It was always on the cards, but I was expecting our ‘break in the weather’ to last a bit longer than just a day, but as we looked out of the window this morning it was situation normal with wind and rain back on the agenda! However, all was not lost as it was the Poole Harbour WeBS count (Wetland Bird Survey) today and the recent cold snap showed signs that there may have been a bit of an arrival of wildfowl into the harbour. Holes Bay north held a minimum of 2000 birds with 2 Spotted Redshank, 550+ Dunlin, 120+ Avocet, 180+ Redshank, 140+ Black-tailed Godwit, 450+ Wigeon, 400+ Teal and 8 Pintail. There was also a report of a Great White Egret near the railway bridge in Holes Bay north and a Kingfisher there too.  There seem to be several Blackcaps now entering people gardens feeding on fat blocks around the harbour with birds in Upton, Poole, Creekmoor and Hamworthy. WeBS count totals from the southern shores of Poole Harbour produced roughly 3000 birds with 744 Brent Geese in the mouth of the Wytch Channel, 77 Grey Plover, 271 Avocet, 3 Spoonbill, 1 Spotted Redshank, 227 Shelduck, 42 Red-breasted Merganser and reasonable numbers of common wader. The 2 Firecrest at Norden Sewage works were still showing brilliantly next to the fence and another was in a Wareham garden mid-morning. From Brands Bay there was 1 Spoonbill, 1 Great Northern Diver. The Brownsea Lagoon was tough going on the low tide with 232 Shoveler Duck, 4 Spoonbill, 1 Greenshank and 1 Spotted Redshank. At Lytchett Bay a ringtail Hen Harrier was present again, with 176 Avocet out on the mud, 2 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Water Pipit and 7 Scandinavian Rock Pipit. From the Raptor Hide at Arne there were 2 Marsh Harrier at dusk with1 Barn Owl.