What a great wet birding day it was today. Rule number 1, never be put off by the weather. There was loads going on across the harbour recording area despite the early morning down pours. Starting off with a Pectoral Sandpiper which was found on the Stilt Pools at Swineham. This is now the 24th species of wader found in the Swineham area this year which just goes to show how important fresh water wetland sites are in and around the harbour. Also at Swineham, but on the north side on the Lower Piddle Floods, there was 1 Ruff, 1 Wood Sandpiper and 4 Green Sandpiper. The most bizarre Swineham find today was a full adult drake Common Scoter on the main pit. Elsewhere a Great White Egret was on Round Island, opposite Shipstal Beach and on Hartland, behind Scotland Farm the Cattle Egret flock were still feeding in amongst the cows. The Brownsea Lagoon was bustling today with c70 Spoonbill, c200 Dunlin, c50 Ringed Plover, 5 Knot, 24 Sanderling, 17 Bar-tailed Godwit, c250 Avocet, 7 Greenshank and loads of newly arrived Teal and smaller numbers of Wigeon. At Lytchett Fields the single Curlew Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank were still there, with another 8 Spotted Redshank at Middlebere along with 11 Greenshank. Pintail numbers are building slowly with 17 in Middlebere, 7 over Swineham and 12 in the Wareham Channel. On the Brownsea north shore 3 Common Sandpiper were still feeding. Marsh Harrier numbers still seem a bit on the low side, but 2 were present along the Keysworth shoreline today and juv male Peregrine was hunting gulls and waders in the mouth of the Frome. The White-tailed Eagle pair were even observed mating today over by Studland, which must have been an incredible sight. This doesn’t mean imminent breeding is upon us, or that this is a chosen nesting site as pairs will often ‘practice’ for long periods (years) before actually settling down to breed, but it’s a good sign and could indicate our resident pair may take things a bit more serious next spring?!?

Pectoral Sandpiper – Swineham, Stilt Pools – Sam Levy

Female White-tailed Eagle G466 flying past Autumn Safari Cruise this AM – Alison Copland

Female White-tailed Eagle G466 flying past Autumn Safari Cruise this AM – Alison Copland