With a low-tide cruise looming at 12:30pm today and a bank of low cloud/drizzle looming even lower over the harbour, there was a question as to whether we’d see anything at all. However, the birding gods were looking down on us and provided a great range of species for everyone to enjoy. As we reached the top end of the Wareham Channel the tide drained away nicely allowing 300+ Dunlin to feed on the mud along with Curlew, Oystercatcher, 200+ Lapwing and a few Avocet. The best though were 3 Marsh Harrier, 1 close to the boat and the Hen Harrier flew along the Arne Moors shoreline, also a feeding Spoonbill close to the boat on the Arne shoreline. A Common Seal also came and said hello close to the boat. Out around the harbour we had 8 Great Northern Diver, c10 Goldeneye, 1 Common Scoter, 2 Long-tailed Duck (South Deep) and 100+ Red-breasted Merganser, The Brownsea Lagoon was busy with 1500+ Black-tailed Godwit, c70 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank, 100+ Avocet, 50+ Shoveler and gatherings of gulls coming into roost. Off Middle Beach there were 10 Black-necked Grebe and 5 Common Scoter with a Slavonian Grebe off Shell Bay where 44 Grey Plover roosted with 13 Ringed Plover and 18 Sanderling.
Despite the early light rain, there was plenty of good birding to be had from the off. At…
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