Today we hosted our monthly field trip, which today took us along the northern fringes of the Holes Bay Nature Park. The site is owned and managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust and can be one of the most productive sites in the whole harbour during winter. Through Upton CP Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Redwing and Goldcrest were all present and in the NW section of Holes Bay Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler, Pintail and Shelduck were all close to the stone bench, unfortunately there was no sign of yesterdays reported American Wigeon. The Ruff was back in the field with Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit on the SW perimeter of Upton CP. In the NE section of Holes Bay Knot, Spotted Redshank, Avocet, Dunlin, Common Redshank, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Pochard and good numbers of commoner wildfowl were seen from the cycle path next to the outflow. Out on Arne Moors a Bittern was seen flying over and the Great Grey Shrike on the Slepe Heath/Hartland Boarder with 2 Hen Harrier hunting in Poole Harbour west mid-afternoon. At Lytchett Fields the Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal were still present and at Studland 11 Black-necked Grebe were in the evening roost off Middle Beach with 17 Red-breasted Merganser. Finally, yesterdays reported Starling murmuration over South Haven, Studland was in full flow with 10-12,000 birds present putting on one hell of a show. The best place to park is in the Shell Beach car park and just stand and watch from 4pm onwards. The noise is one thing but the visuals were out of this world!!!
What started off as a promising day, with overcast sky’s and an easterly air flow, soon descended into…
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