A nice hint at the crossover of seasons to come. Waterfowl numbers now beginning to clear-out at Holes Bay and notable raptors logged today included a Red Kite tracking west low over Lytchett Fields and a first-winter/female Merlin that paid an unexpected visit to Luscombe Valley! The latter is certainly not a typical sight for urban Poole and there cannot be many records for the site. The Corfe River Valley offered 2 Firecrest, a single Redpoll and an overwintering Red Admiral lapping up the morning sun. South Beach, Studland clocked up at least 100 Mediterranean Gulls. Numbers within the harbour will now begin increasing day-by-day and birds start acquiring their smart summer plumage, ready to set up territories on the Gull Islands and Brownsea Lagoon breeding grounds. Extending the visit to Old Harry and Shell Bay added 2 Little Egret, 10+ Rock Pipit, 2 Stonechat, 20 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 5 Sanderling, 3 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Black-necked and 5 Great Crested Grebe. Meanwhile, the back of the Middle Beach car park briefly featured 3 Ring-necked Parakeets. Holes Bay is experiencing a drop in overwintering species, peak counts today hit 696 Wigeon, 137 Teal, 49 Pintail, 566 Black-tailed Godwit, 122 Avocet and smaller groups of Redshank, Curlew, Dunlin, 4 Turnstone, the long-staying Common Sandpiper and a couple of 2 Mediterranean Gulls. The south-west corner of the bay added 2 Snipe and 11 Dark-bellied Brent Goose to the day list. Both adult Peregrine made an appearance at Barclays, and there were a further 37 Dark-bellied Brent Goose and 88 Mediterranean Gulls off Baiter Park.

Common Redshank (left) and Spotted Redshank (right) – Middlebere (yesterday) – Rusty Robin @BrandsbayBob