This morning heralded the first proper Redwing arrival of the autumn with flocks ranging between 20 -200 individuals passing over multiple sites during the course of the morning. Initially, as dawn broke, the flocks were heading south as freshly arrived birds from further north continued their southward journey. However, by around 8:30am, the flocks were all then heading north, preferring to head back in land to find food and feed for the day rather than attempt an open water crossing in broad daylight. Redwing weren’t the only birds moving this AM with a Hawfinch also heading north over Holes Bay NE this morning. Up on Ballard there were plenty of newly arrived Blackbirds in the scrub plus 2 Ring Ouzel plus 15 Chiffchaff. Around the harbour there were 2 Osprey along the southern shores this morning, with one then later being seen in Middlebere. The White-tailed Eagle pair were circling together over the Wareham Channel, being beaten up by 2 Raven and there were 3 Marsh Harrier at Swineham. The Brownsea Lagoon looked great and had c60 Spoonbill, c400 Avocet, 2 Grey Plover, 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, c300 Dunlin, c20 Ringed Plover, 8 Turnstone, c300 Black-tailed Godwit and 5 Greenshank. There were a further 2 Spoonbill on the ‘Curlew’s Cottage’ pools at Swineham. At the PCW Drain 2 Firecrest were in scrub opposite KFC and c30 Chiffchaff were actively feeding. The Middlebere track Ring Ouzel was still there this morning feeding with 3 Mistle Thrush. 

Ring Ouzels – Ballard Down – Nick Hopper