As part of a new project on Kestrels, Birds of Poole Harbour are putting up 14 new Kestrel nesting boxes, kindly assembled by Men’s Shed charity and installed by Wildlife Windows, at sites around the Harbour. Locations have been identified and permissions gained from all relevant landowners, including the RSPB, Dorset Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Poole Council, Livability Holton Lee and private landowners. As availability of nest sites is thought to be limiting Kestrel breeding in the UK, these boxes should help to boost our local Kestrel population as well as giving us the opportunity to collect important data on Kestrel diet and breeding success.

Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) (hereafter referred to as kestrel) are included on the Amber list of the UK Birds of Conservation Concern due to an estimated 46% population decline; their global numbers are also exhibiting a negative trend. Heavy pesticide use in the 1950’s – 1960’s, including organochlorines, resulted in past population declines, but it is unclear what is driving current negative population trends, including if and how they are influenced by dietary factors or nesting sites.

Male Kestrel – Wareham Water Meadows – Paul Morton

Data describing UK kestrel diet were largely collected several decades ago, and because land use has changed, as well as perhaps prey availability and climate, it’s important that recent kestrel diet data are collected if we are to have the best information on which to base conservation management for the species.

We are putting together a project to do just this in Dorset. We’ll be using a combination of traditional raptor diet analysis (identifying prey remnants in regurgitated pellets) and a relatively new technique that has not yet been used for the species, stable isotope analysis.

Unlike owls, falcons don’t tend to swallow their prey whole, and they have much stronger digestive systems. This means that pellet analysis is much more difficult and a significant prey data are often missed. Stable isotope analysis can tell us what an animal has been eating just by analysing a small piece of its tissue. Stable isotopes are “heavy” versions of elements, which are passed up the food chain. In the case of wildlife studies, we usually look at an animal’s signature of heavy nitrogen and carbon to find out what it has been eating and where. In this case, under licence from the British Trust for Ornithology, we can use small clippings of kestrel feathers to see what they have been eating and in which proportions e.g. how much of their diet is made up of mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates. This could be really interesting for us as it seems that some of our kestrels may be feeding largely on lizards in the breeding season – this is unusual for the UK! The stable isotope analysis will be conducted in partnership with the University of Exeter.

Keep an eye out for project updates throughout the summer!

A total of six grebe species have been recorded within Poole Harbour, although only five of them are either regular or semi regular. Below we describe the status and plumages characteristics of each species.

Resident grebe species

The Great-crested Grebe is one of the most well-known grebes within Poole Harbour and the United Kingdom. Their elegant displays can be seen during March when pairs return to their breeding sites. Within the harbour the best place to see birds in breeding plumage are Hatch Pond, Little Sea (Studland) and Swineham GP where young are seen throughout the summer. Once the young are old enough to fledge, breeding sites are generally abandoned, and birds move to the harbour itself. In the Autumn, flocks begin to build with the arrival of migrants generally peaking late Autumn/ Winter. During this period, the grebes moult out of their summer attire and become the largest black and white grebe to be seen in the harbour. Communal feeding flocks can total 200+ in the central and southern part of the harbour with roosts of 100+ generally noted around Furzey island and Round Island. However, Great-crested Grebes can be seen in smaller numbers around Baiter Park, Poole Quay and Studland.

Great Crested Grebe © Agami Photo Agency | Dreamstime.com

Little Grebes, also known as Dabchicks, are another resident grebe found in the harbour. They are the smallest grebe and are browner than any of the rarer wintering grebes making them easy to identify. They breed on the Brownsea lagoon, Hatch Pond and at Little Sea (Studland) but can be found in areas such as Holes Bay, Lytchett Bay and Poole Park in the winter. Like Great-crested Grebes, their numbers in the winter are influenced by migrants who begin to arrive in November through to March.

Little Grebe © Shijianying | Dreamstime.com

Over-wintering grebes

The most common out of the three over-wintering grebe species is the Black-necked Grebe. Poole Harbour hosts nationally important numbers in the winter with Studland Bay, Shell Bay and Brands Bay forming some of the most important wintering sites in the UK. Other regular records come from the South Deep area off the southern shore of Brownsea and also out in central harbour between Arne and Brownsea. This species is slightly larger than a Little Grebe but characteristically black and white in the winter. As seen in the photo, a characteristic dark grey neck, steeper forehead, longer, thinner neck and slightly upturned bill differentiates this species from the Slavonian Grebe. Before returning to continental Europe to breed summer plumaged birds develop a black neck, brown flanks and yellow ears tufts making them unmistakeable.

Black-necked Grebe © Mikelane45 | Dreamstime.com

Poole Harbour formally hosted nationally important numbers of Slavonian Grebe, also known as the Horned Grebe, up to the late 90’s, but this species has suffered a significant reduction in wintering numbers. Studland Bay is a favoured site although records from Swineham GP’s, South Deep, Baiter and other areas of the harbour are occasional. The species is similar in the winter to a Black-necked Grebe, but differences can be seen in the photos by the sloping head which has an obvious cut off line between the black forehead and the pale white cheeks as well as a thicker bill. However, in the spring and summer, when records are lowest, this grebe is easily distinguishable by the orange ‘horns’, reddish neck and black head and back.

Slavonian Grebe © Mikelane45 | Dreamstime.com

The rarest of the wintering grebes is the Red-necked Grebe. They are almost annual in Shell Bay and Studland with fewer records inside the harbour, generally off the southern shores of Brownsea but also out in central harbour too and more recently in the north Channel. Red-necked Grebes are smaller than Great-crested Grebes but larger than Slavonian Grebes. If an individual was associated with ducks, they are about the size of a Wigeon. In the winter, Red-necked Grebes are dull brown on the wings and mantle than Great-crested Grebes. A characteristic identification feature is the dagger-like yellow bill. No other grebes have yellow on the bill and this can be seen even at a distance.  However, in late spring and summer, this grebe is unmistakeable with a bright red neck, contrasting grey cheeks and a black forehead.

Red-necked Grebe © Paul Reeves | Dreamstime.com

Rare vagrant grebes

The rarest grebe recorded within Poole Harbour is the Pied-billed Grebe with a single record of this American vagrant between 10^th February-24^th May 1980 at Little sea, Studland. Generally long staying vagrants, this bird has a similar structure to a Little Grebe but larger, plumper and greyer than any of the grebes. The characteristic black tip on a thick, heavy looking bill as well as a black chin is apparent on adults throughout the year but not the juveniles. There is generally a single record of this species in the United Kingdom each year. The best bet for the next record is Swineham GP’s, Little Sea or Poole Park.

Our harbour plays an important role for many wintering species, including the well-known wader and wildfowl species. We are inundated with over c25,000 waterbirds during the autumn and winter months, flocking to our mudflats and lagoons for frost-free feeding. But did you know that we have another visitor, traditionally considered a denizen of the riverside, that spends the winter here? Most only make a short journey to the harbour, flitting like a spark of electricity down the Rivers Frome and Piddle, but some have made the journey all the way to Poland. Blink and you might miss the Kingfisher in flight.

The Kingfisher’s migration to the Harbour is one we don’t know in great detail; where do they come from exactly? This is a question we have been asking while watching a recently-arrived Kingfisher from our quayside office, perching on a ladder run that dips into the sea, orange breast puffed in indignation at the encroaching cold. Most of the migrants that set up shop on our shores are juveniles leaving their natal home, easily identified with their ‘dirty feet’ when they arrive.

A Kingfisher at Holton Lee, photo by Sacha Crowley

They start to arrive at Holton Lee and Holes Bay in August and September, with greater numbers appearing from October to settle in the Quay area and Poole Park. Studies of Kingfisher migration in Iberia show that the earliest arrivals are more likely to stay for longer, having become established. Latecomers stayed for a shorter period, presumably having been ousted from all the good spots; the early bird catches they fish, as they say!  The Iberian migration was also dominated by juveniles, with just 6% being adults, and there was an equal ratio of males and females. We hope to conduct similar research into our harbour Kingfishers and gain a better understanding of their migration patterns.

As you go about your winter birdwatching we’d love to know of your kingfisher sightings – your reports will help us build up a bigger picture of the kingfishers in the harbour over the winter.

Where can I see a Kingfisher in the harbour?

– The small bridge over the sluice gate and eastern reedbed in Poole Park lagoon

– The rocky groynes, mooring ropes or ladders at Poole Quay

– Wooden posts at Holton Pools wetland scrapes at Holton Lee

– Shoreline along the Holes Bay NE cycle path

Ageing and sexing Kingfisher

In the early part of the autumn (August and September) adults will have bright orange feet; juveniles feet will appear dark or ‘dirty’ on top. The well recognised orange breast on an adult will be bright and vibrant, where as a freshly arrived juvenile into the harbour will be tinged green on its front. The main differences between sexes are the colour of the bill. By October males will have all dark, black dagger like bills, where as the females have an obvious orange lower mandible.

With the last few summer migrants leaving the harbour in September and October, November and December are the start of winter birding!

Throughout the winter, Poole Harbour can see an additional two swan species in the harbour. It’s  worth checking our resident Mute swan flocks at places such as Swineham, the Frome Valley, Lytchett Fields and Holes Bay for both Bewick Swans and Whooper Swans who are uncommon in the harbour. These swans are migratory with Bewick Swans arriving from the Russian tundra and Whooper Swans arriving from Iceland during October or January depending on the winter.

Wintering geese such as Dark-bellied Brent Geese arrive from late October in the west and east of the harbour before moving to areas such as Baiter Park, Middlebere, Brands Bay and Studland Bay. Dark-bellied Brent Geese arrive from Russia with Pale-bellied Brent Geese, a rarer subspecies in the south of the UK, arriving from Canada and generally turning up at Studland Bay. Another rarer wintering goose is the Greater White-fronted Goose. These geese generally feed on flooded grassland with previous records of Whitefronts generally heading to Arne, Middlebere or Bestwall or flying through the harbour entrance. There are two subspecies which could turn up, European White-fronted Geese breeding in Scandinavia and Russia and the Greenland White-fronted Goose arriving from Greenland and Arctic Canada.

Without most people knowing, ducks migrate too. Throughout the winter we could see up to 18 species of duck in the harbour with noticeable increases in resident ducks such as Mallard and Tufted Duck in Poole Park particularly. Teal and Wigeon begin to arrive from the end of August/September when most are moulting whereas the larger flocks of Shoveler, Gadwall and Shelducks arrive in October and November. Pintail and Pochard vary in numbers depending how cold continental Europe is with the main duck sites being Holes Bay, Upton Country Park, Middlebere, Brownsea Island, Lytchett Fields and Swineham. Wintering sea ducks such as Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers turn up in October and November and easiest seen on Poole Park or in the harbour from one of our bird boats. There are also sporadic appearances of Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Common Eider and Greater Scaup in the central harbour or in Studland Bay between November and February. A lovely male Long-tailed Duck was seen from one of our Winter bird boat trips on November 25^th 2018 on the south side of Brownsea with a small flock of five Eiders seen near Studland the day after, proving a good couple of days for ducks. Even though we have not had any yet this winter, Goosander and Smew records are uncommon with Swineham being the best location for both of these species.

Throughout October and November, Black-necked Grebes arrive from the continent and are seen off Studland Bay and the central harbour with late November/December seeing Great Northern Divers arrive back from Scandinavia. Divers are found in the deepest sections of Poole Harbour although they can turn up in Poole Park and Poole Quay. Continental Cormorants join the native Cormorants for the winter and are regularly seen in flocks of up to 400. It’s worth checking roosting Cormorants on exposed rocks as they can be mistaken for the smaller Shags which are resident throughout the UK, but some migrate to Poole in the winter.

A Poole harbour specialist is the Eurasian Spoonbill which arrive throughout August and build up into September and October. Throughout the winter they share their time between Brownsea Island and Arne but could turn up in Lytchett Bay or Holes Bay. Eurasian Bitterns turn up throughout November and seek the reedbeds around Swineham or (historically) Hatch Pond where they are best seen on frosty mornings.

Birds of prey migrate to Poole Harbour from Northern Britain or Scandinavia in late October/Early November. Hen Harriers, Merlin and Short-eared Owls prefer our heathlands when they arrive although sightings elsewhere of birds feeding and hunting are not rare. Merlin have been recently seen on Brownsea Island chasing waders and a Short-eared Owl was on Hartland Moor quartering the moorland through November.

Another specialised group of birds which arrive in Poole harbour is waders. Throughout the winter we can see up to 20 species which arrive from countries as far away as Iceland, Finland and Russia. Our wintering flock of Pied Avocets which turn up on Brownsea Lagoon and move between there and Middlebere breed mainly in the Netherlands but also SW France too and arrive here in September. Common Ringed Plover and Dunlin breed in the UK but most of the migrants are from Scandinavia or Iceland. Although we get large numbers of both species passing through in August and September, Ringed Plover generally winter near Baiter Park with Dunlin seen in most wetland areas and even flooded fields. Scandinavian breeding waders such as Grey Plover, Spotted Redshank and Greenshank winter on Brownsea Island passing through in the Autumn but overwintering anytime after October. Northern Lapwing and Common Redshank breed in small numbers within the harbour and across the UK on wetlands but larger, continental birds from Iceland and Scandinavia choose Brownsea Island, Holton Lee pools, Middlebere, Lytchett fields, Upton Country Park and Holes Bay to feed on the expanse of mud.

Waders from the Arctic such as Red Knot and Sanderling winter in small numbers in the harbour. Sanderling can be found at Shell Beach, Studland and Red Knot frequently are seen on Brownsea Island. About 70 Ruddy Turnstones turn up in Poole Harbour for the winter with the best sites being Baiter Park and Hamworthy Park where close views can be obtained. There is only one site where Purple Sandpipers occur, they are uncommon in the harbour but like the groynes and rocky outcrops around the Sandbanks chain ferry. Similarly, several Green Sandpiper have chosen Holton Lee Pools and Lytchett Fields to winter this year, the only sites in the harbour although many pass through from July-September. Bar and Black-tailed Godwits winter within the harbour. Bar-tailed Godwits are mainly restricted to Whitley Lake at Low tide and Brownsea Island at high tide with Black-tailed Godwits feeding in Holes Bay, Brownsea Lagoon and Lytchett Bay.

Curlew can be found across the harbour throughout the year with large gatherings at Shipstal point. The furthest most our ringed Curlew migrate from is as far as Finland and Germany boosting the winter population up to 2000 strong. Woodcock, Snipe and Jack snipe will all appear in Poole Harbour in small numbers, all migrating from northern Europe and Russia. Often seen flushed from under the observer’s feet, Snipe and Jack Snipe can be found in wet heathlands and water meadows bordering the harbour, and much of the woodland around the harbour holds Woodcock in the winter.

Rare Gull species can occur in the harbour during winter, Iceland gull and Glaucous gull are two notable species that have occurred in the past. The Iceland Gull has been recorded eight times in the last 15 years and sub-species Larus glaucoides kumlien which breed in Québec and Baffin Island, have been seen once. Glaucous Gull have only 21 records in the past 33 years and are mostly seen within the Studland and Brownsea area.

Common Guillemots breed on the cliffs of Durlston and spend most of their lives out to sea. In the winter they can be seen out from our coastlines wintering in the North Sea or Atlantic but are frequently seen in Poole Harbour and can offer some good views seen outside the mouth of the harbour and sometimes coming as far in as Poole Quay. Razorbill are also frequent in the harbour during the winter, and every few years the much scarcer Black Guillemot will make an appearance off the southern shore of Brownsea.

There’s an array of special migrant passerines to see during the winter in and around Poole Harbour. The lark-like pipits are on the move in the winter, Water Pipits are scarce seasonal visitors best seen at Wareham water meadows, Holton Pools, Lytchett Fields and the Wytch Causeway. Any wet marshy fields are best to look out for pipits on. Most Rock Pipit of the Anthus petrosus petrosus race are resident and a short distant migrant, but we do receive an influx of the Scandinavian race Anthus petrosus littoralis. Most Rock Pipits seen in Poole Harbour during the winter are likely Scandinavian, as seen in spring during moult and evidenced by ringing recoveries at Lytchett Bay.

Suspected to be determined by food supply in their Scandinavian summer distribution, Waxwing’s migration brings in varying abundances of birds each year. Every four to five years the UK seems to get large migrations feeding on rowan and hawthorn berries. Hopefully we will see some good numbers this winter, in the past Broadstone, Canford Heath and Parkstone have been favoured sites.

There are six thrush species that make frequent movements across the UK to settle for winter. Although our resident breeding population of Mistle thrush show little seasonal movement. Blackbird populations are boosted with migrants from mainland Europe. Song thrush can move in massive migrations across Europe which can be seen in the UK. Redwing and Song thrush often move in the same flock and can be heard at night from November onwards, with Redwing making a soft ‘zeeeeeep’ call and Song thrush making a ‘tic’ in between. Redwing, Fieldfare and Ring Ouzel are on migration from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia. Best spots in Poole Harbour to see flocks of thrushes are large fields or fruit bearing bushes. Although not a thrush, Brambling are of similar movements – breeding in Scandinavia and western Europe and flying to the UK to overwinter. Brambling use the area as passage on migration and have stayed to overwinter in the past, they are best seen in amongst other Chaffinch flocks such as at Arne, Middlebere and Greenlands Farm.

Great Grey Shrike can be found in any heathland around the harbour, but occurrences in the harbour each year are few. An individual has been in the area since 2^nd November and has been sighted up until recently on Morden Bog. Sites where sightings have also been recorded in the past are Studland, Arne, Hartland Moor, Canford Heath, Upton Heath and Holton Lee/ Holton Heath NNR. This shrike breeds in Scandinavia and a small population overwinter UK.

Lesser Redpoll are another wonderful passerine winter visitor to see, social birds seen in decent flocks of 50 – 100, best seen at Studland, Arne, Upton Heath and Hartland during the winter. These birds are known to range and wander as flocks not particularly sticking to strict wintering grounds. Common and Arctic Redpolls are unlikely to see but not impossible with 2018 being a notable year so far for both species. The Black Redstart is a scarce winter visitor, often seen in urban settings on top of rooves and chimneys of buildings in place of the natural boulders and cliffs they would use in upland breeding territory. Ballard Down is best to see them in migration time but they also favour the Knoll/Middle Beach area, Arne Farm, Middlebere, Poole Quay, Old Town Poole and Sterte/Holes Bay.

In terms of rarities, the flock of Cattle Egrets which turned up in the Autumn are the rarest birds within Poole Harbour at the time of writing. If the weather remains mild and there is plenty of food for them to eat, there is a chance that these birds will remain into the Spring and possibly contribute to the establishment of a nearby breeding colony. With winter just beginning, why not explore the harbour and see some winter birds!

For more up to date news and bird information check our website for bird boat trips as well as the sightings page. If you are out birding or see something of interest do not forget to Tweet (@harbourbirds), message us on social media or pop into the HQ on Poole Quay.

With a record number of White-fronted geese all the way from Greenland sighted at Abbotsbury over the past few days, we thought we’d compile a list of the geese that frequent Poole Harbour over the winter. All species listed are Amber listed, except the Red listed White-fronted geese, and protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981). The geese of the ‘Branta’ (meaning black) genus are characterised by dark plumage. Those from the ‘Anser’ genus take on a more generally grey appearance.

Brent Geese

Brent geese (Branta bernicla) are small geese of a similar size to Shelduck and are Poole’s most regular and abundant winter goose. We are visited by the dark-bellied race of Brent Geese. Dark-bellied Brent Geese fly from the Russian Arctic tundra after raising chicks in just two months of good weather. They feed on vegetation, particularly seagrasses.

Studland is a regular haunt for these geese in the winter where they can be seen as dark shapes bobbing on the waves. Another good place to find them is Middlebere, where a group 1000 strong can be seen by late winter. January is the best time to catch huge peak numbers. For close encounters, visit Baiter Park in January and February where a flock of c150 feed on the playing fields on the high tides and on the beach shoreline on the low tides.

Confusingly ‘bernicla’ means ‘barnacle’ in medieval Latin as Brent and Barnacle Geese were previously considered one species. Bizarrely, they were also considered to be the same animal as the barnacle. This myth, which began after it was claimed the birds emerged from barnacle shells, persisted from the 12^th to 18^th century.

Brent Goose – Baiter Park, Dec 2015 – Ian Ballam

Barnacle Geese

Barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) are medium sized sociable geese, with a dark neck and upperparts contrasted with a white belly and face. They feed on grasses and their seeds and roots and overwinter in the harbour after breeding high up on the Arctic cliffs of Svalbard. Their gosling’s terrifying leaps of faith were captured by the BBC Earth team for the series Life Story. Try looking at Swineham Gravel Pits, Holmebridge, Brands Bay and Bestwall for a chance to see Barnacle Geese, although their occurrence in Poole Harbour is only very sporadic with flocks appearing once every couple of years. Keep an eye out for any unusual looking geese accompanying them as hybrids have been seen hanging out with Barnacle geese at Swineham!

Barnacle geese can be remembered as the black and white geese as ‘Branta’ means black and ‘leucopsis’ means white.

Barnacle Geese – Swineham GP, Oct 2017 – Paul Morton

Pink-footed Geese

Pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) are medium sized geese. They are characterised by grey upperparts, a brown breast, belly and neck and pink legs and feet. A pink lateral band can be seen on their dark bills. They feed on grains, grass and winter cereals and are overwintering from Svalbard, Iceland and Greenland.

Pink-footed geese are Britain’s most numerous wintering goose but are much rarer on the south coast than in Scotland and the north and east of England. Best times to see this scarce visitor is between November and January in the Frome Valley and Holmebridge floodplains. Let us know if you spot one – the average record for Pink-footed Geese sightings is 1 or 2 bird every 1 to 2 years.

Pink-footed Goose (left) – Holmebridge, Oct 2017 – Kevin Lane

Bean Geese

Bean Geese (Anser serrirostris) are large to medium sized geese. They can be easily confused with Pink-footed Geese, and historically have been considered the same species. However, where the Pink-footed Goose beak is pink the Bean goose is orange with bright orange legs and feet and an orange lateral band on the bill. Though distinct in good lighting, the soft rosy glow of winter dawn and dusk could show pink legs as orange or vice-versa.

Cold snaps in Russia will trigger small groups (<10) of Bean Geese to escape to the comparatively warmer UK and so they are a much rarer sight on our shores. Just two Bean Geese were found in 2014 which is the last known record. Your best chances of catching a sighting of these scarce visitors are Frome valley, Swineham Gravel Pits and Bestwall.

Bean Geese – Swineham GP, Dec 2014 – Joe Mitchell

White-fronted Geese

White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) are grey medium sized geese characterised by orange legs and bills and a large white patch surrounding the bill on the front of the head. The race of White-fronted Goose most likely to grace our shores are those from Greenland, just like those visiting Abbotsbury earlier in the week. The Siberian race can be distinguished with pink bills, as opposed to orange. They feed on grasses, grains and winter wheat.

Small flocks used to occur in the harbour most winters but usually only for a brief period. Though they used to be semi-annual visitors they have become relatively scarce. There have been no sightings in the harbour in the last five years!

White-fronted Geese – Bestwall, Jan 2011 – Neil Gartshore

Greylag Geese

Greylag Geese (Anser anser) is the largest of our native geese and characterised with a grey-brown body, buff breast, orange bill and pink legs. They feed on grasses, cereals and grains. This bulky goose is the ancestor of our domesticated geese. Its Latin name translates to the rather uninspired ‘Goose goose’.

Those familiar with Poole Park will be well acquainted with the sizeable and semi-tame feral population there. They are often mixed with Canada geese. In winter however, Greylag numbers are augmented with migrants from Northern Europe. They make their way over to sites along Frome valley.

Greylag Goose – Poole Park, Oct 2017 – Neale Smith

Canada Geese

Canada Geese (Anser canadensis) are the only non-native species in our harbour line-up. This rather conspicuous large goose is characterised with a brown body, buff breast, a long black neck and legs and a prominent white chinstrap.

Numbers peak in August with the emergence of youngsters following breeding. Large groups can be found in Poole Park mixed with the resident Greylag geese. In winter, Canada geese will roost in the harbour and visit local farmlands to feed on grasses and cereals.

Canada Goose – Lytchett Fields, Dec 2017 – Ian Ballam

A new record number of 75 Eurasian Spoonbill have been counted in Poole Harbour during a survey carried out by a local environmental charity, making it the largest gathering of this species ever recorded in the UK. Spoonbills, which are closely related to herons and are large, white charismatic looking birds, were once rare visitors to Dorset but in recent years numbers have been rising due to population increases on the near continent.

The discovery was made on Oct 10^th when Poole based charity ‘Birds of Poole Harbour’ were conducting a survey for the species as part of a long term 18 month herons of Poole Harbour study. The Spoonbill ‘mega flock’ was spit over two areas with 40 on Shipstal Point at RSPB Arne nature reserve and the other 35 on the Dorset Wildlife Trust Brownsea Island Lagoon. It’s thought that some of these birds will carry on moving south-west into Devon and Cornwall over the coming weeks with the main bulk of the flock hopefully remaining in Poole Harbour during the winter.

Numbers of over-wintering Spoonbill have been increasing in Poole Harbour year on year for almost a decade as breeding populations in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and now the UK have increased. Each August, Spoonbill begin to arrive in Poole Harbour having left their breeding grounds and gather at favoured sites within the harbour. At present Spoonbill only over-winter in Poole Harbour but local conservationists hope that over time they will stay and become a breeding species by setting up a small colony within the harbour.

Paul Morton from the Birds of Poole Harbour charity explained;

“Discovering this new record number of 75 Spoonbill within Poole Harbour is great news. Not only does it show how important the area is as an over-wintering site for this species, it also increases the chances of some deciding to stay and breed in future years. They’re a real asset to the harbour and are great fun to watch”

Eurasian Spoonbill is an extremely rare breeding bird in the UK with only a handful of nests each year, most regularly at a site in North Norfolk. However, this summer a pair pioneered a new site at RSPB Fairburn Ings in Yorkshire, proving that the population is looking to expand.

Paul Morton added..

“We’re lucky here in Poole Harbour to have some of the best nature reserves in the country and visitors will be able to visit places like RSPB Arne this winter to try and see the Spoonbill. I remember growing up in Poole Harbour through the late eighties and you’d be lucky to see one Spoonbill, let alone 75”

Spoonbill behaviour in Poole Harbour is predictable with the whole flock roosting on Shipstal Point, Arne or the Brownsea Lagoon on a high tide, and then heading out to feed in shallow channels in the Wareham or Middlebere Channel on a low tide. During the colder months, they can even be found feeding close to the cycle path in the urban setting of the Holes Bay nature park, normally in the north-eastern area of the bay. This annual increase of over-wintering Spoonbill in Poole Harbour is likely to continue, as the record has been broken every year since 2013.

Its October, you’re now wearing walking boots and wellies rather than flip-flops and sandals. Fleeces and woolly thick jumpers keep you warm as you stand next to a glowing, crackling bonfire and the leaves tumble past your face as a chilly northerly breeze dislodges the last remnants of summer from the branches of nearly naked trees. No longer are you able to watch the aerial acrobatics of Swallows and Swifts as they’re now back south in an African setting which for many is a whole new experience. But as the famous saying goes, ‘out with old and in with new’, we now soon find new visitors arriving into our countryside and gardens that have ventured down from the north en mass, secretly in the dead of night. Getting your head around ‘winter thrush’s’ can often provide bit of a headache in its self, as there are actually six different species you could encounter by late October. Lets start with the humble Blackbird, a bird you’re all familiar with. Although a common sight right the way through the year, by late October many tens of thousands arrive in from Scandinavia to join our local birds and in the last week of October if you have fruit trees in the garden you could go from seeing two to twenty in a single bush over the course of a weekend. Then there’s the secretly shy Song Thrush, a cryptic bird that likes to keep its self to its self. During the spring the Song Thrush gives it’s self away by its incredibly rich song, however in autumn a single ‘tic’ is all it offers as it fly’s over your garden at first light having also travelled over night in huge numbers from northern Europe. Joining both Blackbird and Song Thrush on their nocturnal travels are two not so familiar visitors that we wouldn’t have seen since last winter. The harsh ‘chack chack chack’ of the Fieldfare and the fine, thin, descending  ‘zeeeep’ of the Redwing are a joy to listen to on dark autumn nights as they venture over our houses right the way through the night. Having left the Dutch coastline at dusk, all these thrushes individually navigate their way through the darkness using singular calls to stay in contact with one another until sunrise when they then begin forming large flocks and start following visual landmarks before simply dropping out of the sky to feed. The Ring Ouzel (a blackbird with a crispy white collar) is actually a late migrating summer visitor that will be heading back down to Africa for the winter, but likes to join its Scandinavian cousins for the journey south. And finally, the only non-nocturnal thrush is the Mistle Thrush, which loves to feed on Rowan berries during October in flocks of between 10-50 before dispersing later in the month to areas unknown!

So during October, don’t retreat to warm lounges and comfy sofa’s, get out and herald the welcome arrival of our handsome winter thrush’s. Listen to the below recording that was made on the 29/10/16 over Poole Town centre which allows you to hear the scale of thrush migration on late October nights. 

Seagulls do not exist.

That’s right. There is no such thing as a seagull. Now that’s not to say the birds themselves do not exist – they are undeniably present, with a confident pitter patter of webbed feet along rooftops, eyeing up sausage rolls and chips held tight by wary folk below.

But what do we really know about them? They have as bad a reputation as pigeons, sometimes worse, a coastal flying rat which does not deserve an association with nature or urban wildlife because it is a pest – nothing more and nothing less. It is therefore difficult to imagine that all species of gull in the UK are protected by the European Birds Directive and that all are either on amber or red conservation status.

Take the herring gull, the large gull species most people have troublesome encounters with. They have flocked to urban areas over the past few years, nesting on roofs. Their numbers are on the decline nationally by over 50% since 1970, and are the only species to have decreased in number between all 3 major national censuses (Mitchell et al. 2006). And yet they seem so abundant? This is down to a classic situation of nature taking advantage of our lifestyles; as they decline in their natural habitat they move in to ours, appearing more abundant simply because we see them on our doorstep more.

Their move from the rural coastal cliff sites is down to a lack of their fish prey due to overfishing and loss of coastal cliff habitat (Mitchell et al. 2006). In Poole Harbour, these factors were combined with their persecution as pests, and 930 breeding pairs on Brownsea Island in 1973 were reduced to just 100 pairs five years later. Since the Clean Air Act of 1956, which prevented the burning of household waste, open landfills tempted these opportunistic birds closer to urban areas where they discovered other feeding opportunities; rubbish bags left unprotected outside homes, litter left discarded on streets, and people who were willing to chuck them a chip or two.

The herring gulls moved in.

What is the herring gull? A beady-eyed individual, they make fiercely protective parents who will continue feeding their chicks, even when failed-fledge attempts dislodge them from the nest. They are slow-maturing and long lived animals, with an individual that was ringed in 1965 being seen in 1997, making it at least 32 years old. It will take a herring gull four years to take on fully adult plumage, which explains why quite often it is young-looking individuals you see. They are also far from being bird-brained, with documented cases of tool-use and intriguing behavioural techniques of obtaining food and killing live prey (Henry and Aznar 2006; Young 1987). Another marker of their intelligence is their complex social behaviour with a wide variety of vocal and visual signals- they have been known to display frustration by pulling at plants (Nelson 1980)! They provide ecosystem services that we are perhaps loath to acknowledge; namely clearing up our discarded organic waste and litter (including dog mess…) and dispersing seeds within their droppings.

In the interests of fairness however, there have been a handful of incidents where they have been linked to the spread of harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Enterococcus (Fogarty et al. 2003). Their intelligence is ranked lower than corvids and parrots, even garden birds (Zorina and Obozova 2012). Like some other bird species in the harbour, including corvids, herons and other gulls, herring gulls will sometimes predate chicks and eggs of other birds. And it is undeniable that at times they can be somewhat of a nuisance.

Ultimately their proliferation within our towns and failure to survive within their natural habitat is our fault – Poole town centre now has the highest density of herring gulls in the harbour. They have learnt that humans will give them what they need to not only survive but thrive within our towns and cities, but are less and less abundant on coastal cliffs and rural sites, or found fishing at sea. When humans occupy greater areas, habitat loss occurs and the displaced wildlife must adapt or risk local extinction – foxes and starlings also face similarly complex relationships with urban landscapes. Greater understanding of urban gull ecology is necessary before we quantify them as a ‘problem’ (Rock 2005).

So spare a thought for the animal behind the beady eyes, as they adapt to an increasingly urban world that they are tempted into by our wastefulness; now persecuted when they behave like pests. Will you be a gull-friend?

References

• Fogarty, L. R., Haack, S. K., Wolcott, M. J. & Whitman, R. L. 2003. Abundance and characteristics of the recreational water quality indicator bacteria Escherichia coliand enterococci in gull faeces. Journal of Applied Microbiology 94, 865-878.
• Henry, P.-Y. & Aznar, J.-C. 2006. Tool-use in Charadrii: active bait-fishing by a Herring Gull. Waterbirds 29, 233-234.
• Hopper, N., 2016. Breeding gulls of Poole Harbour. Poole: Birds of Poole Harbour. 
• Mitchell, P.I., Newton, S.F., Ratcliffe, N.R. and Dunn, T.E., 2006. Seabird populations of Britain and Ireland: the last 30 years. In: Boere, G.C., Galbraith, C.A. and Stroud, D.A., 2006. Waterbirds around the World. Edinburgh: The Stationery Office.
• Nelson, B. 1980. Seabirds: Their Biology and Ecology. Hamlyn, London.
• Overington, S. E., Morand-Ferron, J., Boogert, N. J. & Lefebvre, L. 2009. Technical innovations drive the relationship between innovativeness and residual brain size in birds. Animal Behaviour 78 1001-1010.
• Rock, P., 2005. Urban gulls: problems and solutions. British Birds, 98, 338-355.
• Young, H. G. 1987. Herring gull preying on rabbits. British Birds 80, 630.
• Zorina, Z. A. & Obozova, T. A. 2012. New data on the brain and cognitive abilities of birds. Biology Bulletin 39, 1-17.

TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham crossed the finish line of his UK Bioblitz campaign tour at the Birds of Poole Harbour HQ on Poole Quay on Monday, ending 10 days of intensive wildlife surveys around the UK.

Chris Packham’s BioBlitz campaign aimed to highlight the biodiversity of British wildlife across the nation, visiting 50 wildlife sites across the UK in just 10 days. The results will provide a benchmark with which future surveys can be compared, and see how the populations of different species rise and fall over time whilst at the same time assessing the current health of the British countryside. Chris Packham started in the Scottish Highlands on July 14th, criss-crossing the UK and helping the survey effort along the way; from the smallest insect to the largest deer and everything in between. Specialists, amateurs, and enthusiastic naturalists have helped immeasurably along the way, including members of the public who have come along to events to listen and learn about the UK’s fantastic biodiversity.

Crowds follow Chris over the finish line 

Arriving at Poole Quay with his BioBlitz crew, Chris Packham boarded a ferry with 50 lucky Poole school children and the Birds of Poole Harbour charity team. Chris and his crew were treated to a cruise around Poole Harbour for a spot of birding, passing the internationally important Brownsea lagoon site and seeing common and sandwich terns in flight. The ferry docked back at the quay at 8pm, returning to an audience 200 strong to hear Chris’ rousing speech about the campaign and the future of British biodiversity. He then crossed the finish line at the HQ of local conservation charity Birds of Poole Harbour, where he then spent an hour meeting and speaking with visitors about wildlife and the environment.

Paul Morton from the Birds of Poole Harbour charity explained

“To have Chris and his team finish his campaign here in Poole Harbour was a real privilege. Over the ten days they visited some areas that were in dire need of environmental change but they were keen to finish here on the south coast because of how rich our biodiversity is and to highlight how some areas are getting it right”

You can get involved with Chris Packham’s campaign by contacting Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and telling him your concerns for the state of british biodiversity and the threats it faces. Chris Packham is also calling for everybody who cares about wildlife to join him in central London on September 22nd 2018 for The People’s Walk for Wildlife as a nature-inspired call to arms.

Check out his website for more information:

https://www.chrispackham.co.uk/

For more information about Birds of Poole Harbour, check out their website:

https://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/

We’re excited to announce that on July 23^rd 2018 Chris Packham and his Bioblitz campaign team will be finishing their 10-day UK Bioblitz tour here on Poole Quay, in our new Birds of Poole Harbour HQ. You can read and learn more about the campaign HERE. The campaign, which looks to highlight the issues facing our countryside will see Chris and his team visit Dorset for the last leg of their national Bioblitz tour. Our BoPH HQ will be open on the evening of July 23^rd between 8pm and 9pm, which is where the campaign will be signed off by Chris himself.

A Bioblitz is a survey of all bio-diversity (wildlife) within a chosen area, providing a measure of how successful or un-successful that area is ecologically. Last year Chris Packham decided that the whole of the UK needs surveying due to the collapse of numerous species and habitats across our country, which is how the campaign began. Over the 10-day period Chris and his team will be traveling the length and breadth of the county meeting and speaking with individuals and organisations who are doing their part to help the wider environment and advocating for a new approach to environmental protection. Nowadays, it seems we’re content with getting our nature fixes on well managed and maintained nature reserves, but what about outside those boundaries? How healthy and productive is the wider landscape?

As part of the campaign Birds of Poole Harbour are also helping co-run a full Bioblitz of the Liveability Holton Lee site near Lytchett Minster in partnership with Livability, RSPB and the Back from the Brink project. Holton Lee is a wellbeing discovery centre nestled in amongst a beautiful range of habitats and run by national charity Livability. On July 23^rd between 10am and 5pm a team of volunteers will be surveying the site of all its fauna and flora, including the surveying of Livabilities Flourish project, a gardening and growing initiative that Chris will be talking about on the campaign. To learn about the site and explore Holton Lee the event is open to the public where the survey volunteers will be able to talk you through the species they’ve logged for the campaign.

The message is loud and clear: As important as they are – NATURE RESERVES ARE NOT ENOUGH!

You can follow all the progress of Chris’s UK BIoblitz Tour on

Twitter – @ChrisGPackham

Facebook – @ChrisGPackham