Sometimes, perhaps just once maybe twice if you’re lucky you hit on a birding day that’s so good it defies belief. Today a team of us from BoPH went out and surveyed the entire harbour trying to get a grip on where birds are roosting, feeding and as well as seeing what we could find along the way. The day started at 5am where we were trying out a new piece of thermal imaging equipment which allowed us to spot Woodcock in almost every field we checked along the southern shores. We amazing also managed to find the 2 Purple Sandpiper at North Haven and a Black Redstart at Baiter too using this gear. A boat survey took us straight past a redhead Smew which was tucked in with the now good numbers of Goldeneye out in central harbour with the Black Brant also found in amongst the Brent Geese, with 2 Common Scoter, 2 Great Northern Diver and 2 Black-necked Grebe near the harbour entrance. Spoonbills were on the Brownsea Lagoon and Shipstal, Arne. There were 2 Blackcap in a private garden in Poole too. At Poole Park boating lake a Jack Snipe passed over and a Pochard was on the main lake with 6 Goldeneye. Lytchett Fields produced the Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal as well as a Water Pipit and Spotted Redshank. At Lytchett Heath a Yellow-browed Warbler was found with 2 Firecrest. At the PC World Drain 5 Common Chiffchaff were seen along with a Siberian Chiffchaff. A single Marsh Tit was at Holton Lee. Up near the Worgret Manor Hotel a flock of 9 Woodlark were found in a stubble field with 10+ Fieldfare (currently pretty scarce). Above Slepe Heath a stunning adult male Hen Harrier was seen dashing by and the Great Grey Shrike was on Hartland. Out on the moors just a single Barnacle Goose was feeding with Canada Geese. At Glebelands Farm a large flock of 20 Yellowhammer were sat in the tops of the trees and at Littlesea, Studland the Great White Egret was present. Off Middle beach 12 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver and 15 Red-breasted Merganser were in the roost. At Bramble Bush Bay Sanderling and Ringed Plover were present and to top the day off we watched the phenomenal Starling murmuration at Shell Bay Studland. In total we logged 122 (including the sibe Chiffchaff and Black Brant) and we missed some pretty easy things too such as Skylark, Linnet, Gannet! Additional birds seen not by our team included 2 ringtail Hen Harrier over Swineham Point, 1 Bittern over Arne Moors, 1 Slavonian Grebe off Middle Beach, 1 Scaup at Gold Point, 41 Sanderling at Blue Lagoon near Sandbanks, 2 Bearded Tits at Lytchett Heath, 1 Merlin at Lytchett Fields, 1 Whimbrel in Newton Bay and 3 Water Pipit on the Wytch Causeway.

Today we hosted our monthly field trip, which today took us along the northern fringes of the Holes Bay Nature Park. The site is owned and managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust and can be one of the most productive sites in the whole harbour during winter. Through Upton CP Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Redwing and Goldcrest were all present and in the NW section of Holes Bay Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler, Pintail and Shelduck were all close to the stone bench, unfortunately there was no sign of yesterdays reported American Wigeon. The Ruff was back in the field with Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit on the SW perimeter of Upton CP. In the NE section of Holes Bay Knot, Spotted Redshank, Avocet, Dunlin, Common Redshank, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Pochard and good numbers of commoner wildfowl were seen from the cycle path next to the outflow. Out on Arne Moors a Bittern was seen flying over and the Great Grey Shrike on the Slepe Heath/Hartland Boarder with 2 Hen Harrier hunting in Poole Harbour west mid-afternoon. At Lytchett Fields the Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal were still present and at Studland 11 Black-necked Grebe were in the evening roost off Middle Beach with 17 Red-breasted Merganser. Finally, yesterdays reported Starling murmuration over South Haven, Studland was in full flow with 10-12,000 birds present putting on one hell of a show. The best place to park is in the Shell Beach car park and just stand and watch from 4pm onwards. The noise is one thing but the visuals were out of this world!!!

Despite the cold, some people were out and that resulted in the exciting report of an American Wigeon hidden in amongst the Eurasian Wigeon off Upton CP. This would only constitute the second ever Poole Harbour record, but despite a mass search it couldn’t be re-found. The Lesser Yellowlegs was on Lytchett Fields, 18 Spoonbill were on Shipstal and 2 Great Northern Diver were off the house boats, Studland. Finally a large Starling murmuration has been forming over South Haven, Studland over the last few nights with around 5-7000 performing magically over the Shell Beach car park around 4pm. 

Lesser Yellowlegs – Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson

Another day and another ‘goodie’ is reported, this time a Yellow-browed Warbler at Greenland’s Farm, Studland. With literally thousands across the UK this autumn and Poole Harbour seeing its best ever autumn for this species in 2016 its no surprise one or two over-winter birds are being discovered. We received some worrying news of a photographer set up out in the open way too close to a well know Hen Harrier roost in Poole Harbour this evening. Can photographers and all wildlife watchers please consider the birds welfare when watching and enjoying the harbours rare and important birdlife, especially during the winter when energy levels and reserves are vital to birds survival.

Pintail, Wigeon, Shoveler off ‘the stone bench’ – Upton CP – Peter Moore

Todays School Bird Boat was a belter with 2 Common Scoter off Goathorn, 2 Great Northern Diver in South Deep, 2 Spoonbill on Brownsea and 20 on Shipstal, 2 Purple Sandpiper on the North Haven slipway, 5 Black-necked Grebe in central harbour, 50+ Goldeneye and the usual spread of Red-breasted Merganser and Great Crested Grebe. At Swineham the 14 Barnacle Geese at Swineham were still present. There was a report of a Great White Egret over Lytchett Fields where the Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal were still present.

Common Seals – Shipstal, Arne

Goldeneye – central harbour 

Common Scoter – Goathorn

Wow, what a morning! No, it hadn’t quite snowed, but it certainly looked like it with everything tinged and sketched white. Early doors saw 12 Barnacle Geese fly from Swineham out on to Arne Moors which could be viewed from Slepe Heath, with a Marsh Harrier also passing over there. A ringtail Hen Harrier was seen passing Middlebere. At Lytchett Fields the Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal were seen and 8 Crossbill passed overhead with a male Merlin and ringtail Hen Harrier also seen. At Littlesea, Studland the Great White Egret was present and in Bramble Bush Bay 45 Sanderling were feeding. At the PC World Drain there were 4 Chiffchaff and a Firecrest. Finally there were 11 Black-necked Grebe in Studland Bay.

Colour-ringed Sanderling (awaiting details) – Sandbanks – Peter Moore

Colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit – Upton CP – Peter Moore

Originally ringed 18/01/15 on the Axe Estuary

The scuzzy weather that hit hard over night passed through quickly and gave way to a clear crisp, if not slightly chilly morning. A new year survey boat went out and covered most of the harbour with highlights being 3 Great Northern Diver near the harbour entrance, 16 Black-necked Grebe off Goathorn, 8 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon with another 15 on Shipstal, Arne, 2 Razorbill one off North Haven and another off Brownsea as well as plenty of Red-breasted Merganser, Goldeneye and Great Crested Grebe. On the Brownsea Lagoon the water level was higher than usual but Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal Wigeon, Black and Bar-tailed Godwit, a handful of Spotted Redshank, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Knot and Avocet were all recorded and a Peregrine passed over. At Lytchett Bay the Lesser Yellowlegs was out in the Bay and later found on French’s Pool with a Spotted Redshank there too. An amazing sight of 6 Red Kite drifting low over Upton CP mid-morning, not only is this note worthy due to the time of year (normally seen during spring passage) but rarely do we ever see more than 2 together, suggesting they may have roosted locally somewhere? Also noteworthy was the find of 2 Pochard at Hatch Pond. This may not seem significant in a wider context, but so far this winter Poole Harbour has only seen one individual, which was at Swineham in mid December. Also at Hatch Pond a roost of 102 Magpie went in to trees around the edge of the pond. It seems gone are the days where stable wintering flocks occurred at places like Poole Park, Littlesea and Swineham. In Poole Harbour west 3 Hen Harrier were seen with a possible fourth and in the Wareham Channel 4 Marsh Harrier were counted. At the PC World drain up to 4 Chiffchaff were feeding in the scrub and tide-line. 

Chiffchaff – PC World Drain

Well, with a New Year there often comes new plans, new ideas and new aims. One thing we know many of you do is a year list, a simple concept to see how many bird species you can see in a single year. You can choose to do this in your own garden, your favourite nature reserve or create your own ‘patch’. Not only does this really get you looking and understanding an area a lot better it also provides motivation to just get out and explore. People have been ‘year listing’ for…well…years, but it seems there are many of you out there who have never taken up the challenge. It doesn’t have to be competitive, you can keep it a secret list, but either way year lists are really great fun (if not a little addictive) and you’re sure to see and discover species you’d not perhaps see otherwise…Why not give it a go?

As with most ‘year listers’, Jan 1^st is always a busy day and sightings came in thick and fast. Starting off at Lytchett Fields where the Green-winged Teal and Lesser Yellowlegs were ticked off quickly with a Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank c400 Dunlin c30 Snipe, a Green Sandpiper and a Marsh Harrier. Only the Canford Heath Great Grey Shrike was found today but almost certainly the Hartland (and Godlingston) birds will be around somewhere. In Poole Park 11 Goldeneye were on the Boating Lake with a Kingfisher, 21 Tufted Duck and 2 Little Grebe. Along footpath 12 at Lytchett Bay Bearded Tits could be heard pinging away with Avocet and Red-breasted Merganser feeding out in the Bay. At Swineham only 14 of the 22 Barnacle Geese were present. At South Haven, Studland there were 4 Great Northern Diver, 5 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Eider (Shell Bay), 28 Sanderling, 1 Peregrine and 2 Razorbill. In Brands Bay 1 Great Northern Diver and 1 pale-bellied Brent Goose and off Middle Beach another Great Northern Diver and 19 Black-necked Grebe. In the mouth of the Frome Valley a Great White Egret was feeding with 2 Spoonbill and there were 2 ringtail Hen Harrier and 5 Marsh Harrier in Poole Harbour west with a male Merlin on Stoborough Heath. At Arne there were 2 Firecrest in the car park and finally a flock of 12 Goosander were seen off Baiter before flying off towards Holes Bay. 

Yet more fog made things really difficult today and only the Lesser Yellowlegs at Lytchett Fields gave its self away at Lytchett Fields and a potential Great Grey Shrike was seen along the Arne Road.

Well, 2016 has been another great year for us here at Birds of Poole Harbour and it wouldn’t be made possible without the support many of you have given us over the years . So with the a new year on the horizon we’d like to wish you all a very Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you and working with you in 2017, which we hope to be our busiest and best yet!

Sightings wise it was fairly quiet today with highlights being the Lesser Yellowlegs at Lytchett Fields with 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank and 400+ Dunlin. In the Bramble Bush Bay area there was 1 Razorbill, 2 Great Northern Diver, 1 Sandwich Tern, 15 Ringed Plover, 43 Sanderling and 1 Greenshank. At Upton CP there were 16 Knot and 120+ Avocet.