Blimey, the temperature certainly ‘dipped’ today. It felt like we were all needing to moult into our own winter plumage this morning. The harbour though was flat calm and pristine and picture perfect in every way. Another Yellow-browed Warbler was logged today, this time at RSPB Arne near the Shipstal Hide. This is the harbours 3rd already this October and we’re not even half way through yet. In the Wareham Channel the White-tailed Eagle pair were loafing around all day and up to 3 Marsh Harrier were milling around Swineham Point where there were also 10+ Bearded Tit in the reed beds. The sinensis Cormorant flock is now up to around c400 individuals, but the flock seems to be split up currently with one group favouring the Wareham Channel and the other the southern shores. There also seems to be a lot of Jays around currently, and although it doesn’t quite seem like an irruption year, it will be worth keeping an eye out high on clear, cold mornings, especially with winds from the north. In autumn 2010 there was a great influx of Jays with flocks of 15+ (even up to 30) arriving in high from the north in the latter part of October. On Brownsea 47 Spoonbill were roosting this morning. There was a good vis-mig passage of birds across the mouths of both the River Piddle and Frome as multiple small flocks of between 20-40 Linnet, Siskin and Meadow Pipit, as well as smaller numbers of Skylark, Rock Pipit headed north. A Kingfisher was on the steps of one of the Poole Quay marina ladders and there are still up to 30 Sandwich Tern spread across the harbour, some even still feeding young which are in tow. A Redwing passed over an Upton garden this AM.

Avocet – Middlebere – Kate Plater

Thats more like it! A near perfect October day with plenty going on compared to yesterday. The autumns first Brambling was at Shell Bay, Studland in the wet scrub near the board walk and 3 Ring Ouzel were up on Godlingston Heath. In Middlebere 2 Osprey were in dead trees at the back of the saltmarsh and there were Great White Egrets in Middlebere, the Wareham Channel and on the Brownsea Lagoon. The White-tailed Eagle pair were in the Wareham Channel this morning, with male G463 taking a disliking to a passing Grey Heron as he darted off to pursue it in a half-hearted attempt to catch it. The Grey Heron was too manoeuvrable and soon made a hasty escape! Bearded Tits were active off Swineham Point, with a small group of 7 lifting out of the reed bed, before then heading off high west. A Bittern was seen dropping into the end of Swineham GP this afternoon and was seen again this evening leaving the GP and heading over into the Piddle Valley. There were 2 different Ruff, one on the Lower Piddle floods and another on floods behind Curlews Cottage, Swineham. A flock of 7 Spotted Redshank were in the mouth of the Frome, before lifting off high north and there were 2 at Lytchett Fields and 2 on the Stilt Pools at Swineham. The Spoonbill flock was split between Shipstal, RSPB Arne and the Brownsea Lagoon. The PCW Drain at Holes Bay was jumping with birds, mostly Chiffchaff (c50) and Blackcap (c20). A few more dark-bellied Brent Geese have started to arrive with small groups of 10-20 now milling around the harbour entrance and in Studland and Brands Bay. This evening 2 Merlin were on Hartland Moor

Great White Egret (left) and Little Egrets – Brownsea Lagoon – Nicki Tutton

There was some pretty wild weather today, including some massive hail this afternoon, bringing winter a few steps closer. The first ‘in harbour’ Black-necked Grebe was in Brands Bay this evening along with 7 dark-bellied Brent Geese and 46 Great Crested Grebe. 48 Spoonbill and a Peregrine were on the Brownsea Lagoon, a Spotted Redshank was on Lytchett Fields and 4 Marsh Harrier were at Swineham. The weather improves tomorrow, so hopefully better birding conditions!

Kingfisher – Middlebere

More winter arrivals today with the seasons first ringtail Hen Harrier seen briefly at Swineham today, Plus, another Short-eared Owl was active this evening just south of Corfe Castle. This afternoon 73 Spoonbill were on the Brownsea Lagoon, a Great White Egret was in Brands Bay and in Holes Bay wildfowl numbers really increased with 782 Wigeon, 361 Teal, 38 Shoveler and 19 Pintail. There were 3 Spotted Redshank on Lytchett Fields this afternoon and this morning Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Common Redshank were all feeding together in Lytchett Bay, giving a nice comparison with 3 Spoonbill feeding off Otter Point in the bay.

Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Common Redshank – Lytchett Bay

With what looked like was going to be a rainy, damp Autumn Safari this AM actually turned out OK weather-wise, and the birding….even better. Winter is certainly creeping up on us fast, and with 5 newly arrived Eider in the Wareham Channel this morning (including 3 drakes), it may be coming sooner than we think. This is a really odd record for this area of the harbour, but it just goes to show how much of a ‘drop in’ zone the Wareham Channel is having had Eider, Common Scoter and Black-necked Grebe all present here in the last few weeks. The winter theme didn’t end there with 7 dark-bellied Brent Geese feeding along the Shipstal shoreline. Thankfully there were still some signs of summer with 2 Osprey hunting along the southern shores, in and around Newton Bay. This attracted the attention of the White-tailed Eagles, where once again we were treated to an epic chase with male eagle G463 relentlessly pursuing one of the Ospreys over Newton Bay, until it dropped it’s fish, only for the eagle to drop down, grab it, and head off towards Brands Bay. We also found female eagle G466 sitting in trees on the edge of Furzey Island, an area we’ve never seen her sit before. The Brownsea Lagoon was packed and we had 65 Spoonbill roosting, with another 3 flying straight past the boat. Also on the lagoon were c30 Avocet, 3 Greenshank, just 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, c30 Dunlin, c10 Ringed Plover, 5 Rock Pipit and 2 Stonechat. At Swineham there were at least 2 different Marsh Harrier flying around and a small number of Bearded Tit were calling the reed beds. A single Redwing flew over Swineham. Elsewhere a Black Tern was in Middlebere briefly and a Ruff was on the Lower Piddle Floods.

Black Tern – Middlebere – Mark Wright

Female White-tailed Eagle G466 resting on Furzey shore – Alison Copland – From our Autumn Safari this AM

Spoonbill flock on Brownsea Lagoon – Alison Copland – From our Autumn Safari this AM

Eider – Wareham Channel – John Thorp – From our Autumn Safari this AM

With the wind swinging round this morning to a brisk SE breeze, it well and truly stopped any migration from the north in its tracks. Therefore it was fairly limited for sightings today. The Holes Bay Cattle Egret flock left at dawn and flew over Lytchett Bay at 07:10 with 24 flying over. The Spotted Redshank was still on Lytchett Fields and there were 2 Marsh Harrier. In Middlebere 2 Great White Egret were feeding as were 6 Spotted Redshank and c260 Avocet, 3 Marsh Harrier were moving around, 1 Osprey as seen hunting and the White-tailed Eagle pair were seen high above Shipstal. On the Lower Piddle Floods 2 Ruff were feeding with Lapwing and a Hobby was hunting there too.

Marsh Harrier – Middlebere – Mark Wright

Autumn roles on, as do the season firsts. This morning up on Ballard Down the harbours first Ring Ouzel of the autumn was seen in scrub along the top ridge, and last night the first 6 Redwing passed over, calling as they went. This is now the final phase of autumn migration with the autumn/winter thrushes now arriving, with autumn migration having started all those months ago back in early July when the first Green Sandpipers started to appear. Through October, with the winter thrush’s come finches too and up on Ballard 417 Goldfinch were logged, but only a handful of Linnet and Siskin. After yesterdays Yellow-browed Warbler at the Carey Secret Garden ringing station, we commented that hopefully we wouldn’t need to wait long before another appears somewhere. We didn’t expect the second to be almost exactly 24 hours later, at the same site, in the same net! And yes, it was a different individual as todays new arrival wasn’t wearing a ring. So 2 in 2 days…not bad. This morning 27 Cattle Egret came out of the Pergins Island roost in Holes Bay along with 2000+ Jackdaw and 200 Rook. The west harrier roost settled down a bit this AM with ‘only’ 11 Marsh Harrier coming out today as apposed to yesterdays 20. An Osprey caught a fish in Lytchett Bay this afternoon and another was in Middlebere. The PCW Drain held c70 Common Chiffchaff and a Spotted Flycatcher. Finally, a juv Goshawk settled briefly on one of our harbour Osprey nest platforms this morning in the north of the harbour.

Second Yellow-browed Warbler in 2-days at Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station

Juv Goshawk on Osprey nest platform in harbour north

Redwing calls from early October a few years ago

Sonagram of Redwing call 

It felt incredibly autumnal today, not just because of the weather, but because of the birds too. A true autumn gem was ringed at the Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station, in the form of a Yellow-browed Warbler. Once a huge rarity 20-30 years ago, they’re now pretty much annual, although mostly only ever one or two per autumn. That said, there are hundreds (possibly thousands) in the UK currently due to the strong easterly air flow that was in place last week and the week before, so I doubt this will be the last we see for the rest of the month. Also ringed at Carey Secret garden was a Dartford Warbler which is a pretty good bird for the River Piddle floodplain plus a late Tree Pipit, and Grasshopper Warbler. Ballard Down was ‘hopping’ with birds this AM, mostly Common Chiffchaff with c150 along the southern slope. This fall was combined with a stunning passage of Swallow and House Martin also along the south ridge of Ballard, along with 2 Yellow Wagtail 10 Stonechat and the first few Linnet, Siskin and Chaffinch flocks on the move. A Great White Egret was in Brands Bay and last night 25 Cattle Egret went into the Pergins Island (Holes Bay) roost, with 10 flying out and over Lytchett Bay this morning. The most amazing total today was when 20 Marsh Harrier came out of the west harbour roost. Up until today, 7 to 8 had been more typical. The reason or cause for this sudden spike is unknown, but it will be interesting to see if the number continues to climb or falls away. The White-tailed Eagle pair were favouring Middlebere and Hartland today and on the Lower Piddle Floods there was a single Ruff and 3 Green Sandpiper. On Lytchett Fields a lone Spoonbill was feeding and 17 Greenshank were still still spread across the site.

Swallow and House Martin migration – South side of Ballard Down

Yellow-browed Warbler – Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station

Yellow-browed Warbler – Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station

Sparrowhawk – Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station