Today was our Big Poole Harbour Bird Count which saw great coverage across the harbour, despite a cold wind whipping across the area by later afternoon. A dawn start logged 2 Barn Owl at Middlebere and 7 calling male Tawny Owls along a stretch of the Piddle Valley. Scotland Farm had 6 Woodcock and 1 Jack Snipe, whilst last night a Woodcock was re-caught at Sunnyside having originally been ringed at the same site in 2016. From Old Harry this morning we had a decent sea watch with the recent 5 Eider arriving in from way out beyond Durlston, passing Old Harry, before then entering the harbour 10 minutes later. Also off old Harry were a minimum of 7 Red-throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Diver and 5 diver sp, also 1 Fulmar, 5 Gannet, c200 Guillemot and Razorbill, 3 Common Scoter and 4 Red-breasted Merganser. Meanwhile in Studland Bay a decent total of 16 Black-necked Grebe were counted along with another Great northern Diver, 10 Common Scoter, 6 Great Crested Grebe. The Black Redstart was on the red tiled building roof at North Haven, beach side, opposite the angled groyne and 18 Sanderling were on the groyne rocks. There were 2 White-tailed Eagle with one over Lytchett Fields around midday and one in Arne Bay. A decent count of 10 Marsh Harrier were in the evening roost and 7 different Hen Harrier were identified being present in the harbour during the course of the day. . At lytchett Fields 2 Water Pipit were on the fields and a Slavonian Grebe, 4 Black-necked Grebe plus a Velvet Scoter were off the Houseboats, near Jerry’s Point. A Golden Pheasant was seen seen on the lawn of Furzey Island during WeBS. In the mouth of Middlebere 9 Spoonbill were feeding/roosting. At the PCW Drain, 16 Common Chiffchaff were feeding along the channel, plus there was 1 Firecrest, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Grey Wagtail and 16 Teal. 

Little Grebe – Wareham Channel