This year is turning out to be a year of record breaking numbers for a whole range of species. Only a few weeks ago the harbour logged a UK record of 116 Spoonbill. Tonight we hit a Poole Harbour record of 87 Cattle Egret that came in to roost at Swineham GP along with 41 Little Egret and 2 Great White Egret. Not only that, but 8 Glossy Ibis also came into roost onto the central island at Swineham GP too. All very Mediterranean! Vis-mig up on Ballard was slower this morning but logged 1 Golden Plover, 1 Woodlark, 4 Brambling and 53 Crossbill, as well as smaller numbers of Siskin, Goldfinch etc. On Brownsea 74 Spoonbill were roosting on the high tide, a ringtail harrier, presumed Hen Harrier passed over the Piddle Valley this morning where 8 Lesser Redpoll were ringed along with a late Garden Warbler. A Common Crane was seen to be flying high over Broadstone, heading towards Canford Heath this afternoon.

Garden Warbler – Lower Piddle Valley – Ed Betteridge

Although it was dark, dank and wet at dawn it cleared really quickly and within an hour small numbers of birds were moving overhead, including the first visible push of Redwing and Song Thrush passing overhead including c40 Redwing over Lytchett Bay, c30 over Carey Secret Garden and c20 over Upton CP, plus the autumns first 4 Fieldfare flew over Studland this afternoon. A flock of 15 Lesser Redpoll flew over the PCW Drain where there were c15 Chiffchaff and 2 Firecrest. This evening 52 Cattle Egret went into the Swineham roost from along with a Great White Egret. Middlebere was quiet but still held 2 Curlew Sandpiper and 1 Spotted Redshank. 

Redwing – Ed Betteridge

Another near perfect day with calm conditions, autumnal warmth and great birds. Our Autumn Safari was jam packed with decent birds this morning logging 8 Glossy Ibis, 2 Great White Egret, 2 White-tailed Eagle, 1 Merlin, 4 Marsh Harrier and 2 Common Scoter all in the Wareham Channel, plus another 3 Common Scoter off Jerry’s Point. On Brownsea 76 Spoonbill were roosting where there were also c50 Avocet, 13 Greenshank and 13 Mediterranean Gull. Wildfowl numbers are building nicely with good numbers of Wigeon, Teal and Gadwall now appearing in all the low-tide bays, and there were c20 dark-bellied Brent Geese along the southern shores near Ower Bay. In Middlebere this morning there were c550 Avocet, 7 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 5 Knot, 2 Great White Egret and 1 Merlin. This afternoon 9 Glossy Ibis flew up the Frome Valley and then this evening 7 Glossy Ibis were back in the Wareham Channel and headed towards the Arne roost at sunset, plus a late Hobby was hunting over RSPB Arne Moors and multiple small groups of Crossbill were moving around the south of the harbour all day. There was an excellent record of 6 Cattle Egret roosting at Hatch Pond last night before heading off north this morning. Last night a noc-mig sound recording station over Oakdale revealed c75 Song Thrush and c50 Redwing migrating overhead and finally, a vis-mig session at the harbour mouth this morning at South Haven, Studland produced 755 Goldfinch, 235 Siskin, 197 Redpoll, 71 Crossbill and 52 Swallow.

Great White Egret – Wareham Channel from this AM’s Autumn Safari – Alison Copland

Female White-tailed Eagle G466 – Wareham Channel from this AM’s Autumn Safari – Alison Copland

A stunningly calm day again today, but no sign of yesterdays 11 Eider that were in Studland Bay, although a ‘new’ Common Scoter was off Jerry’s Point, Studland. It seems some of the 116 Spoonbill that were around last week have now already moved off with ‘only’ 75 logged on the lagoon today, along with 13 Ringed Plover, 1 Spotted Redshank, 25 Bar-tailed Godwit and c100 Avocet, however there were also 42 Ringed Plover on Baiter this morning too. At Lytchett Fields there was another Spotted Redshank, this morning 97 Shag entered the harbour mouth and once again good numbers of Lesser Redpoll were moving around in flocks of various sizes with another c100 over Carey Secret Garden. It seems theres a national influx of Redpoll with some ringing sites further north catching many hundreds already, so if your garden feeders attract finches during the winter theres a high chance Redpoll will start making a visit soon.

Lesser Redpoll – Lower Piddle Valley – Ed Betteridge

A nice early record and the first of the winter, of 1 Black-throated Diver from South Haven that flew into Poole Harbour. Hopefully it’s still hanging around somewhere in Brands Bay or off Salterns Marina, but it hasn’t been resighted yet. A small group of 14 Crossbill also flew north over the harbour entrance. On the fast rising tide this morning in the Middlebere Channel there were 7 Curlew Sandpiper, 20 Knot, 1 Spotted Redshank, 480 Avocet, 240 Black-tailed Godwit, 16 Pintail, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Great White Egret and 1 Peregrine. 1 Great White Egret was also in Holes Bay. At Lytchett Fields there were an impressive 5 Spotted Redshank along with 13 Greenshank. 15 Cattle Egret were between East Holme floodplain and the village ford with cattle. From our Autumn Safari Cruise this morning we saw a flock of 12 Greenshank in the Wareham Channel along with 1 White-tailed Eagle, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and at Swineham, Stilt Pools, 2 Ruff and 2 Green Sandpiper. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were at least 100 Spoonbill, 3 Knot, c20 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Greenshank and c200 Avocet. A Merlin was at Middlebere, 14 Crossbill passed over the harbour entrance.

Dark-bellied Brent Goose – Off Hamworthy Beach from our Autumn Safari – Alison Copland

A stunning, flat calm morning for our first School Bird Boat of the season. Over 60 children were treated to stunning views of 2 Marsh Harrier in the mouth of the River Frome and 2 adult White-tailed Eagle (G466 and G463) sat along the Arne shoreline in the Wareham Channel. The Brownsea Lagoon was packed full with birds including over 100 Spoonbill, c300 Cormorant, c250 Avocet, 6 Bar-tailed Godwit, c200 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Kingfisher, and 1 Rock Pipit sat on the lagoon wall. Elsewhere in the harbour, 1 juvenile Hobby and 2 distant White-tailed Eagle were seen from the Rock Lea Viewpoint. At RSPB Lytchett fields there was 1 Spotted Redshank present and in Holes Bay there was 1 Yellow-legged Gull.

Spoonbills – Brownsea Lagoon – Nicki Tutton

94 Spoonbill were back on the Brownsea Lagoon today after some disturbance from kite surfers yesterday. In the Middlebere Channel there were 2 Marsh Harrier and c100 Avocet. 16 Cattle Egret were in Lytchett Bay this evening. The Forster’s Tern was reported again flying past Rockley Park towards Shipstal point from Ham Common. At the Piddle Valley ringing site there was a decent movement of birds and the Chiffchaff just keep coming with 91 ringed along with, 12 Goldcrest, 3 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Grey Wagtail, 19 Blackcap, 8 Meadow Pipit and 3 Reed Bunting.

Lesser Redpoll – Piddle Valley Ringing Site – Ed Betteridge