Another quiet day in terms of birds reported, but there’s plenty out there to see!  It seems the Christmas rush has taken over priorities at present with not many birds being reported, but that’s not to say there isn’t much about. Winter in the harbour is an exceptionally busy time of year and on the low tides, big numbers of waders can be seen out feeding from places like Arne, Brands Bay, Middlebere, Holes Bay and Lytchett Bay. We’ve recently published the WeBS data (Wetland Bird Survey) from Poole Harbour which shows peak counts of each wetland bird species from 2009-2014, highlighting the importance of the harbour for a number of key wetland species. The heathlands and harbour fringes can seem quiet without the buzzing of bees and songs of grasshoppers but Dartford Warbler, Woodlark and Stonechat are all super active this time of year and birds of prey such as Merlin, Peregrine, Kestrel, Buzzard, Marsh Harrier and Hen Harrier are all real possibilities. Visiting a local feeding station can be great fun too at places like Holton Lee, the Arne car park, Corfe Castle visitors center where you can great views of species such as Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Marsh Tit, Lesser Redpoll and Siskin. So why not just get out over Christmas and explore. You’ll almost certainly experience or learn something you never knew before!