There was a nice little run of autumn migrants this morning with 3 Garden Warbler, 5 Blackcap, 3 Willow Warbler and a Common Sandpiper in Holes Bay north. At the Twin Sails bridge the first Wheatear of the autumn was playing on the road. Night recording last night from our Old Town Poole Listening station revealed 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin, 1 Ringed Plover and a Redshank. From Hamworthy Park 7 Turnstone were back on the Old Pier at the western end, 20+ Swift passed overhead and plenty of Common and Sandwich Tern feeding out in central harbour. At Lytchett Fields there were still high numbers of Black-tailed Godwit with around 500 on Sherford Pools along with 9 Greenshank, 9 Snipe, 8 Green Sandpiper, 11 Dunlin and 1 Common Sandpiper.

Wheatear – Twin Sails Bridge, Poole

Garden Warbler covered in Blackberry juice! – Poole Harbour north

Autumn juvenile Willow Warbler (Top) and Chiffchaff (Bottom)

There was a really nice mix of birds today including the first Black Tern of the autumn which went past Pilots Point, Studland and in through the harbour mouth with 2 Whimbrel in Brands Bay and several Willow Warbler in that general area too. From Coombe Heath, Arne there was a single Spoonbill in the Middlebere channel with 3 Avocet, while on Brownsea there were a further 7 Avocet and 4 Spotted Redshank. At Lytchett Fields a Common Sandpiper was ringed along with 9 Sedge Warbler and 10 Reed Warbler and on Lytchett Fields 617 Black-tailed Godwit 3 Little Ringed Plover, 18 Dunlin, 10+ Common Sandpiper, 4+ Greenshank, 5+ Green Sandpiper, 6 Snipe and loads of Redshank and Lapwing. At Swineham there were 2 Common Sandpiper, 4 Willow Warbler, 3 Sedge Warbler, 3 Cetti’s Warbler, 3 Reed Warbler and 6 Reed Bunting. A night sound recording session from our listening station in Old Town Poole produced 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Redshank, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin and plenty of calling Oystercatcher. 

Common Sandpiper – Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson

Willow Warbler – Holton Heath

At Holton Heath some passerine passage was in evidence as 2 Willow Warbler and4 Spotted Flycatcher were seen feeding together in dead trees near the train station. On Holton Pools there were 7 Greenshank, whilst on Lytchett Fields a great count of 14 Green Sandpiper was almost knocking on the ‘record count’ door, but not quite as 4 Greenshank, 7 Common Sandpiper and 500+ Black-tailed Godwit were also counted. 

At Lytchett Fields the wader theme continued as 1 Little Ringed Plover, 8 Common Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper, 13 Dunlin and 2 Greenshank were noted as the highlights in amongst the Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Lapwing. A night sound recording session at Holton Lee as part of the Big Wild Sleep Out included 1 Woodlark, 1 Greenshank, 3 Oystercatcher, a Curlew flock, 1 Nightjar and a Tawny Owl.

Sightings a bit thin on the ground today other than a few more signs of autumn with the first Garden Warbler of the season ringed in Poole Harbour north with 6 juv Blackcap and 4 juv Chiffchaff. At Lytchett Fields; Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed godwit, Lapwing, Redshank, Little Ringed Plover and Snipe were all recorded. On the Brownsea Lagoon 5 Spotted Redshank were present with 13 Avocet and a Knot.

Juvenile male Blackcap going through post-juvenile moult – Poole Harbour north

First Garden Warbler of the autumn – Poole Harbour north

A slightly slower day compared to recent days with 1 Knot and 5 Spotted Redshank on the Brownsea Lagoon and rising numbers of Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank. On Lytchett Fields there were 4 Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank and the usual spread of Redshank, Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwit. 

It was nice to hear that a Melodious Warbler was trapped and ringed at Durlston early morning, which although isn’t Poole Harbour, shows that its well worth keeping an eye out for species like this now. Wryneck is also another classic August-September bird and could literally turn up anywhere. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 5 Spotted Redshank, one still in full summer plumage, 157 Redshank, 51 Little Egret, 9 Greenshank, 6 Dunlin, 13 Avocet, 1 Knot, 1 Turnstone, 5 Common Sandpiper and 2 Kingfisher. At Holton Heath there were still 5 churring male Nightjar and a possible Wood Sandpiper called overhead along with a Greenshank. At Lytchett Fields ‘the usual’ Common Sandpipers, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Lapwing were all present with a record-breaking number of Black-tailed Godwit for the site totaling 618! 

July leading into August is Yellow-legged Gull season and even though Poole Harbour hosts the only pure bred breeding pair in the UK we see an influx of these birds every year from southern Europe. In Middlebere there were 9, at Brands Bay there were 6 and in Holes Bay 3. The adults are bigger and bulkier than Herring Gull with a darker mantle (back) and of course they have yellow legs. However, so do Lesser Black-backed Gulls but these tend to be a bit smaller and daintier. Also in Brands Bay were 32 Black-tailed Godwit, 47 Curlew and 2 Whimbrel. On the Brownsea Lagoon 8 Avocet were still present with 2 Spotted Redshank. On Lytchett Fields up to 10 Green Sandpiper were tucked up in amongst the grass and reeds with 500+ Black-tailed Godwit, 60 Redshank, 61 Lapwing, 4 Greenshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, 5 Common Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin, 1 Ruff, 1 Garganey and a Hobby.

Garganey – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Well, only yesterday were we talking about Garganey are rarely reported during the autumn as one had arrived on Brownsea, then low and behold another (or possibly the same) turns up on Lytchett Fields, feeding out from Sherford viewpoint. That feeling of total and utter possibility has certainly now arrived meaning you should be on your guard for anything to turn as autumn migration is well and truly underway. There’s also an interesting wind pattern with the Jetstream traveling all the way from North America and dumping right on the UK brining with it all kinds of possibilities. The UK has already this week seen Western, Baird’s and White-rumped Sandpipers. Will Brownsea get its second ever Stilt Sandpiper or could perhaps Poole Harbour see its first ever Least Sandpiper or Greater Yellowlegs? Now back to reality where also on Lytchett Fields along with the Garganey  there were 3 Little Ringed Plover, 5 Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Snipe and still plenty of Sedge Warbler.  A ringing session in Poole Harbour north saw more juvenile Blackcap and Chiffchaff ringed, along with a ringed juvenile Chiffchaff that was ringed at Lytchett Bay on July 14^th this year.

Garganey – Lytchett Fields – Paul Morton