Autumn really picked up the pace today with the first Garganey appearing on the Brownsea lagoon. We say the first, but it could actually end up being the only Garganey of the autumn as they’re rarely reported this time of year due to the fact they look very similar to female and juvenile Teal, and any male that arrives will almost certainly be in eclipse plumage. Also on Brownsea was a whopping 22 Common Sandpiper on the southern shoreline and on the lagoon was the lone Spoonbill still, 4 Spotted Redshank, 15 Greenshank, 113 Common Redshank, 8 Avocet, 10 Curlew and 5 Dunlin. On Lytchett Fields there were 10 Green Sandpiper, 6 Common Sandpiper, 4 Dunlin and 8 Little Ringed Plover whilst in Lytchett Bay 3 Greenshank were feeding and 2 Bearded Tit were in the reedbed.  The Arne Nightjar was still impressing the crowds and a Marsh Harrier was in Middlebere.

There’s still a nice run of birds on Lytchett Fields with 8 Green Sandpiper, 205 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Common Sandpiper, 6 Little Ringed Plover and 2 Greenshank. The site also has plenty of Sedge Warbler moving through it at present, so whilst stood at the viewpoints see if you can see or hear them in the hedges as they pass through. 

New birds in today included 3 more Grasshopper Warbler ringed at Lytchett Bay with several Sedge Warbler too. The 6 Avocet, 1 Spoonbill and 2 Spotted Redshank were on Brownsea again. Several Little Ringed Plover remained on Lytchett Fields with the other ‘usual cast’ of waders. 

We also wanted to congratulate these two bruisers who have worked their socks off at warning us away from their two healthy and now fledged chicks every time we went to go and check conditions from our nocturnal listening station in Old Town Poole. They decided to nest just feet away from where we set up our sound recording gear and although it meant we couldn’t record for a few months, we feel like proud parents that the chicks have now grown up and fledged away from our office roof! There are still plenty of young gulls on roofs locally, so its still not exactly quiet at night, but we managed to run our first nocturnal listening session for several months a few nights ago with 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper and a Water Rail recorded.

Mr and Mrs Herring Gull that nested right on top of our nocturnal listening station in Old Town Poole

A ringing session in the north of the harbour produced (as expected for the time of year) plenty of newly fledged youngsters. Most ringed birds consisted of juvenile Chiffchaff and Blackcap but a Willow Warbler was present too. On Brownsea there were 6 Avocet, including the 2 colour-ringed birds, 1 Spoonbill and 2 Spotted Redshank. At Lytchett Fields the Little ringed Plover total reached a whopping 12 which is pretty staggering by any means. Also present were 11 Green Sandpiper, 8 Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 8 Dunlin and 150+ Black-tailed Godwit. In Holes Bay north-east 108 Black-tailed Godwit and 22 Curlew feeding.

Juvenile Blackcap – Poole Harbour north rining station

Juvenile Chiffchaff – Poole Harbour north rining station

There were more new arrivals today with the first returning Spoonbill of the autumn. We’ve seen a record-breaking year every year over the last 3 years in regards to the over-wintering Spoonbill flock. In 2014 the Harbour hosted 49 and in 2015 it host 60, just how many will arrive this winter? Also on the Brownsea Lagoon were 5 newly arrived Avocet, two of which were colour-ringed and 2 Spotted Redshank. On Lytchett Fields there were 10 Little Ringed Plover and 6 Common Sandpiper. The Arne Nightjar was still in its tree but there was no sign of the Great White Egret in Middlebere from the weekend.

We’d also like to promote a piece of work carried out by local birder Simon Kidner who has kindly compiled all the sightings from the Middlebere Hide log book from August 2014 to July 2016. This must have taken quite some time, not only due to the amount of entries but also trying to decipher my awful hand writing ! The full report can be found on our Survey Page

The Nightjar is still happily roosting in its normal tree just outside the Arne café and there was at least one Firecrest in the car park area. At Lytchett Fields there was a summer plumaged Knot, 8 Little Ringed Plover, 296 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Dunlin, 64 Redshank, 3 Greenshank including the colour-ringed bird that appeared at Lytchett Fields back in April and that had originally been ringed in NE Scotland, 2 Common Sandpiper and the first Common Snipe of the autumn. There were 2 over-summering Great Crested Grebe in Holes Bay still, with a pair also on Hatch Pond.

Summer plumaged Knot – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

First Snipe of the autumn – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Today the Great White Egret was again present in Middlebere, viewable off the Coombe Heath viewpoint at Arne. Over Hartland Moor 3 Hobby were actively feeding and 2 Woodlark passed over near Middlebere and a female Whinchat was an early record. The Arne café Nightjar was on a slightly different branch today at the Arne café actually giving even better views! The Lytchett Fields ‘waderthon’ continued today with a whopping 9 Little Ringed Plover, 6 Dunlin, 1 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 3 Knot, 4 Green Sandpiper and 7 Common Sandpiper plus the Yellow Wagtail again. From South Haven, Studland 17 Common Scoter passed west and in Brands Bay there were 2 Whimbrel and 9 Mediterranean Gull. 

Little Ringed Plover – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Its ‘great’ that Great White Egrets are now an annual visitor to the harbour (or have been for the last 3 years at least) with the autumns first bird arriving today at Middlebere. In 2014 and 2015 the first birds didn’t actually arrive and settle until October so whether todays Middlebere bird is just a one off lone wanderer or is it a sign of things to come? The Great White Egret was actually hanging out with 19 Little Egret, giving a good size comparison, also there an adult Yellow-legged Gull and 2 Woodlark. Again, most reports came from Lytchett Fields today with a Marsh Harrier over, also 6 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Knot, 4 Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 1 Whimbrel, 2 Dunlin, 21 Black-tailed Godwit, 35 Curlew (in the Bay) and 10 Redshank. The Arne nightjar was in its usual tree.

Knot – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

It was a real wader day today at Lytchett Fields with 7 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Knot, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Dunlin and good numbers of Redshank, Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwit still with a lovely adult Yellow Wagtail there too. The Nightjar at Arne is still as popular as ever so why not make the effort and get down there whilst its on show!

More signs of autumn migration today with the harbour’s first juvenile Grasshopper Warbler ringed at Lytchett Bay along with a juvenile Sedge Warbler, Kingfisher, Cetti’s Warbler and plenty of Reed Warbler. At Lytchett Fields 5 Little Ringed Plover remained, along with 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Dunlin, 50+ Black-tailed Godwit and the usual Redshank and Lapwing. Young Buzzard are now fledging and can be heard calling to their parents for food with 4 on the edge of Hartland along with 2 hunting Hobby and 1 juvenile Peregrine.

Grasshopper Warbler – Lytchett Bay (from last year)