The rain hampered birding opportunities for most of the day, but at Lytchett Fields there were 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank and 2 Firecrest this morning.

Spotted Redshank – Lytchett Fields – Mick Brooks

With calm weather settling over the area it allowed for folk to get out and explore before the next bought of rain appears! Lots going today with a Black-throated Diver and a raft of 3 Great Northern Diver near the chain ferry at Sandbanks. At Lytchett Fields there were 2 Water Pipit, a Spotted Redshank and 2 Marsh Harrier. In Middlebere a White-tailed Eagle flew over along with 1 Merlin and there were 3 Spoonbill in the channel. The 8 Waxwing were in Upton again at Dacolme Drive. Off Jerry’s Point there was a single Slavonian Grebe, 2 Black-necked Grebe and 2 Great Northern Diver. A ringtail Hen Harrier was at Swineham and a Merlin was over Wareham Common again.

Spoonbill – Middlebere – Chris Snook

Common Snipe – Middlebere – Chris Snook

Dartford Warbler – Middlebere – Chris Snook

The forecast looks a bit mixed for the next few weeks, suggesting we need to make the most of the breaks in the weather when we can. It was amazingly mild this morning, so much so that Redwing were singing at Carey Secret Garden. There were also 2 Mandarin Duck that flew over the Lower Piddle Valley this morning, over the heads of the 24 Cattle Egret that were on Wareham Common. The Mandarins headed up river towards Trigon, just as a Merlin bombed down and headed towards Wareham. This afternoon there were 5 Spoonbill at Shipstal, RSPB Arne and 1 dropped into Holes Bay briefly. The White-tailed Eagle pair were in the south of the harbour briefly before heading off in different directions. A ringtail Hen Harrier was at Middlebere and what was probably the same was in Lytchett Bay this morning. The 8 Waxwing were at Dacombe Drive, Upton this morning. In the blustery conditions there were still good numbers of wildfowl in Holes Bay north this morning with Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shoveler all present in good numbers.

Shoveler, Pintail, Wigeon and Teal – Holes Bay north.

Really not very many people out birding today! Put simply…….Waxwings were the only order of the day…. 8 at Canford Asda, then 8 at Upton, Dacombe Drive, then 8 back at Canford Asda again. Simple.

Oh yeah, and 23 Cattle Egret on Wareham Common!

Waxwing – Dacombe Drive, Upton – Clive Hargrave

The Wareham Channel low tide was teeming with waders and gulls on this morning’s Winter Safari Cruise, with 150+ Avocet spread across the mud, plus 400+ Dunlin, 30+ Grey Plover and 400+ Lapwing giving stunning aerial displays in tight flocks. Hidden in amongst them was a single Golden Plover, a scarce species in Poole Harbour where its favoured upland and farmland habitats are thin on the ground! Raptors were the other key highlight from the trip with a single Peregrine speeding overhead towards the panicked waders, 5 Marsh Harrier quartering the reedbeds, and both male and ringtail Hen Harrier hunting over the Arne peninsula. Also seen were at least 10 Great Norther Diver, 70+ Red-breasted Merganser and 3 Goldeneye. Elsewhere the 8 Waxwings were reported from Dacombe Drive in Upton, and both Pilsdon Drive and the trees behind Asda in Canford Heath. There were also 100+ Bar-tailed Godwit feeding in Whitley Lake viewed from Shore Road, and in Lytchett Bay 3 Water Pipit were present at Sherford Pools.

Golden Plover – Winter Safari Cruise – Scott Usher

A typical early February day. Well, typical for these days. There were 22 Cattle Egret on Wareham Common, 2 White-tailed Eagles in the Wareham Channel and a male Hen Harrier was in Lytchett Bay. A Black-throated Diver was off Sandbanks, a Slavonian Grebe was in Studland Bay and another off Jerry’s Point. The 8 Waxwing were once again commuting between Canford Asda and Dacolme Drive, Upton. At RSPB Arne 11 Spoonbill were roosting, there were Spotted Redshank at Middlebere and Lytchett Fields and at Hatch Pond a decent roost of 180 Magpie settled in the trees. Just outside our recording area in West Morden one of our team found a Little Bunting in a cover crop with c15 Reed Bunting. The excitement didn’t end there as a female Cirl Bunting was then also found in the same area which shows some over-wintering individuals are now moving further east compared to previous years.

Little Bunting – West Morden 

Very nice….thats month one done and dusted. Now into a nice short month which leads us nicely into early spring. Although looking at the weather maps for the next week, the southerly airflow is being delivered north Africa, which in the past has delivered us an early spring migrant or two. Like in 2020 when during similar weather conditions a House Martin and Sand Martin arrived on Feb 11th. Thats pretty exceptional but always worth keeping an eye out. Although today felt like spring it was still a wintery theme in terms of the birds with 8 Waxwing commuting between Canford Heath and Dacolme Drive, Upton. At both sites they’re attracting the attention of the local Sparrowhawks, so lets hope the 8 remain 8 for a while longer. In Poole Bay this morning calm conditions allowed a count of auks from up on Old Harry with 546 Razorbill logged and amazingly just 1 Common Guillemot. Also 1 Slavonian Grebe in Studland Bay and a Great Northern Diver was also calling/singing briefly. On Wareham Common 11 Cattle Egret were feeding, this evening 2 White-tailed Eagle flew over the Morden Park Corner turning, heading for Wareham Forest and this morning a Goshawk flew over Wareham Common. There was a Spotted Redshank at Lytchett Fields and 1 in Middlebere.

Waxwing – Upton – Alison Copland