The harbour is still fairly quiet and the cold north easterly wind isn’t helping birds trying to move up from the south, and the current birding conditions seemed more winter like today.  It was pretty much run of the mill stuff today with 16+ Med Gulls at Baiter, along with 2 Red-breasted Merganser and 25+ Cormorant feeding off shore. At Norden sewage works there were 10 Chiffchaff including 2 tristis types and a pair of Grey Wagtails. A Red Kite drifted over the Upton/Lytchett Matravers boarder this afternoon and at Lytchett Bay there was 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank and a singing Cetti’s Warbler. A lovely male Wheatear was at Baiter this morning with a few Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtails on the playing fields, and a Red Kite was also over Canford Haeth yesterday.

Last night Magnus Robb from local publishing company the Sound Approach presented a superb talk at the Dorset Bird Club AGM, which focused on his new book…Undiscovered owls.  The teams new title has been 15 years in the making and has seen them experience some incredible discoveries along the way. Included within the book are over 320 beautiful sound recordings with tools to help you learn as you read. If you like owls then you need this book.

The book is available to PRE-ORDER through their website now.

Last of all, we’re thrilled to announce that the new access area at Lytchett Bay is now open. We have spent the last 3 months liaising with the RSPB and putting in place a small but important piece of visitor infrastructure at this previously private site.

To learn more about this new footpath then CLICK HERE

There were a few more migrants around today with 2 Wheatear at Baiter and another at the Twin Sails Bridge. A Red Kite drifted over Canford Heath again today which is likely to be different to yesterday’s bird. A fall of Chiffchaff was evident too with many places hearing singing birds for the first time.  Out in Studland Bay there were 10 Great Crested Grebe and 13 Black-necked Grebe. Two Spoonbill were at Lytchett Bay with another 15 at Shipstal Point, Arne.

Don’t forget there will also be a talk taking place at the Dorset Bird Club AGM tomorrow, 18^th of March at 7pm, where Magnus Robb from the highly acclaimed Sound Approach team will be giving a talk on his new book…’Undiscovered Owls’ in which he describes several astonishing discoveries he and the team made whilst researching the book. Including a new species found in the mountains of Arabia and another a bit closer to home!

The Dorset Bird Club also has some exciting news about their future so why not join in on what should be a really interesting night.

Dorset Bird Club AGM

Wednesday 18th March

Methodist Church Hall, North Street, Wareham

AGM starts 7.00pm followed by a talk at 8.00pm

A little quieter today but another Red Kite was seen drifting over Canford Heath this morning. A summer plumage Sandwich Tern off Baiter could have been a migrant but the 7 winter plumaged Turnstone most definitely weren’t. Only one ringtail Hen Harrier was seen leaving the Poole Harbour winter roost, compared to the three individuals that were present last week suggesting a dispersal of sorts has taken place.

There will also be a talk taking place at the Dorset Bird Club AGM this Wednesday the 18^th of March at 7pm, where Magnus Robb from the highly acclaimed Sound Approach team will be giving a talk on his new book…’Undiscovered Owls’ in which he describes several astonishing discoveries he and the team made whilst researching the book. Including a new species found in the mountains of Arabia and another a bit closer to home!

The Dorset Bird Club also has some exciting news about their future so why not join in on what should be a really interesting night.

Dorset Bird Club AGM

Wednesday 18th March

Methodist Church Hall, North Street, Wareham

AGM starts 7.00pm followed by a talk at 8.00pm

Red Kites seemed to be on the move today with several reported. One was seen heading east over Holes Bay mid morning and another was over Poole mid afternoon and another two were seen cruising north just outside the harbour in Wareham Forest. At Lytchett Bay today there were 3 Spoonbill, 2 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 3 Stonechat and 3 Chiffchaff. There was perhaps evidence of some Fieldfare passage with a few flocks of 50+ birds seen heading purposefully north at Sunnyside Farm and Wareham Forest. On Slepe Heath there was a ringtail Hen Harrier, 4 Stonechat, 2 Dartford Warbler and 1 Woodlark. From the Studland area there was 3 Redwing, 8 Fieldfare, 2 Wheatear and 1 Firecrest at Greenlands Farm, 546 Teal, 116 Pintail, 1 Spoonbill, 399 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank, 8 Knot and 7 Turnstone in Brands Bay, 5 Black-necked Grebe off Middle Beach and Holes Bay had 1 Common Sandpiper. 

Today finally saw some birds of note/interest turn up. The grotty weather obviously forced a few migrants down as the harbours first Wheatears of the spring appeared. There was one, possibly two on Baiter Beach this morning with a female type Black Redstart. Also on Baiter 18 Turnstone, 44 Brent Geese and 3 Red-breasted Merganser still off shore. There were another four Wheatear (3 male and 1 female) on the rough bit of ground next to the Twin Sails Bridge and a Stonechat there. At Holes Bay around 20 Chiffchaff were in the bushes. At Lytchett Bay a male White Wagtail was seen, also another 7 Chiffchaff, two of which were ringed, also 1 Firecrest, 1 Spoonbill, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper and c30 Med Gull. I forgot to report there were 3 Lesser Redpoll at Arne a few days ago…the highest count of anywhere in the harbour this winter!

Wheatear – Baiter Beach – 13/03/15 To watch this video in HD press the play button and then click on the cog shaped symbol. Select 1080p HD

Still no Wheatears reported in the harbour yet, although there was another small fall of Chiffchaff that occurred today. Mediterranean Gulls can be heard calling overhead at many places and there are still 16 Spoonbill at Arne RSPB reserve with another 2 at Lytchett Bay.

Another Sand Martin made an appearance today, this time over Hatch Pond. There was a small arrival of migrant Chiffchaff too, some with big black sticky patches of pollen on their faces. At Shore Road at least still 19 Sanderling were present and c95 Bar-tailed Godwit. At Baiter a handful of Brent Geese are still lingering with another c850 over at Ower and a with a Pale-bellied in amongst them. Also at Baiter 6 Turnstone, 4 Red-breasted Merganser and 1 Rock Pipit. At Lytchett Bay there was 1 Spoonbill, 1 Greenshank and 1 Spotted Redshank.  

A good variety and number of migrants are now entering the UK with Ring Ouzel, Wheatear, Sand Martin, Swallow, Little Ringed Plover and Osprey all recorded today somewhere in the country. These are classic early spring migrants and they should be appearing in the harbour any day now, if not here already.  Today in the warm sunshine a few migrant Chiffchaff were singing in the company of their over-wintering relatives. Black-necked Grebes were at South Haven, the houseboats and Middle Beach with a Slavonian Grebe at the latter site. The Great Grey Shrike was again on Godlingston though distant. A Siberian Chiffchaff and a Firecrest were near the holes Bay outflow.

A few weeks ago we updated you with a new initiative that saw a joint venture between the RSPB, a private landowner, and us in which we were opening access to a previously private site in Poole Harbour. We apologise for the delay of the announcement but we’ve been dealing with a few teething issues. Anyway, we are almost ready to open the site, so keep an eye out on our sightings blog for more info.

The first Sand Martins of the spring were at Swineham this morning with 2 over the Gravel Pits, also a marsh Harrier there. Up on Slepe Heath 3 Woodlark were feeding and 2 Dartford Warbler were active. At Lytchett Bay this tonight a Barn Owl flew over the wet fields, 1 Woodcock, 15+ Snipe and a Redshank were also noted whilst late afternoon produced 2 Spoonbill, 1 ringtail Hen Harrier, 1 Spotted Redshank and one each of over-wintering Chiffchaff and Blackcap. In Brands Bay there were 3 Spoonbill and 4 Knot and the Great Grey Shrike is still currently on Godlingston Heath. There was even a report of a very early House Martin flying around Arne Farm briefly this morning, which would be a really early record with the first week of April being their normal arrival time. 

It seems we didn’t see the same glorious weather that the rest of the country experienced today, but none the less signs of spring continue to creep through. Starting off up on Ballard where 2 Black Redstart were found, including a lovely adult male. At South Beach there was a Firecrest and Middle Beach 3 summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe, 2 winter plumage Slavonian Grebe and 2 Common Scoter. Brands Bay saw 1 Spoonbill, 1 Spotted Redshank and 1 Yellow-legged Gull. At Swineham there were 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 singing Chiffchaff, 5+ Cetti’s Warbler, good numbers of Gadwall, Shoveler and Teal on the main GP and a handful of Med Gulls overhead. Yesterday a Blackcap was ringed in the north of the harbour, but was considered an over-winterer rather than a migrant, with another Blackcap at Creekmoor Ponds.