Erg! At least today has made the floodplains nice and full and wet again for any newly arrived passage waders (preferably those from North America)! With the big low pressure system thats passed over from the far west in the last 24 hours, the country has enjoyed a mixed bag of North American goodies ranging from Baird’s Sandpipers, Red-eyed Vireos and American Cliff Swallows, so it will be well worth giving any passing hirundines a second glance over the next few days! The best the harbour area could muster today was 2 Balearic Shearwater past Branksome Chine, which although are annual out in Poole Bay, especially during August and Sept, they’re very seldom logged. Also out in Poole Bay were c80 Gannet, c10 Sandwich Tern, 3 Fulmar and yesterday the first Merlin of the autumn passed close by. In Middlebere this AM a three-way fight between a Peregrine, a Sparrowhawk and a Hobby ended uneventfully with all three whimpering off in opposite directions. At Swineham 6 Ruff were in the ‘Sluice Field’ next to the gravel pit and there was 1 Spotted Redshank on Lytchett Fields.

Branksome Chine at dawn