Well Christmas and New Year are over and everyone is back to work, just as it looks as if the weather is going to get better! Typical, but at least the nights are already getting lighter now. The Smew was in Holes Bay north today sheltering from the wind, the adult Little Gull was seen again in Lytchett Bay briefly with Peregrine, Green Sandpiper and 5 Red-breasted Merganser in the Bay too. A late night ringing session at Lytchett Bay produced 2 Woodcock ringed and a Jack Snipe seen. 

Quick rundown of today’s highlights included 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 27 Curlew, 100+ Dunlin, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Water Pipit all mostly on the pools field at Lytchett Bay with an adult Little Gull briefly out in the Bay. Out in Holes Bay south there were 7 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Smew and 2 Goldeneye. Out around the Studland area the Black Guillemot was half way between South Haven and Brownsea, 3 Great Northern Diver out on South Deep, 1 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Purple Sandpiper on the South Haven slip way and a Lesser Redpoll in trees at Shell Bay. Studland Bay was pretty quiet with 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-necked Grebe and a fly by Great Skua. From Slepe Heath there were 2 ringtail Hen Harrier, 1 Short-eared Owl and 3 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine and 1 Merlin distantly towards Keysworth.

Upton CP and Holes Bay are still two great urban sites to visit on a low tide with great close views of most of the harbour’s wader species with 100 Avocet, c150 Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Oystercatcher and Redshank, also in the woodland around the edges were c20 Siskin, 4 Bullfinch and several Goldcrest. The Smew was also in Holes Bay north. At North Haven there were 2 Purple Sandpiper on the steps near the Ferry, 3 Great Northern Diver just inside the harbour and another in Shell Bay. Also in Shell Bay 1 adult winter Little Gull, 24 Sanderling, 1 Kingfisher and a Lesser Redpoll. In Studland Bay there were 4 Common Scoter and 2 Great Northern Diver. In Brands Bay there were 4 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Slavonian Grebe and 14 Pintail with 2 Sandwich Tern in Bramble Bush Bay. There was a Lytchett Bay MEGA in the shape of a drake Tufted Duck with 4 Shoveler (also scarce here). Also at Lytchett Bay there were 2 Spotted Redshank on the Pools Field with 3 on Lytchett Fields later in the day and 2 Water Pipit, 1 Green Sandpiper and 3 Greenshank also on the Pools Field. Out in the Bay a Spoonbill dropped in and a Peregrine had a ding-dong with a Marsh Harrier whilst 2 Raven watched on. 

Another year and another focus to try and find great birds in the harbour. New Years day got of to a corker with a minimum of 10 Great Northern Diver in the harbour including the super close bird off Baiter, 2 off the Brownsea north shore, 2 off Green Island and several out in central harbour. There were 32 (possibly 35) Spoonbill roosting at Shipstal, Arne mid afternoon but this morning they were feeding in the Wareham Channel and 3 in Lytchett Bay. From South Haven there was 1 Purple Sandpiper on the Chain Ferry slipway, 4+ Great Northern Diver between the harbour entrance and Jerry’s Point with the Slavonian Grebe there too. In Holes Bay the Smew remained near the railway bridge and there were 40 Avocet there too. There were 3 Chiffchaff and a Firecrest behind PC World, Poole. At Holton Lee there was 1 Lesser Redpoll and 1 Marsh Tit at the feeders, 1 Chiffchaff in scrub outside the hide, 1 Peregrine, 3 Marsh Harrier (viewed distantly over Swineham) and a male Goldeneye out in the Wareham Channel. From Middle Beach, Studland the Red-necked Grebe remains also several Black-necked Grebe and Med Gulls, 1 Great Northern Diver and a Firecrest in some brambles. At Lytchett Bay there was at least 1 Water Pipit on Lytchett Pools, 5 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Goldeneye and 8 Shoveler out in the Bay and good numbers of Lapwing, Dunlin and Redshank out on the fields. 

Great Northen Diver – Baiter Beach – Peter Moore

We can’t believe its the end of another year….they seem to be vanishing way WAY to quickly. From all of us here at Birds of Poole Harbour we wish you all a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing what 2016 brings our way. What ever it may be, we strive to continue to promote and popularise bird conservation, preservation and observation in and around Poole Harbour for you learn from and enjoy. Please continue to send us your sightings, photos (ID mysteries too please), videos and questions, as we love to see and hear what people are up to in the harbour and where you enjoy to go birding.

So to end 2015, more wind and rain hit for most of the day but gave way to a clear, crisp cold night sky meaning we could see in 2016 with some sun…that would be novel! Once again, most of the action came from the Studland area with a handful of Med Gulls around the beaches, 33 Sanderling on Shell Beach, 2 Great Northern Diver of Jerry’s Point and 2 Sandwich Tern were feeding in the harbour mouth. There were 30 Spoonbill off Shipstal, Arne and 2 in Middlebere. At Holton Lee a Marsh Harrier drifted by the shoreline. 

We knew it wouldn’t last long. Yesterday’s sun gave way to 40mph winds and heavy rain today but it didn’t stop the die-hard Studland faithful’s from attempting to notch up a few last minute species for their annual lists. Despite the wind there weren’t many sea birds on the move with a Great Skua the best from a South Haven sea watch, also from there 7 Great Northern Diver, 1 Black-necked Grebe, 10+ Ringed Plover, 3 Grey Plover, 23 Sanderling, 70+ Dunlin, 1 Turnstone, 2 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Kittiwake and 2 Sandwich Tern. From Brands Bay 1 Great Northern Diver, 15 Black-necked Grebe and the Great White Egret flew in at lunchtime. From Middle Beach there were 2 more Great Northern Diver (bringing the Studland day total to 10), 5 Black-necked Grebe, 8 Gannet and 4 Common Scoter. At RSPB Lytchett Fields there was a good spread of Lapwing, Dunlin and a few Redshank and at Holton Lee a Marsh Harrier passed the NW end. At Baiter Park there were 6 Turnstone feeding on the beach with 300+ Brent Geese on the playing field. 

Finally another bright day with warm sunshine to kick things off, which finally gave way to wind and rain…obviously! We shouldn’t expect anything less these days. Whilst the sun was out many birds made the most of it with both Song and Mistle Thrush in full voice at Holton Lee with Marsh Tit, Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, Nuthatch and plenty of common woodland species around the feeders there. Out across the Wareham Channel 4 Marsh Harrier came out of the main roost and singles of Merlin, Peregrine and Hen Harrier all dashed over Arne Moors. A flock of 5 Woodlark passed over Stoborough Heath calling. From the Raptor hide at Arne a male Marsh Harrier gave supurb close views, with another 1-2 putting up the many hundreds of Avocet, Brent Geese and Black-tailed Godwits in the Middlebere Channel.

A busy day today with plenty about and some fine weather. The Great Northern Diver is still showing exceptionally well off Baiter, at one time swimming with a dog 2 feet away! From Soldiers Road there were 2-3 Marsh Harrier viewed over the Wareham Channel. Off Middle Beach there was 1 Black-throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Diver, 2 Red-throated Diver, 5 Black-necked Grebe, 4 Common Scoter and 1 Great Skua. In Shell Bay there was just 1 Great Northern Diver and 1 Black-necked Grebe. A scan form the Houseboats towards Brownsea produced 6 Great Northern Diver and 1 Slavonian Grebe. In Brands Bay 8 Sandwich Tern were fishing, 1 Great White Egret, 5+ Black-necked Grebe, 1 Merlin and a Peregrine. A high tide count at Lytchett Fields produced some good totals including 300+ Lapwing, 279 Dunlin, 4 Water Pipit, 200+ Teal, 30 Shelduck, 27 Redshank, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 ringtail Hen Harrier. 

The Christmas come down seemed to be in full effect today with (more) foul weather and not many reports other than the Great Northern Diver feeding again just a few meters off Baiter Beach, Spoonbills on both Brownsea and Arne and both Marsh and Hen Harriers viewed from the Middlebere hide. 

Today another count on Brownsea produced 828 Avocet, 642 Black-tailed Godwit, 66 Bar-tailed Godwit, 139 Grey Plover, 140 Teal, 36 Wigeon and 68 Gadwall. News from Brownsea is that duck numbers have really tailed off in the last week. In Brands Bay a sub-adult male Eider Duck was found with a Red-throated Diver, 6 Black-necked Grebe, 9 Spoonbill, 8 Shoveler, 55 Avocet, 500+ Dunlin, 1 Sandwich Tern and the usual wildfowl. From the Houseboats there was 1 Great Northern Diver and 3 Spoonbill. From Shell Bay (where the new boardwalk opened today) there was 1 Great Northern Diver, 20 Gannet and 22 Ringed Plover. And finally, from Middle Beach 2 Great Northern Diver, 11 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Red-necked Grebe, 4 Common Scoter and 1 Fulmar south.