It’s been pretty quite around the harbour over the last few days, but a big increase in the number of raptors, especially around the Wareham Channel has been a welcome sight. Today the Wareham Channel held 5 Marsh Harrier, 1 Hen Harrier, 2 Merlin, 2 Peregrine, along with Kestrel, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk. These are all species of raptor you could expect to see around the harbour throughout the winter in a single day.

At Lytchett Bay 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 63 Lapwing, 7 Greenshank, 3 Kingfisher, 1 House Martin, 1 Marsh Harrier and an obvious arrival of Blackbirds with 40+ in a small area.

Blackcap and Chiffchaff are still passing through many hedgerows, although numbers are dropping off slowly.

At Sunnyside/Soldiers Road a Firecrest was near the car park, 11 Skylark passed overhead, a flock of 100+ Linnet were feeding in one of the fields and 2 Snipe were flushed.  

Around the country, quite a few Great Grey Shrike have arrived, and as this bird is a scarce but almost annual migarnt to Dorset, it will be well worth checking the tops of all the pine trees on any heathland walks you take!

With the large Thrush (mainly Redwing) movements that have taken place over many parts of the UK within the last week an early morning survey was conducted to try and track any movement through the harbour. On the 24^th of October last year a large passage of 5000+ Thrush’s passed over heading north, but it was unclear exactly what route they take to enter and leave Poole Harbour.

Unfortunately, the weather over the last few days hasn’t been ideal for Thrush passage, as clear skies and no wind at dawn proved fruitless for the survey.

However, the survey was well worth it when at 07:55 I watched a Great White Egret fly in from the NE over Shipstal Point and land briefly on the saltmarsh before being harassed by two Herring Gulls and headed off east towards the harbour mouth.  Great White Egrets are notoriously difficult to catch up with in the harbour as they normally only ever fly over or stop for a matter of minutes before leaving again. They are also exceptionally rare in the harbour and quite often get mistaken for distant, lone Little Egrets.

Nearby at Middlebere a male Hen Harrier was noted, 1 female Marsh Harrier, 1 Merlin, a juvenile Peregrine, 1 Grey Plover, 522 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Kingfisher and 8 House Martin and 3 Swallow.

The 6 Black-necked Grebe are still off Middle Beach, Studland.

In Brands Bay 50 Great Crested Grebe, 1 female Common Scoter and in Bramble Bush Bay the first 4 Red-breasted Merganser of the autumn.

At Greenlands Farm another juvenile Peregrine was present, and caught a Starling, lots of Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtails out on the fields and at least 5 Dartford Warbler on top of the hill opposite the entrance gate to Greenlands.

In Stoborough a Ring-necked Parakeet made a brief visit to a garden.

Overhead passage is really exciting this time of year with thrush’s, finch’s, pipits, wagtail’s, buntings and larks all on the move, so it’s well worth learning their various calls to try and pick them out as they fly overhead. 

Still a couple of places avaailable for this saturdays walk around Greenlands Farm. For full details click on this link – http://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/early-autumn-walk-greenlands-farm

TO BOOK ON CALL – 01202 641003

There were reports from some of the harbours best locations today with coverage from around the whole perimeter of the harbour shores.

Starting at Arne where 40+ Song Thrush were together on the ground on a small patch of heathland. The Spoonbill count was 34 today, and it was noted that five of these birds have colour rings on their legs. IMPORTANT – If possible, when watching the Spoonbill at Arne, if you’re able to see the colour sequence of rings on both right and left leg, please email the info to us so we can get important information about these birds origins.  Also at Arne 1 Peregrine Falcon, 186 Cormorant on Long Island and 206 Oystercatcher.

There were 6 Black-necked Grebe with a Common Scoter off Middle Beach, Studland and at Knoll Beach Studland a fly over Brambling, 1 Firecrest, 4 Chiffchaff and 2 Redwing.

Greenlands Farm hosted 2 Stonechat, 4 Reed Bunting, 40+ Meadow Pipit, 1 Blackcap, 2 Kestrel, 4 Redwing, fly over Siskin, Redpoll and Linnet.

Out in Brands Bay a single female Common Scoter with 6 Great Crested Grebe.

Out off Shore Road, Sandbanks 26 Sandwich Tern, 3 Turnstone and 8 Bar-tailed Godwit.

At Lytchett Bay 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine, 2 Sparrowhawk and 4 Buzzard.

There have been some huge Redwing totals from various places around the country with figures like 55’000 birds over Kent in one morning and 17’000 over Slimbridge yesterday morning. Things have been mildly slower in the harbour with totals of only just over 100 passing over various places such as Lytchett Bay, South Haven and Arne. Redwing can be heard calling overhead on most evenings at the moment, so if you haven’t gone and stood out in your back garden at 10pm to listen…a true sign winter is almost here! Surely a big Thrush movement is due in the harbour over the next few days.

Other highlights have included a late Hobby over Lytchett Bay with 4 Stonechat there a single Mistle Thrush, 1 Fieldfare, 7 Blackbird and 3 Song Thrush over.

At Sunnyside a late Whinchat, 3 lingering House Martin, 4 Chiffchaff, 100+ Linnet, 8 Skylark, 1 Dartford Warbler, and a very pale morph Buzzard. 

At Arne 30 Spoonbill continued to impress, also there 28 Pintail, 4 Brent Geese, 18 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Grey Plover, 1 Sandwich Tern, and excellent numbers of Teal, Wigeon, Oystercatcher, Little Egret, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit.

Jack Snipe were recorded at Lytchett Bay, Swineham and Arne Moors with a male Hen Harrier at the latter.

In Brands Bay 1 female Common Scoter, 1 Greenshank and a Knot. With the Wytch Channel supporting 2 Spoonbill and an impressive 14 Spotted Redshank.

Off South beach, Studland six Black-necked Grebe have returned and there were six Ring-necked Parakeets in the area.

I’ve been receiving some cracking photos of the Grey Phalarope from Brownsea Island over the last couple of days. It’s not often these birds show so well down to just a few meters, but this bird has been well and truly showing off in-front of the lower hide on the lagoon. I have included a couple of the recent photos for you to enjoy.

copyright Lorne Bissell                                  copyright Phyl England  

I also received a historic photo from Emma Seidel of the Poole Harbour record count of all 34 Spoonbill out on Shipstal Point, Arne. However, the log book in the NT hide at Middlebere actually claims 37 last week! So the challenge is on to try and capture that amazing total, although I think some have dispersed over to Lodmoor already.

Other reports from the the NT hide Middlebere include 4 Little Stint(?), 1 Barn Owl and 9 Greenshank, 1 juv Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 15 Dunlin and a Grey Plover

Raptors continue to impress with a decent variety out on Hartland Moor including a male Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine, 1 Merlin also Buzzard and Kestrel.

The Lytchett Bay locals seem to be settling in for the winter as numbers should hopefully continue grow now with 33 Dunlin, 26 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Pintail, 3 Sparrowhawk and 1 Peregrine.

On the Brownsea Lagoon the Grey Phalarope was joined by 5 Spoonbill, 10 Spotted Redshank, 1 Curlew Sandpiper and good numbers of all the usual Knot, Bar and Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Greenshank, Turnstone etc

On Hatch Pond an impressive roost of 200+ Pied Wagtail have begun to roost in the reed beds as a Sparrowhawk was trying to figure out how to pick one off.

Also just outside the Poole Harbour area 5 Redwing flew over Lytchett Matravers.

It seems summer made a dramatic comeback this weekend with temperatures almost reaching 20 degrees. Despite the great weather, reports were a bit thin on the ground.

The Grey Phalarope was again showing well on the Brownsea Lagoon out from the lower hide and another count of 32 Spoonbill was reached from the Shipstal Hide at Arne. Also

A report from the Hartland Moor area produced 1 Peregrine Falcon, 2 Raven, 8 Dartford Warbler, 2 Stonechat, 3 Reed Bunting, 1 Buzzard, 2 Bullfinch, 100 Meadow Pipit over and 4 Skylark migrating overhead.

Out on Arne Moors 3 juvenile Hobby were harassing a pale morph Common Buzzard also there 1 juvenile Marsh Harrier, 1 Wheatear,  1 Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel.

In and around the Studland area, good numbers of Chiffchaff and Blackcap and at Brands bay 42 Great Crested Grebe and a Marsh Harrier.

A late report of a Pectoral Sandpiper came in from the NT Middlebere hide, but the bird seemed to be showing some odd characteristics in the dimming light. By no-means was the observer claiming it could be the exceptionally rare equivalent species, a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper but stranger things have happened! Well worth keeping an eye out for a small Redshank sized wader with a clear ‘Pectoral Band’ across the breast. Also from Middlebere yesterday there were 4 Marsh Harrier together.

Today was the first day of the first ever Dorset Birdfair weekend and it was a great success. The day comprised of a great mixture of walks, talks and exhibitions and if you get a chance to make it over tomorrow then I highly recommend it. Plus lots of birds around too with stacks of Meadow Pipit, Swallow, Goldfinch, Siskin, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch and Skylark passing overhead.

Back to Poole Harbour news and a staggering 17 species of wader were out on the Brownsea Lagoon today. 1 Grey Phalarope, 3 Little Stint, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 13 Spotted Redshank, 15 Greenshank, 18 Knot, 418 Avocet, 52 Curlew, 20 Bar-tailed Godwit along with decent sized roosts of Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher and Dunlin. Also present Snipe, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover and Redshank.

Out on Arne moors a Whinchat, 1 Wheatear, 3 Stonechat and a Kestrel were making use of the large hay bales.

An early visit to Hatch Pond produced 31 Gadwall, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Bunting and 2 Grey Heron. 

In the west of the harbour yesterday a raptor count of 3 Marsh Harrier, 1 sub-adult Hen Harrier, 2 Hobby and a Merlin was counted.

Finally, a quick survey at Lytchett Bay produced a group of 9 Greenshank, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper and 20 Wigeon.

Not much news reported in today, but the snippets of info that were sent this way were well worth a mention this evening.

Firstly the Grey Phalarope was again feeding on the Brownsea Lagoon, busily feeding in tight circles to the far right of the ‘Lower Hide’. It’s not often these birds can be seen in one spot for any period of time, as normally it’s just a snippet of a view as it dashes past out at sea, so if you get the chance to get over to Brownsea to witness the spectacle of many hundreds of birds, be sure to try and find this little beauty before it disappears. About 500+ Avocet on the lagoon today.

The second report of the day came from the guys at RSPB Arne where a whopping 32 SPOONBILL congregated out on Shipstal Point mid morning. This is a Poole harbour and almost certainly a Dorset record. There were also 7 in Weymouth meaning that there were 39 in Dorset today. If anyone manages to get any photos of all or most of these birds together we’d really like to see them. 

The arrival of the harbours first Hen Harrier, a stunning male on Hartland Moor marks the sign that winter isn’t that far away as it played and jostled with both a Merlin and Peregrine Falcon.

A guided walk around the Sunnyside Farm/Soldiers Road area for the Dorset Bird Week saw some great birds with a flock of 6 Woodlark with another 2 seen separately, also 3 Whinchat, 4 Stonechat, 2 Dartford Warbler, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Snipe, many Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Swallow passing overhead, Teal, Wigeon a Grey Heron.

There were 10 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon which made a welcome appearance on the Lagoon webcam, giving us great footage of them feeding. It also seem there was a large arrival of Avocet on the Brownsea Lagoon with about 500+ present.

At Lytchett Bay there was 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 5 Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 4 Stonechat and a marked increase of Reed Bunting with 30+ present.

At Holes Bay slightly unexpected were 2 Grey Plover and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, two species you seldom see in this part of the harbour.