Apart from Brent Geese, Poole Harbour rarely sees any other species of true wild geese during the winter so it was a welcome surprise when a flock of 24 Barnacle Geese turned up and settled in Lytchett Bay early morning. However, with a number of feral populations of this species dotted around the UK and mainland Europe its hard to confirm whether these are true wild Barnacles all the way from Svalbard or Greenland but given the time of year and their very brief stop before moving quickly on SW onto Exminster Marshes it’s likely these could be true wild birds. Just as surprising was the discovery of a Great White Egret at the very urban Hatch Pond. It was seen lumbering in over the traffic lights before settling in the reedbed at the back for an hour or so before lifting off and making its way NE towards Longham Lakes. At Middlebere on the rising tide late afternoon c200 Avocet were feeding with c200 Dunlin and c20 Grey Plover with 2 Marsh Harrier passing by. At Lytchett Fields the Lesser Yellowlegs was on Sherford Pools and a Marsh Harrier went over the Bay. 

Barnacle Geese – Lytchett Bay – Ian Ballam