From all of us here at ‘Birds of Poole Harbour’ we want to wish you all a very merry Christmas and want to thank you all for your support and enthusiasm for all our work over the year. We’re looking forward to an exciting 2016 and look forward to a bird filled year. There were a few sightings from the festive day which included the male and ringtail Hen Harriers at Middlebere again. On the Brownsea lagoon there were 847 Avocet (an exact same total from the previous days count), 419 Black-tailed Godwit, 81 Bar-tailed Godwit (including the retiring summer plumaged bird), 141 Grey Plover, c870 Dunlin, 6 Pintail (real Brownsea rarities), 3 Spoonbill and 240 Oystercatcher.

With the Christmas rush, here are the brief highlights from Christmas Eve. The Smew was in Holes Bay south again. The Great Northern Diver was off the Baiter shoreline again very close in and in Middlebere there were male and female Hen Harriers, 2 Marsh Harrier and 2 Raven. From Middle Beach there was 1 Great Northern Diver, 11 Black-necked Grebe and stag Sika Deer swimming 30 off shore! In Brands Bay there were 20 Black-necked Grebe in the evening roost, 13 Spoonbill, 28 Avocet and an Owl species likely to be a Short-eared Owl flew across the road near the Greenland’s Farm track. 

Today was our first ever Family Bird Boat trip which is an extension of our existing School Bird Boat project. This saw 75 eager members of the public book onto the trip for free, with the aim of us showcasing the best Poole Harbour has to offer in terms of scenery, tranquillity and of course birds. We’re not quite sure who was looking down on us (but its seems we’d certainly been on Santa’s good list) as the weather was a pure picture. As the sun poked its head over Sandbanks we departed from Poole Quay ready for a 2.5 hour tour around some of the harbours most beautiful areas. We visited the Brownsea Lagoon first which was at its absolute best as 500+ Dunlin, 300+ Avocet, 100+ Grey Plover as well as Black and Bar-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Greenshank, Curlew, Redshank and a handful of Knot all sat, sunning themselves in peace. That was until a female Merlin came down a spooked the whole lot, resulting in an incredible and dramatic scene of chaos for a while until everything settled back down again. There was also a single Spoonbill on the lagoon and plenty of winter duck. As we made our way around a Black-throated Diver was off the Brownsea SE corner and Red-breasted Merganser, Goldeneye and Great Crested Grebe were kept the interest up as we made our way to Arne. There was a minimum of 5 Sandwich Tern feeding in between Arne and Green Island and a Great Northern Diver was off Shipstal Beach, and eventually came really close to the boat. Finally the other 30+ Spoonbill were on Shipstal Point, Arne and kindly took to the air for a short while for us and settled again in the morning sun. All in all it was a near perfect trip (made not totally perfect by missing the Black Guillemot which was seen off Brownsea about 30 minutes after the tour finished)! We are running 3 of these trips this winter, which are all currently fully booked, however it proved such a well received event we’ll almost certainly do it again next winter. Elsewhere in the harbour there was 1 Great Northern Diver, 7 Black-necked Grebe and 3 Common Scoter off Middle Beach, Studland. From South Haven, 1 Great Northern Diver with another in Brands Bay and 3 Black-necked Grebe. In Middlebere 2 Marsh Harrier and a ringtail Hen Harrier played together in the afternoon wind from the Raptor Hide and the 2 Great Northern Diver were again close in at Baiter with the Guillemot and several Red-breasted Mergansers close in to Fisherman’s Dock again. 

Unsurprisingly there was little reported today with strong SW winds and driving rain at times. The best came from Baiter where now 2 Great Northern Diver have taken up to feeding just a few meters off the beach at Baiter and a Guillemot was again within the Fisherman’s dock end of Baiter. Out on the playing fields 300+ Brent Geese continue to feed with good numbers of Oystercatcher and a few Black-tailed Godwit.

Another yucky wet and windy day with sightings few and far between. The Great Northern Diver was still feeding just meters off the beach at Baiter near the Fisherman’s Dock end and a Guillemot was seen again within the seawall. 12 Turnstone and 8 Ringed Plover were on the beach there. There were 21 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon, 6 Spotted Redshank and 400 Avocet.

Today saw the harbour receive coverage from almost all corners as the WeBS counts (Wetland Bird Survey) took place. The low pressure system that has been bringing wind and rain for weeks was also playing havoc with the tides too as there was very little movement at low tide, resulting in much of the mud staying under water. From Shipstal Point, Arne a Great Northern Diver was off the beach with 14 Goldeneye, 22 Great Crested Grebe and 40 Red-breasted Merganser with 8 Spoonbill further up in Wytch Lake. From Coombe Heath there was a good spread of raptors with 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 ringtail Hen Harrier, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 2 Kestrel, 1 Short-eared Owl and 18 Little Egret went into roost. From Swineham Point 740 Dunlin were feeding and 17 Spoonbill were feeding further up the Wareham Channel. From Goathorn there was another Spoonbill, 33 Red-breasted Merganser, 3 Goldeneye and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit. In the Wytch Channel there were another 9 Spoonbill, 3 Knot, 2 Turnstone and a ringtail Hen Harrier went through. In Brands Bay, Studland the Great White Egret reappeared, there were 4 Spoonbill, 1 Red-throated Diver, 3 Great Northern Diver and 2 Sandwich Tern. The Smew was again in Holes Bay south with 3 male Goldeneye.

Today we hosted a joint partnership field trip with the Dorset Wildlife Trust around the Holes Bay Nature Park, starting at Upton CP and walking round to Holes Bay NE. This walk provides wonderfully close views to a whole range of winter species. Our group managed to gather quite a list and some of the views were spectacular.  From ‘the stone bench’ out the outskirts of Upton CP we saw 500+ Black-tailed Godwit, 200+ Avocet, 25 Dunlin, 200+ Teal, 200+ Wigeon, 11 Pintail, 5 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall plus Redshank, Curlew, Little Egret, Shelduck and Grey Heron. As we walked through the woods along to Holes Bay the Black-tailed Godwits made their way to feed into one of the fields behind us with 150+ Canada Geese and 2 Mistle Thrush. Up in Holes Bay NE it was more of the same plus 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Med Gull, 1 female Goldeneye and 2 Great Crested Grebe. Studland received some good coverage again today. A seawatch from South Haven saw 4 Red-throated Diver, 23 Gannet and 10 Auk sp south and in the bay 2 Great Northern Diver, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Black-necked Grebe (2 at the Housboats with 13 Sanderling) and 1 Razorbill. In Brands Bay there were 9 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Spoonbill, 1 Marsh Harrier and c200 Black-tailed Godwit. And from Middle Beach 4 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-necked Grebe, 14 Black-necked Grebe and 2 Common Scoter. Of minor interest, during a ringing session at Holton Lee a Blue Tit was caught that had originally been ringed as an adult on the 13/11/10 making the bird a minimum of six years old…hardy little thing! Also 1 Lesser Redpoll and 4 Nuthatch were ringed. 

A few bits and pieces reported today, mostly from around Studland. From Jerry’s Point there was 1 Great Northern and 1 Black-throated Diver. Off Middle Beach there were 8 Black-necked Grebe and 8 Med Gulls. In Shell Bay there were 18 Sanderling and 2 Sandwich Tern and a Firecrest was near the Rees Cox hide on Littlesea. From Baiter the Great Northern Diver was again close inshore at the Fishermans Dock end with a Guillemot, Little Grebe and 3 Red-breasted Merganser. At North Haven, Sandbanks there were 2 Purple Sandpiper on the rocks with 20 Ringed Plover and 8 Sanderling. 

At the Fishermans Dock end of Baiter the Great Northern Diver was again feeding close into the shoreline with a Guillemot in tow and 3 Red-breasted Merganser and a Little Grebe. The Pale-belled Brent Goose was still in the Brent Goose flock and the Turnstone and Ringed Plover flock were again on the eastern Baiter Beach tide line. There were several raptor battles today with a Merlin dive bombing a ringtail Hen Harrier out in the Wareham Channel, a Short-eared Owl and Marsh Harrier also seen having a ding-dong and then towards the end of the day two ringtail Hen Harrier had a bit of a spat near Slepe Heath. Also a grey male Hen Harrier was seen out over Arne Moors. The Red-necked Grebe remained off Middle Beach, Studland and a Great Northern Diver was off Jerry’s point. 

The brisk SW wind blew a few birds over to the northern shores including a Great Northern Diver that was at times feeding six feet off the beach at Baiter giving excellent views. Also at Baiter a Pale-belled Brent Goose in the main Brent flock, 10 Turnstones on the beach, 8 Ringed Plover, 2 Rock Pipit, 4 Great Crested Grebe and 4 Red-breasted Merganser. There were a further 2 Great Northern Diver off Brownsea and the Red-necked Grebe was still off Middle Beach, Studland. On the Brownsea Lagoon the 22 Spoonbill remained also there 1700 Herring Gull, 16 Greenshank, 8 Spotted Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper (on the north shore), 1024 Dunlin, 154 Grey Plover and 300+ Avocet. Lytchett Bay was a bit of a raptorfest today with 2 Peregrine and 2 Marsh Harrier all feeding in and around Lytchett Fields at the same time, also a male Hen Harrier went through the bay with Kestrel, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk all present too. There are still several Firecrest in the Arne car park and a Merlin was out on the Moors at dawn.