A big low pressure system that swung its way into the UK yesterday really brought a whole new meaning to the Christmas song ‘In the bleak mid winter’. But as always we try and put a positive spin on things by hoping that such weather can blow rare or scarce vagrants into the harbour. Little Auk, Grey Phalarope and Ring-billed Gull are all on my Christmas list and knowing this storm has come in from way out in the Atlantic a Laughing or Franklins Gull wouldn’t go amiss either! Ok, I’m living in dreamland a bit, but there are still lots of good birds in the area. On Swineham GP there is currently a nice selection of winter duck with Pochard, Pintail, Shoveler, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Teal and Wigeon. Hen and Marsh Harrier can still be seen out hunting over the Swineham reed beds and 3 Chiffchaff were located in a sheltered corner of the site. Lapwings are congregating in big numbers out on various flood meadows with several flocks each containing 200-400 birds. Spoonbill can still be found feeding in Holes Bay on a low tide with numbers ranging from 3 to 8, also there 2 Spotted Redshank, 1 Kingfisher and several colour ringed Black-tailed Godwit. At Shore Road 22 Sanderling were present along with 124 Bar-tailed Godwit including the summer plumaged individual in the photo below. There are several races of Bar-tailed Godwit each migrating and over-wintering in different areas. This bird is believed to be of the lapponica race, Lapland – Taymyr peninsula, wintering to Africa and India. Out on Baiter this morning a Sandwich Tern was sheltering from the wind with 3 Med Gulls, 284 Brent Geese and 480 Oystercatcher. Out in the harbour at least 4 Great Northern Diver remain, 90+ Goldeneye, 250+ Red-breasted Merganser and off Middle Beach 23 Black-necked Grebe were present. At the marina end of Poole Quay a flock of 19 Turnstone can be found feeding on scraps along the sea wall.

Small bits of coverage from the last few days. Lytchett Bay had a nice run of winter birds yesterday morning with 4 Spoonbill overhead, a male Hen Harrier, 1 female Merlin and a Water Pipit, along with 27 Avocet, 1 Grey Plover, 4 Brent Geese, 100+ Shelduck and 7 Rock Pipit.  At Baiter 18 Ringed Plover were again close to the cycle path feeding on the beach this morning and in Poole Park the water levels are still relatively low on the boating lake which allowed Redshank, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Turnstone to all be feeding just feet from the general public as they walked past.

Merlin seem to be in short supply this winter with only a handful of reports since October. However the discovery of one on the Brownsea Lagoon this afternoon led to one of the most spectacular natural history encounters I’ve ever witnessed. A female was spotted flying low over the lagoon scanning the area ready for a launch. It settled in the Tamarisk bush for a few minutes then all hell broke loose. It targeted a small flock of 50 Dunlin which it spooked and chased around the lagoon, twisting and turning every meter or so. It then forced the Dunlin up about 200 feet in to the sky until both predator and prey were just specks in the sky flashing white then brown as the Dunlin tried their best to escape. The Merlin valiantly managed to split a single Dunlin from the flock and stooped it all the way back down to the lagoon where they then both completed another five laps of the lagoon before the Merlin finally claimed its prize…astonishing experience. The lagoon was looking stunning with around 500 Avocet, 6 Spoonbill, 200 Oystercatcher, 30 Bar-tailed Godwit plus all the usual Redshank, Greenshank, Grey Plover, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler, Little Egret, Brent Geese and Knot. Out in the harbour Red-breasted Merganser numbers seem to still be increasing unless birds are just congregating in bigger flocks as around 200 were seen, 50 Goldeneye, 1 Scaup, 1 Great Northern Diver, a Black-throated Diver was in the North Channel and a single Black-necked Grebe. From the RSPB anniversary Birdboat yesterday 4 Marsh Harrier around the boat was a real treat as a Peregrine came in and harassed them. Two Ring-billed Gulls have been seen over the last few days with a 1^st year bird on Swineham GP yesterday evening and a 2^nd year bird in Holes Bay on the 6^th Dec. A Yellow-browed Warbler was at Knoll Beach Studland today and a flock of 30 Crossbill were present near Rempstone Forest. A redhead Goosander came into roost on Swineham GP and Lytchett Bay still has 5 Green Sandpiper. 3 Hen Harrier (two males and a female) were out over Swineham and 7 Woodcock flew out over Arne Moors. From Bramble Bush Bay good numbers of Pintail, Teal, Wigeon, a few Sanderling, Great Crested Grebe and Brent Geese are still present and the Sanderling flock at Sandbanks continues to feed along Shore Road on a low tide.

Finally I would like to thank the wonderful ‘A Focus on Nature’ team, Lucy McRobert, Stephen Moss, Dr Rob Lambert and their 9 members who helped out on the school bird boat this morning and then hosted an incredible workshop session and talk at Stoborough School this afternoon. 

Here at ‘BoPH’ we really enjoy receiving your sightings, and many thanks to those of you that email us regularly. It has become very obvious that since we set up ‘BoPH’ it’s prompted people to start looing at Poole Harbour in a bit more detail. It’s made our year hearing all about the lifers, and harbour firsts people have been experiencing and are thrilled that people now have new, regular patches that they watch. With this in mind, we urge you to carry on sending in more and more sightings, especially of open water species. This is a cracking time of year for scarce species like Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck and Red-necked Grebe to arrive, so reports like this would be of great value. To give you an example I found a redhead (female or first year) Goosander off Hamworthy beach yesterday, a species seldom seen on saltwater, also the long staying Scaup that has set up home out in the middle of the harbour this winter.  There are still currently 5 Eider near the harbour mouth and the Surf Scoter doesn’t seem to be going anywhere fast. There are many decent sized flocks of Goldeneye at the moment, often containing 20-30 individuals. It’s well worth scanning through these flocks for species like Velvet Scoter and Long-tailed Duck. There are still at least 4 Great Northern Diver in the harbour with these strong winds over the next 24 hours keep your eyes peeled for Grey Phalarope and tiny Little Auk. A guided walk at Arne yesterday produced the ringtail Hen Harrier in Middlebere along with 400 Avocet, 800 Black-tailed Godwit and 200 Lapwing. The track down to Shipstal was littered with Redwing, Fieldfare, Song Thrush and Blackbird and there were 2 Dartford Warbler on Coombe Heath. Out over Swineham 3 Marsh Harrier were circling together.

Click Here for information on a recent ringing session that took place in the west of the harbour, looking for wintering Woodcock, Snipe and Jack Snipe

DON’T MISS THESE UP AND COMING EVENTS

RSPB 20 YEAR ANNIVERSIRY BIRDBOAT – 08/12/13 (Important notice – there will be no refreshments on board so please bring tea or coffee with you)

http://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/wareham-channel-rspb-cruise

MONDAY BLUE SKY’S AT ARNE  – 09/12/13

http://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/monday-blue-skys-arne

EXCELLENT AVOCET RECOVERY

This Avocet was photographed in Lytchett Bay about a week ago on 30/11/12. After a bit of research and numerous emails we have finally managed to track down where it was originally ringed. It was ringed as a chick in 2012 at Ile de Re, western France. An intriguing recovery showing that this Avocet actully traveled north to spend the winter in Poole Harbour.

Ringed Avocet – Lytchett Bay 30/12/13   

Northerly route to wintering grounds in Poole Harbour