Sightings28/01/2025

Harbour Update – 28/01/25

Slightly better today weather wise, and actually quite a lot going on for a blustery Tuesday. The Long-tailed Duck and Slavonian Grebe were off Jerry’s Point and seen during our Winter Safari this AM, along with 14 Spoonbill near Gold Point, 1 Black-necked Grebe in central harbour, 9 Great Northern Diver were spread across the harbour, 2 Marsh Harrier were at Swineham and a ringtail Hen Harrier was in the Wareham Channel. Mid-morning saw 2 juvenile White-tailed Eagles soaring over Corfe Castle and this afternoon 3 Ruff were in Middlebere with Lapwing and a Short-eared Owl was on Hyde’s Heath, at Arne. Out in Studland Bay there were 10 Common Scoter, 3 Great Northern Diver and 5 Black-necked Grebe. Finally, we received some great info of whats quite a rare occurrence in Poole Harbour which was of a record of a bill saddle found on a Mallard in Middlebere over the weekend. This method of marking ducks is an alternative to ringing them, and allows for birds to be identified as individuals, just like the blue rings we put on Ospreys. The bill saddles have no negative impacts on the birds and allows researchers to track a variety of duck species. The finders of the duck in Middlebere have already heard back from the group who tagged the duck, providing the origin as Sao Jacinto Dunes Nature Reserve in NW Portugal. This is a great recovery and highlights that some of our over-wintering Mallard are true visitors from elsewhere and not just from Poole Park or released up the river valleys for shooting!

Saddle-billed Mallard – Middlebere over the weekend – Richard Stephenson

Origin of saddle-billed Mallard in Portugal and distance to Middlebere 1225km (761.5 miles)

 

 

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