Having had zero hours of sun for over two weeks, we were at least treated to 5 minutes today, which we hope is paving the way for nearly a full day of sun tomorrow. Clear sky’s combined with the forecasted northerly breeze may be what it takes to see male Osprey ‘511’ finally decide to leave? He’s stayed 2-weeks longer than last year, but to be fair, with high pressure over the last 2-weeks and no tail wind to get him going, then we’re not surprised he’s stayed. Conditions tomorrow are perfect for an Osprey to migrate, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Between holmebridge and Wool 55 Cattle Egret were feeding on the floodplain and a Goosander was feeding in the river near Holmebridge. Lst night we headed out to Sunnyside for our first winter ringing session of the season and there were actually good numbers of birds about despite being so ‘early’ in the season. We saw 6+ Jack Snipe, 5 Woodcock and 20+ Common Snipe and ringed 1 of each. This morning a Black Redstart was on the pavilion roof in the main Sandbanks car park and 55 Shag flew into the harbour this morning. At Hatch Pond there were 2 Bearded Tit and the drake Pochard was still there, plus, 4 more ‘new’ drake Pochard appeared on Swineham GP where 3 Ruff were also still on the flooded ‘Stilt Pools’. There were 3 White-tailed Eagle (our local pair and one of the recently arrived youngsters) in and around the harbour today, moving between Brands Bay and the Wareham Channel.

Jack Snipe – Sunnyside 

Woodcock – Sunnyside 

Definitely colder today with more Redwing and Fieldfare arriving this morning. Cold enough also to see 12 Spoonbill move from their favourite haunt of the Brownsea Lagoon over to Holes Bay NW. Scottish male Osprey ‘511’ was still in Middlebere pretty much all day and a Merlin was seen along the Middlebere track. A White-tailed Eagle flew low over the Arne road, 6 Marsh Harrier were around Giggers this AM and 2 Great White Egret were seen heading up the Frome Valley.

Scottish male Osprey ‘511’ – Middlebere – John Thorpe

Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit – Middlebere – John Thorpe

With the promise of some sun on Monday, and the some much needed vitamin D for everyone, will we finally see some movement of birds from the north? The blanket of cloud thats been sat over us since late October has resulted in 0 hours of sun being recorded in Dorset for nearly 2-weeks which has all but killed off any migration from the north other than Redwing. Finch numbers are well down compared to ‘normal’ early Novembers and we’ve not had a sniff of any Wood Pigeon migration. Will the sun also see the departure of long staying male Osprey ‘511’ into next week who was still in Middlebere this morning feeding on a flouder. This morning 2 Hawfinch flew over Rock Lea View at Lytchett Bay and a late Swallow also went through there late morning and a Spotted Redshank was on Lytchett Fields. A drake Pochard on Hatch Pond this morning is certainly noteworthy these days. The White-tailed Eagle pair were back in the Wareham Channel this morning and 4 Marsh Harrier were at Swineham.

This morning we hosted our first Winter Safari of the season, and the trip title certainly lived up to it’s name with a chilly easterly wind whipping across the harbour. The bird list also fitted the bill as more winter birds begin arrive into the harbour. In Ower Bay a Slavonian Grebe was feeding with 4 Red-breasted Merganser and in the Wareham Channel 5 Black-necked Grebe were off Shag Looe. The Brownsea Lagoon held 31 Spoonbill and another 8 were off Fitzworth on the mud banks, plus there were 12 Greenshank, c50 Avocet, c30 dark-bellied Brent Geese, c15 Bar-tailed Godwit and c200 Dunlin also on Brownsea.  Swineham was Marsh Harrier central with a minimum of 6 moving between Swineham, Giggers Island, Keysworth and Arne Moors and up on the Stilt Pools at Swineham, 2 Ruff were feeding with the Lapwing flock and a 1st winter Peregrine was also hunting Shelduck off Giggers island. There was an amazing FOUR White-tailed Eagles in Brands Bay too, which consisted of our local pair G466 and G463 plus two new arrivals in the shape of two 2-year olds from the IOW project named (confusingly) G644 and G641. Elsewhere male Osprey ‘511’ continued his long stay in the harbour by eating another large flatfish in Middlebere. A ringing session at Lytchett Bay this morning produced a really late Reed Warbler which was checked and double checked to make sure it was nothing rarer, plus a Yellow-browed Warbler. A Black Redstart was in a Parkstone Garden this morning which isn’t a surprise as there seems to be good numbers along the Dorset coast this late Autumn, and there’s a good chance there are more out there to be found! At Holmebridge an amazing 59 Cattle Egret were feeding just west of the bridge and a Great White Egret was feeding on the floodplain next to the road along the Wareham bypass. On the Asda building at Holes Bay 2 Peregrine were on the block of flats, including what looks like a new colour-ringed individual, with a red ring (and white lettering?) on the left leg. It would be good to try and confirm the ring number if anyone’s in town shopping over the next few days/weeks.

Slavonian Grebe – Ower Bay – Alison Copland

Reed Warbler – Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson

Yellow-browed Warbler – Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson

The grey, overcast conditions prevailed today, in fact, it loomed even lower over the harbour for most of the day. The forecast does suggest there could be some sun early next week which may tempt male Osprey ‘511’ to head off, as he was still in Middlebere this morning, breaking the record for the longest staying Osprey for the Poole Harbour recording area.  At the Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station a Siberian Chiffchaff was ringed this morning, at Lytchett Fields 3 Spotted Redshank were on the fields and another 2 were on the Swineham scrapes with 2 Ruff, 2 Great White Egret and 2 Green Sandpiper. The Brownsea Lagoon held 41 Spoonbill and the White-tailed Eagle pair were in Brands Bay.

Male Osprey ‘511’ still lording it up in Middlebere – Mark Wright

Siberian tristis Chiffchaff – Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station – Matthew Scraggs

As the firework bangs ease off and the smoke drifts away, it seemed like there was a lot of ‘zeeping’ in between the whizz, pop’s and bangs tonight as good numbers of Redwing passed over Poole Town Centre. Male Osprey ‘511’ equalled the Poole Harbour record today for the latest Osprey to be present within our Poole Harbour recording area, and with the weather forecast to remain the same over the coming week, there’s a good chance he could remain a while longer yet. There are currently several others in the UK too, so this isn’t the latest UK record so far this autumn/winter, but ‘511’ seems very settled and seems to now be in a daily routine, so is he gearing up to stay? There was another incredible late ‘summer’ bird today when a juvenile Hobby was found out on Hartland by local harrier watcher Peter Hadrill. On the Brownsea Lagoon c40 Spoonbill were on the Tamerisk Island this morning, 4 Marsh Harrier were at Swineham and the White-tailed Eagle pair were seen over Purbeck golf course. A Spotted Redshank was on Lytchett Fields and a Rock Pipit was colour-ringed there this AM. Just outside the recording area a male Black Redstart was at Lytchett Matravers recreation ground. With the weather so settled no divers or sea duck have been dumped into the harbour yet, and the best out in Poole Bay this morning were just 3 Razorbill about 3 miles off shore!!!

Black Redstart – Lytchett Matravers rec – David Foster

Autumn was clinging on with it’s fingernails today with not only the long-staying Osprey in Middlebere but also 4 Swallow there too and another at the harbour mouth. A Black-necked Grebe was off Jerry’s Point and 4 were in the Wareham Channel again. Great White Egret were in Middlebere and another was at Swineham. At South Haven Studland, there was some limited vis-mig with 442 Goldfinch the highest totalling species and 2 Common Scoter were on the water off shore with another flying off south. A Ruff was on Lytchett Fields and the White-tailed Eagle pair were in the SE of the harbour near Brands Bay.

Male Osprey ‘511’ cruising over the Middlebere Avocet flock – John Thorpe

Great White Egret cruising over the Middlebere Osprey – John Thorpe

Apologies, for our website being down due to IT issues and any inconvenience this has caused. It is now back up and running, so here are yesterday’s belated sightings.

The surprisingly mild weather for November continued yesterday, alongside the overcast conditions. A single Hawfinch was found in a Yew Tree in the south-east corner of the Lytchett Matravers recreation ground. Hopefully the first of many to stick around during this ‘irruption’, so keep checking those yew trees and listening out for them overhead!

Osprey ‘511’ was still hanging around the Middlebere area and still favouring a flatfish diet. At least 1 Great White Egret was also present in Middlebere, alongside the growing flock of Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit. 1 Great White Egret was  also in Lytchett Bay, along with the first Fieldfare for the site this winter with 21 flying over. Also present were 8 Greenshank, 4 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine, 1 Merlin and 1 late Sandwich Tern. The 1 Barnacle Goose was still frequenting the Swineham area with the Canada Goose flock. Also present were 3 Ruff in Stilt Pools, 1 Great White Egret, 1 Cattle Egret, 4 Marsh Harrier and in the Lower Piddle Flood, 5 Spotted Redshank and 1 Ruff. In the Wareham Channel, both White-tailed Eagles were present during parts of the day along with 3 Greenshank and 15 Grey Plover flying over

Barnacle Goose with Canada Goose – Swineham Bestwall Floods – Clive Hargrave

Osprey ‘511’ with Flatfish – Middlebere Channel – John Thorpe

Another really grey day with the sun apparently not due to re-appear for several days yet. So we start November in a typically grey, wintery manner. What wasn’t so typical though was the setting of mist and murk surrounding Corfe Castle with an Osprey flying past, which was a scene captured perfectly by local photographer Alison Copland. There were 2 Black-necked Grebe in the harbour mouth this morning, and this evening the ‘Harrier Watchers’ logged 14 Marsh Harrier entering the west harbour roost. At Swineham 2 Ruff were still on the Stilt Pools, plus 35 Cattle Egret and 1 Great White Egret. The lone Golden Plover was seen again over Swineham with the Lapwing flock.

Osprey flying past a wintery Corfe Castle – Middlebere – Alison Copland

We were wondering whether it would happen, but today it did with the current long-staying male Osprey ‘511’ residing in the harbour into November. He was first seen hunting in the Wareham Channel, and was later in Middlebere eating a fish. This is an incredibly rare occurrence, although this same individual did something similar last year, but ended up leaving on October 28th. It was odd he didn’t leave over last weekend as the weather was stunning, and perfect for him to disperse. Maybe we’re just about to see the first UK over-wintering Osprey ever? Probably not, as he’ll have an established over-wintering site somewhere, but you never know?! Yesterday’s Barnacle Goose that was in Brands Bay arrived in to Swineham with it’s Canada Goose chums this morning where there were also 2 Ruff, 3 Great White Egret, c40 Cattle Egret on Keysworth, a Peregrine over Gigger’s, 3-4 Marsh Harrier at Swineham, 5 Black-necked Grebe in the Wareham Channel and a Golden Plover went over with c50 Lapwing. There were 21 Red-breasted Merganser in South Deep, the White-tailed Eagle pair were in the SE of the harbour in and around Brands Bay/Goathorn and then later over Middlebere and 3 Kingfisher were along Poole Quay. In Lytchett Bay a Common Sandpiper and a Spotted Redshank were logged.

Osprey ‘511’ – Middlebere – Kate Plater