The Black Guillemot was again off the Brownsea SE corner mid morning, viewed on a School bird boat. If anyone wishes to try and see it, it is ‘scopable’ from the Sandbanks Quay looking towards Brownsea, also from the Studland side too, but calm water is pretty helpful. It was also questioned as to whether it was a different bird to the one seen back on December 12^th 2015, and looking at photos taken of the birds, they do seem to look different. However, after closer inspection thaks to Weymouth birder Brett Spencer, a tiny detail which can be seen in both photos (a small white hook on the white wing patch) indicates its almost certainly the same bird, its just that todays bird had its white patch covered by flank feathers.

Black Guillemot – Brownsea SE 12/12/15 

Black Guillemot Brownsea SE 08/01/16

There was a minimum of 7 Great Northern Diver out in central harbour, with the Baiter bird also still giving close views. A Common Scoter was out in South Deep and there were 4 Spoonbill on Brownsea with another 30 at Shipstal, Arne. A Razorbill was off the Brownsea seawall and a Guillemot off Poole Quay. The female Scaup was in Holes Bay north along with the Smew. At Studland there were 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 fly by’s in Studland Bay, and one in Brands Bay. Also at Studland 5 Great Northern Diver, 14 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Common Scoter and in Brands Bay on the low tide, 10 Knot and a few Bar-tailed Godwit with 16 Sanderling in Shell Bay. 

After a days absence the female Scaup reappeared this time in Holes Bay north, along with the redhead Smew.  On the low tide at Holes Bay Avocet, numbers were reasonable with around 150 close to the cycle path. Spoonbills were again at Arne and Middlebere with a Short-eared Owl out on the Moors briefly.  Marsh Harriers commuted between the Wareham Channel and Middlebere with a ringtail Hen Harrier zipping past Shipstal late afternoon. Out on the water Great Northern Divers are pretty conspicuous with several viewable from various beaches and Black-necked Grebes were viewable from Middle Beach and Brands Bay. 

Today was another lovely morning with still waters and clear sky. We finally made some time to go and get some video footage of the Baiter Great Northern Diver which just happened to almost be practically walking along the beach when we arrived at 8am.

Great Northern Diver – Baiter Beach

To watch in HD click on cog shaped symbol and select 1080

 Also from Baiter were 4 Goldeneye, 6 Red-breasted Merganser and 7 Great Crested Grebe. At Norden Sewage Works there were 1-2 Firecrest and Grey Wagtail there too. Middlebere saw 1 Peregrine sat on the Osprey nest, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Merlin, 1 Barn Owl and 3 singing Dartford Warbler. In the west of the harbour 6 Marsh Harrier came out of the roost and 1 ringtail Hen Harrier went in (3 were present yesterday). On Brownsea 5 Spotted Redshank and 4 Greenshank were on the webcam with 200+ Black-tailed Godwit and 100+ Avocet. At Shipstal, Arne 30 Spoonbill were on the point. The Great Northern Diver, Smew and 3 Goldeneye were all still in Holes Bay south.

Flat calm waters, crisp, clear, blue sky. What was going on? Who cares, but it made for perfect harbour watching. Holes Bay was the place to be at dawn with a female Scaup, redhead Smew, Great Northern Diver, Shag, 6 Goldeneye, 4 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Great Crested Grebe and a Kingfisher all in Holes Bay south. Off Baiter the Great Northern Diver was still feeding off shore with another further out, 3 Goldeneye and 7 Red-breasted Merganser. A late night ringing session near Slepe Heath resulted in 11 Woodcock seen also 1 Barn Owl and plenty of Tawny’s calling. In Middlebere a ringtail Hen Harrier, 1 Merlin and 2 Marsh Harrier all put in an appearance as did 4 Spoonbill and 300 Avocet. On Brownsea there were 6 Spotted Redshank and 8 Greenshank viewed on the webcam. In Poole Park main lake there were 4 Goldeneye, 3 Red-breasted Merganser, 5 Little Grebe and 1 Kingfisher. 

Well Christmas and New Year are over and everyone is back to work, just as it looks as if the weather is going to get better! Typical, but at least the nights are already getting lighter now. The Smew was in Holes Bay north today sheltering from the wind, the adult Little Gull was seen again in Lytchett Bay briefly with Peregrine, Green Sandpiper and 5 Red-breasted Merganser in the Bay too. A late night ringing session at Lytchett Bay produced 2 Woodcock ringed and a Jack Snipe seen. 

Quick rundown of today’s highlights included 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 27 Curlew, 100+ Dunlin, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Water Pipit all mostly on the pools field at Lytchett Bay with an adult Little Gull briefly out in the Bay. Out in Holes Bay south there were 7 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Smew and 2 Goldeneye. Out around the Studland area the Black Guillemot was half way between South Haven and Brownsea, 3 Great Northern Diver out on South Deep, 1 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Purple Sandpiper on the South Haven slip way and a Lesser Redpoll in trees at Shell Bay. Studland Bay was pretty quiet with 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-necked Grebe and a fly by Great Skua. From Slepe Heath there were 2 ringtail Hen Harrier, 1 Short-eared Owl and 3 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine and 1 Merlin distantly towards Keysworth.

Upton CP and Holes Bay are still two great urban sites to visit on a low tide with great close views of most of the harbour’s wader species with 100 Avocet, c150 Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Oystercatcher and Redshank, also in the woodland around the edges were c20 Siskin, 4 Bullfinch and several Goldcrest. The Smew was also in Holes Bay north. At North Haven there were 2 Purple Sandpiper on the steps near the Ferry, 3 Great Northern Diver just inside the harbour and another in Shell Bay. Also in Shell Bay 1 adult winter Little Gull, 24 Sanderling, 1 Kingfisher and a Lesser Redpoll. In Studland Bay there were 4 Common Scoter and 2 Great Northern Diver. In Brands Bay there were 4 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Slavonian Grebe and 14 Pintail with 2 Sandwich Tern in Bramble Bush Bay. There was a Lytchett Bay MEGA in the shape of a drake Tufted Duck with 4 Shoveler (also scarce here). Also at Lytchett Bay there were 2 Spotted Redshank on the Pools Field with 3 on Lytchett Fields later in the day and 2 Water Pipit, 1 Green Sandpiper and 3 Greenshank also on the Pools Field. Out in the Bay a Spoonbill dropped in and a Peregrine had a ding-dong with a Marsh Harrier whilst 2 Raven watched on. 

Another year and another focus to try and find great birds in the harbour. New Years day got of to a corker with a minimum of 10 Great Northern Diver in the harbour including the super close bird off Baiter, 2 off the Brownsea north shore, 2 off Green Island and several out in central harbour. There were 32 (possibly 35) Spoonbill roosting at Shipstal, Arne mid afternoon but this morning they were feeding in the Wareham Channel and 3 in Lytchett Bay. From South Haven there was 1 Purple Sandpiper on the Chain Ferry slipway, 4+ Great Northern Diver between the harbour entrance and Jerry’s Point with the Slavonian Grebe there too. In Holes Bay the Smew remained near the railway bridge and there were 40 Avocet there too. There were 3 Chiffchaff and a Firecrest behind PC World, Poole. At Holton Lee there was 1 Lesser Redpoll and 1 Marsh Tit at the feeders, 1 Chiffchaff in scrub outside the hide, 1 Peregrine, 3 Marsh Harrier (viewed distantly over Swineham) and a male Goldeneye out in the Wareham Channel. From Middle Beach, Studland the Red-necked Grebe remains also several Black-necked Grebe and Med Gulls, 1 Great Northern Diver and a Firecrest in some brambles. At Lytchett Bay there was at least 1 Water Pipit on Lytchett Pools, 5 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Goldeneye and 8 Shoveler out in the Bay and good numbers of Lapwing, Dunlin and Redshank out on the fields. 

Great Northen Diver – Baiter Beach – Peter Moore