagoon. In Middlebere an Osprey was still fishing regularly in the channel and the Great White Egret was again present. Finally, what better way to end a day that a member of the public finding a Wryneck on Coombe Heath, Arne.

Osprey – Middlebere – Simon Kidner

Avocet – Brownsea Lagoon – Paul Morton

Shoveler – Brownsea Lagoon – Paul Morton

Spoonbill – Brownsea Lagoon – Paul Morton

Sparrowhawk – Brownsea Lagoon – Paul Morton

Well, what started off as a pretty productive day with a busy ringing session at Lytchett Bay (more of on that a bit later), things really were turned up a notch when local patch watcher Ian Ballam found Poole Harbours second only ever Lesser Yellowlegs on Lytchett Fields. The harbours first was a frustratingly anti-social bird that was found by a DWT member on Brownsea Island in December (when the island is closed) 2014. Luckily today’s bird played ball and showed for the lucky birders that ventured down. As the fields flooded with the large high-tide the Redshanks that the Lesser-legs was associating with disappeared around midday as did the lesser-legs and wasn’t seen for the rest of the day. Also on the fields were a single Ruff and a Barn Owl was out hunting early evening. The ringing session at Lytchett Bay was exciting for other reasons in that numbers of birds ringed were well up on previous visits with 126 birds ringed including 3 Grasshopper Warbler, 79 Chiffchaff, 18 Meadow Pipit as well as Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, Stonechat, Kingfisher and commoner birds. In Middlebere the Great White Egret was again photographed and 2 Osprey commuted between the dead trees and the nesting platform. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 30 Spoonbill, 2 Ruff, 6 Curlew Sandpiper, 6 Spotted Redshank, 9 Greenshank, 3 Knot, 6 Sanderling and good numbers of Avocet, Black and Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Dunlin.

Lesser Yellowlegs – Lytchett Fields – Shaun Robson

Ruff – Brownsea Lagoon – Peter Moore

Dunlin (left) Curlew Sandpiper (right) – Brownsea Lagoon – Peter Moore

Grasshopper Warbler – Lytchett Bay – Paul Morton

Kingfisher – Lytchett Bay – Paul Morton

The wind made things tough today but the Brownsea Lagoon was looking incredible again with 4 Ruff, 7 Curlew Sandpiper, 6 Sanderling, 6 Spotted Redshank, 11 Knot, 29 Spoonbill 40+ Ringed Plover plus Avocets, Black and Bar-tailed Godwits, Knot, Dunlin, Curlew and a handful of returning Wigeon, Shoveler and Gadwall. In Middlebere still at least 2 Osprey performing well along with a visit from the Great White Egret. In Brands Bay there were c130 Teal, 7 Wigeon, 6 Pintail, 1 Shoveler, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, 8 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Greenshank, 1 Wheatear and a Marsh Harrier. At Lytchett Fields the rare occurrence of a Turnstone made a quiet day a bit brighter along with the usual Redshank, Snipe, Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwits.

Great White Egret – Middlebere – Simon Kidner

Osprey – Middlebere – Simon Kidner

Spoonbills – Middlebere – Simon Kidner (actually taken on 26/08/16 but is one of our fave photos of the year)!

It was the waders that stole the headlines again today with a wonderful range of species and some great totals. The Brownsea Lagoon was just magnificent and thanks to James Phillips for a full species count and log. Totals from the Brownsea Lagoon today included 25 Spoonbill, 7 Curlew Sandpiper, 6 Ruff, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Little Stint, 315 Dunlin, 51 Ringed Plover, 1 Sanderling, 11 Knot, 14 Turnstone, 6 Spotted Redshank, 18 Greenshank, 123 Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 846 Oystercatcher, 178 Avocet, 202 Black-tailed Godwit, 21 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Snipe, 24 Curlew, 3 Grey Plover, 7 Common Tern, 2 Sandwich Tern, 8 Wigeon, 312 Teal, 12 Shoveler, 7 Gadwall and 2 Kingfisher, also 8 Yellow Wagtail, 1 White Wagtail and 2 Wheatear in the vicinity too. Lytchett Fields held its own too with 1 Wood Sandpiper, 4 Ruff, 1 Common Sandpiper, 9 Dunlin, 158 Redshank, 1 Whinchat, 1 Wheatear and another trickle of 15+ Meadow Pipit. The (a) Great White Egret was in the Lower Piddle Valley late afternoon and was present in and around the Ridge Flood Meadows early morning. Swallows and Meadow Pipits were certainly on the move with many small flocks making heir way low across the harbour. 1-2 Osprey were hanging out in the Middlebere area again. 

Curlew Sandpiper – Brownsea Lagoon – Phyl England

Kingfisher – Middlebere – Phyl England

The Great White Egret was again seen in Middlebere for a short while. Ospreys were in Lytchett Bay, over Soldiers Road and in Middlebere. At Lytchett Fields there were 3 Ruff, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 11 Greenshank, 7 Green Sandpiper, 4 Whinchat, 1 Wheatear, 3 Whitethroat and 4 Yellow-legged Gull. There was a decent passage of Swallow, House Martin and Meadow Pipit during the morning with 900, 500 and 200 respectively. On the Brownsea Lagoon Spoonbill numbers have remained at 25 for the last few days, will this total increase by the weekend?

The bird of prey focus was very much alive this AM when from standing in one spot along Soldiers Road 2 Red Kite, 2-3 Osprey, 3 Hobby and 3 Marsh Harrier (including a stunning adult male) were seen out over and across the Wareham Channel area. In Middlebere the Great White Egret was seen again feeding in one of the channels and Ospreys were seen in the dead trees. At Lytchett Bay an Osprey spent most of the morning feeding/fishing. Out on the fields the sites first autumn Wheatear of the season was seen and there were 3 Ruff on the fields. At the PC World Drain there were 2 Spotted Flycatcher and plenty of Chiffchaff.

Great news today when the autumns first Great White Egret appeared at Lytchett Fields before disappearing fairly quickly and being relocated on the Brownsea Lagoon by late morning. Its nice to say that this was inevitable as we have now seen this species arrive in the harbour in the early autumn for three years in a row now and here’s hoping (like last year) we get multiple birds again that stay in the harbour well in to the autumn and winter period. Last year and the year before Brands Bay and the Brownsea Lagoon were the best places to see Great White Egret when they were present in the harbour. Also on the Brownsea Lagoon were the 25 Spoonbill again along with 2 Spotted Redshank, 8 Knot and good numbers of Ringed Plover and Dunlin. On Lytchett Fields there were 2 Wood Sandpiper, 4 Ruff, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 120+ Dunlin, 1 Ringed Plover, 4 Greenshank and 2 Yellow Wagtail. Ospreys were seen feeding/hunting in Lytchett Bay, Holes Bay, Upton CP, Wareham Channel and Middlebere probably consisting of 3-4 individuals including a blue colour-ringed bird.  

Great White Egret – Lytcehtt Fields – Ian Ballam

Great White Egret – Lytcehtt Fields – Ian Ballam

Ruff – Lytcehtt Fields – Ian Ballam