With autumn now in full swing, mixed finch flocks are beginning to form and can be seen feeding out in some of the farm fields and pastures around the harbour. At the moment its mainly Linnet and Goldfinch flocks that have formed but over the coming weeks and leading into October Chaffinch and Greenfinch numbers will also increase and species such as Brambling, Redpoll and Siskin will start to arrive. The below recording was made up on Hartland Moor this morning and its of a flock of around 200+ Linnet and Goldfinch that were spooked by a Sparrowhawk whilst feeding on the ground. 

With many migrant birds moving through the area it’s always a good idea to listen out for the sounds they make at this time of year, differing somewhat from their more obvious ‘spring songs’. Whilst out on Hartland this morning there were four Common Redstart interacting with each other, highlighting the range of sounds they make. In the recordings below there is firstly two birds calling to each other with their Willow Warbler like ‘hooweet‘ call. In the second recording you can hear an adult male seeing off a younger bird with its harsh ‘tack’ and a series of ‘rattles’.

Common Redstart hooweet call. Two individuals Slepe Heath

Common Redstart tack and rattle – Male Slepe Heath 

Now the birds are on the move, many more sightings are starting to come in from right around the harbour. Starting in Brands Bay where there were 8 Teal, 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 329 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Whimbrel and 54 Dunlin. An Osprey flew over Oakdale, Poole yesterday. Waders on Brownsea consisted of 44 Avocet, 3 Sanderling, 10 Knot, 65 Little Egret and 1 Spotted Redshank as well as good numbers of Redshank, Dunlin and several Ringed Plover, also a Golden Pheasant was seen.  Up on Coombe Heath, Arne there were 2 Osprey, 3 Spoonbill in Middlebere, 1 Peregrine, 4 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear and Dartford Warbler. Also in Middlebere 1 Ringed plover, 3 Knot, 1 Dunlin and 2 Wheatear and 2 Whinchat along the lane.  At Lytchett Bay there were 2 Knot, 21 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plover, 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 20+ Yellow Wagtail. There were also 5 Yellow Wagtail up on Hartland Stud. 

Migrants continue to arrive into the Poole Harbour area with many areas seeing good numbers of common migrants. Up around Hartland/Soldiers Road today a minimum of 7 Redstart were counted, along with 1 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat, 3 Whitethroat, 2 Tree Pipit and many Willow Warbler. At South Haven there were 10+ Whitethroat, a species that don’t breed in that area so are all definitely migrants also 2 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Wheatear, 6 Willow Warbler and a handful of Swift. In a stubble field near Upton 2 Barnacle Geese were with a flock of Canada Geese (bit early to be thinking of winter geese)! At Lytchett Bay there was a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff. Yellow Wagtail are now beginning to pass through too with birds recorded at Arne, Holton Lee and Sunnyside Farm. Tree Pipit are also noticeable too as they pass overhead early mornings with their diagnostic rasping call. A new male adult Marsh Harrier arrived in the harbour this moring.

Well I’m back from the Birdfair now, having been there since Thursday last week and am looking forward to some good birding over the next few months. Things are certainly picking up now, and a walk around any heathland or scrubland could produce a whole cast of migrants. Take my trip around Hartland this morning for example, which started off with a handful of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, but as the walk progressed I was treated to 1 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Redstart, 4 Tree Pipit, 3 Whitethroat, 6 Woodlark, 4 Dartford Warbler and an Osprey fishing in the Wareham Channel! And to top it off, just down the road at Arne there was a Pied Flycatcher and 4 Spoonbill in the Middlebere Channel. Waders are still passing through with2 Ruff and 3 Ringed Plover at Lytchett Bay. There was a Spotted Redshank Brownsea. 

Firstly, I am currently up at the Birdfair in Rutland for the weekend and will be hosting a talk on our new Birds of Poole Harbour Charity on sunday morning at 10:30am in the Anglian Water bird watching Centre. If you’re up this way then please drop in.

Now some bird news, a Great White Egret was found in the small area of rush, from the boardwalk at South Haven Studland, it was re-found and then lost again, but could quite easily still be hanging around. Migrants are now arriving in bigger numbers as Redstart, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat and Wheatear are all being seen at various sites. Over the coming weeks, species like Whinchat and Spotted Flycatcher should become easier to find too.