Well, the spring migrants are still working their way up through Europe and although the UK has already seen its first few Ring Ouzel, Garganey and Little Ringed Plover, things won’t really get going for at least another week yet which is good as the winter birds keep on coming. Today a female Scaup was photographed at close quarters in Poole Park as it hung out with the now shrinking Tufted Duck raft. At 18:35 another Bittern was seen/heard departing from the Swineham area as it lifted from the back end of the gravel pits, calling as it circled high before disappearing off NE. Also noted at Swineham were 2 ringtail Hen Harrier, 2 Marsh Harrier, a Jack Snipe flushed from Swineham Point, 11 Barnacle Geese were still on the pit and both Chiffchaff and Reed Bunting were singing. A Barn Owl was also heard calling near Swineham Farm. At Studland, the Snow Bunting still showed well up near Pilots Point and the Eider, 8 Black-necked Grebe and 3 Great Crested Grebe were all in the Shell/Studland Bay area. On Hartland Moor the Great Grey Shrike was still hanging around out on central Moor and on Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal was still on Sherford Pools. A Red Kite passed over Upton CP nad Poole Town centre. A night sound recording session at Holton Lee produced 114 Redwing calls plus single fly overs of Green Sandpiper, Water Rail, Little Grebe, Moorhen and Common Snipe along with plenty of background calls of locally moving Redshank, Oystercatcher, Wigeon, Teal and Shelduck with a few Tawny Owl calls thrown in for good measure. 

Scaup – Poole Park Boating Lake – Sharon Eden