The Velvet Scoter and Common Scoter were off the houseboats again along with 1 Great Northern Diver and 3 Black-necked Grebe. Just around the corner in Shell Bay there were 2 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Great Northern Diver and 30 Sanderling and further along in Studland Bay were 4 Common Scoter, 1 Slavonian Grebe and 8 Black-necked Grebe off Knoll Beach car park. Two Spoonbill were in Lytchett Bay and in the west of the harbour there was an adult male Hen Harrier with two ringtails and 2 Merlin.

2 Egyptian Geese were again near East Holme from Holmebridge. The friendly Great Northern Diver was still in Poole Park with 3 more in Bramble Bush Bay and a further 3 in Middle Beach where there was also 3 Common Scoter and 2 Black-necked Grebe. Inside the harbour there was a Slavonian Grebe off Green Island and 6 Black-necked Grebe were seen from Shipstal Point first thing where there was also c20 Spoonbill, 1 Hen Harrier and 2 Common Crossbill. At North Haven there was just the 1 Purple Sandpiper with 5 Ringed Plover.

The Black Brant was seen again amongst 200 or so Brent Geese from the Coombe Heath Hide. Nearby 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-necked Grebe and 3 Black-necked Grebe were viewable in Arne Bay from Shipstal Point and the Poole Park Great Northern Diver is still in residence. The only report of Spoonbill today was of 1 in Brand’s Bay. Middlebere continues to be the most reliable site to see Hen Harrier in the habour where a ringtail was seen in the afternoon. Single Spotted Redshank were on Lytchett Fields and in Holes Bay. Lastly, 2 Water Pipit were on Lytchett Fields.

The current bitingly cold wind seems to be keeping people indoors as well as pushing birds into the more sheltered inaccessible parts of the harbour. 3 Spoonbill were again in Lytchett Bay near Otter Point. A Slavonian Grebe was seen off Middle Beach in Studland Bay where 47 Sanderling were counted on Knoll Beach. Nearby the Hooded Crow was still hanging around Manor Farm in Studland village.

The Black Brant was seen again at Middlebere associating with 380 (Dark-bellied) Brent Geese. Single Velvet Scoter and Common Scoter were still in Bramble Bush Bay where a Razorbill was just a bit further in to the west. Two Great Northern Diver were in Shell Bay plus 2 in Bramble Bush Bay, 1 in Arne Bay whilst the confiding individual was still present in Poole Park. A Red-necked Grebe was seen from Shipstal Point out in Arne Bay where there was also 10 Black-necked Grebe. c20 Spoonbill were on their usual roosting spot at Shipstal Point. A ringtail Hen Harrier was observed flying over the track between the Middlebere cottages and the farm buildings and the adult male continues to be seen at various spots in the west of the harbour. From the Avocet Hide a Peregrine was watched unsuccessfully chasing after the massed ranks (1,000+) of Avocet in the Middlebere Channel where there was also 5 Spotted Redshank. Shell Bay held 2 Black-necked Grebe, 43 Sanderling, 34 Grey Plover, 5 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern and 20+ Linnet. In Holes Bay there was a good count of 14 Little Grebe as well as 1 Spotted Redshank and in the nearby PC World Drain there were 2 Grey Wagtail and a Water Rail. One lucky observer inadvertently disturbed a Jack Snipe from a small pool in the Studland area and you have to wonder just how many of these secretive little waders are lurking around the harbour? Arne RSPB car park is still proving to be a reliable site to see Firecrest with at least 1 being seen there today.

In very changeable conditions today observations were somewhat limited. Up to 5 Great Northern Diver were seen from the school bird boat between Brownsea and Brand’s Bay whilst c500 Brent Geese were along the foreshore between Ower and Fitzworth. Spoonbill were spread around the harbour with 10 at Shipstal Point, 4 at Fitzworth, 2 in Lytchett Bay and 1 on Brownsea Lagoon.

There was no news either way on the Poole Park Great Northern Diver but here are some lovely photos of the bird taken on 12^th January:

Great Northern Diver – Poole Park © Nick Mudge

Great Northern Diver – Poole Park © Nick Mudge

Great Northern Diver – Poole Park © Nick Mudge 

The Velvet Scoter was still in Bramble Bush Bay and is best viewed from near the House Boats. Also in that area were 3 Black-necked Grebe, 4 Great Northern Diver, 47 Sanderling and 8 Ringed Plover. The Great Northern Diver is still performing for the cameras in Poole Park, most of the time. A Great White Egret was in the Middlebere Channel in addition to 5 Spoonbill. The male Hen Harrier was hunting once more over Arne Moors. In Brand’s Bay there were 89 Grey Plover, 15 Knot and 249 Brent Geese. The Hooded Crow put in another appearance around Studland village.

The immature female Velvet Scoter was still in Bramble Bush Bay whilst the confiding 1^st winter Great Northern Diver continues in Poole Park with a further 3 in Shell Bay and 4 elsewhere around the harbour. 5 Black-necked Grebe were seen in the centre of the harbour with another 6 in Studland Bay where there was also 5 Common Scoter. 15 Spoonbill were roosting off Shipstal Point with 2 at Middlebere and 1 at Brand’s Bay. 2 ringtail Hen Harrier and a male Merlin were seen from the Avocet Hide at Middlebere late afternoon. A couple of Razorbill were around the harbour mouth and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was briefly off The House Boats. The Spotted Redshank was still in Holes Bay NE by the outflow. A single Hawfinch was seen in trees near Norden Station and at the nearby sewage works there were at least 12 Chiffchaff.

The adult Black Brant was seen again from Coombe Screen in the Middlebere Channel although once again wasn’t on view for long. However, the immature female Velvet Scoter seems to have become quite settled in Bramble Bush Bay were there was also 2 Great Northern Diver. The confiding 1^st winter Great Northern Diver was still in Poole Park. 8 Black-necked Grebe were in the centre of the harbour as well as around 20 Goldeneye and 120 Red-breasted Merganser. 15 Ringed Plover were on the shore near The House Boats (South Haven) with single Spotted Redshank on Sherford Pools and Holes Bay NE by the outflow. There seems to be a few more Redwing on the move at the moment and a flock of 25 in a Lilliput garden must have been a nice sight. A Brambling was seen at Lytchett Bay View.

Numbers of Egyptian Geese continue to rise in the harbour area with 9 to the east of Holmebridge with another flying north over Lytchett Bay. Bramble Bush Bay still held the immature female Velvet Scoter as well as 5 Great Northern Diver and 1 Black-necked Grebe. The Poole Park Great Northern Diver was still in attendance catching crabs on the main boating lake. Four Spoonbill were on Brownsea Lagoon with another 5 on the foreshore in the Fitzworth area and a lone bird on Lytchett Fields. A Spotted Redshank was on Sherford Pools in addition to 3 Greenshank. A single Sandwich Tern was buzzing around Newton Bay where good numbers of Red-breasted Merganser (50+) were present. At Swineham a Bittern flew from the direction of Arne Moors and appeared to drop near Lakeview and in the nearby fields were 250 Black-tailed Godwit, 55+ Curlew and 40 Lapwing. A Dartford Warbler at the far end of Swineham GPs probably represents the first site record.