With a stiff south westerly breeze kicking in about 9am it made for tough harbour watching out on the water. The Brownsea Lagoon saw most action with 13 Spoonbill, 200+ Avocet, 300+ Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Spotted Redshank, 500+ Oystercatcher plus Greenshank, Turnstone, Dunlin, Shoveler, Teal Wigeon, Little Egret and a Wheatear on the sea wall. From Arne another 200+ Oystercatcher were out on the Shipstal spit along with 70 Cormorant and a few Redshank. Out on the water there was very little to report with just one Great Crested Grebe. The captain on one of the Brownsea Island ferries reported an Arctic Skua in the harbour mouth yesterday getting harassed by gulls.

On Wednesday 26th of September the first RSPB/Sound Approach School Birdboat launched with 75 lively children form Winton Primary School. Starting the trips earlier than usual means we’re hopefully going to be able to paint an accurate picture as to when certain species arrive back in the harbour during the autumn and winter. Our first trip certainly didn’t disappoint with an Osprey flying over Arne RSPB reserve before heading off down the Middlebere Channel. The Brownsea Lagoon was full with birds with 11 Spoonbill, 200+ Avocet, 600+ Black-tailed Godwit, plus many Redshank, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Teal, Shoveler and even a lonely Wheatear on the sea wall. At least 10 Sandwich Tern were seen still fishing out in the harbour mouth whilst the first returning Great Crested Grebes could be spotted in the sheltered bays around Brownsea and Furzey.