A small break in the weather this morning allowed birders all over the county to get out quick before the wind and rain took over again. After such long periods of un-settled weather birds are desperate to get on the move again, so it was a little surprising that with the routine finches and thrushes at South Haven this morning a Hoopoe was spotted from the Studland Chain Ferry, flying across the harbour mouth and heading over the Haven Hotel towards Sandbanks. Hoopoe are normally associated with being a scarce spring passage migrant, although the two that have occurred in Poole Harbour this year occurred during the first winter period of this year and in the autumn! Also from the harbour mouth this morning a light passage of Siskin and Redpoll north, Linnet, Goldfinch and Skylark west and 2 Red-throated Diver in.

At Swineham today and yesterday a Ring Ouzel was feeding on berries along the main track and a Greater Scaup was on the main pit today with 2 Pochard and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

At Lytchett Bay a Jack Snipe was flushed from a reedbed and the Ruff was still present out on the mud and juv Curlew Sandpiper was on the pools field. Also there 2 Green Sandpiper, 6 Greenshank, 1 Kingfisher and some ‘vis mig’ of Skylark and Linnet passing overhead.

Over on Hartland Moor at least 3 juv Marsh Harrier, the male Hen Harrier and a male Merlin.

Off Middle Beach only 4 Black-necked Grebe along with a female Common Scoter, 5 Razorbill, 3 Med Gull and a Sandwich Tern.

At Holton Lee a Firecrest was present with 2 Fieldfare, 10 Redwing and good numbers of the usual finches.

At Arne 26 Spoonbill remain, small numbers of Redwing arrived and a Peregrine put on a good show.

WOW – Just had a phone call to say PALLAS’S WARBLER at South Beach, Studland now!  The below map shows that this is the most southerly and westerly occurance of this species in the whole of the UK this autumn.