Today was a busy day for sightings as it was the first Poole Harbour WeBS count of the winter. Highlights included a Great White Egret in Brands Bay with another (or the same) feeding off Long Island, opposite Arne and 18 Sandwich Tern roosting on the Long Island sand spit. At Lytchett Bay/Fields the Lesser Yellowlegs was a nice addition to the WeBS list also 1 Ruff, 8 Green Sandpiper, 7 Greenshank, Grey Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit were recorded. On Brownsea the Spoonbill total reach 37 and there were also 12 Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Ruff, 1 Knot, 4 Grey Plover, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 176 Black-tailed Godwit, 23 Curlew, 13 Greenshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, 183 Redshank, 1 Sanderling, 138 Dunlin, 2 Turnstone, 13 Ringed Plover, 22 Avocet, 2 Snipe, 73 Wigeon, 16 Shoveler, 6 Sandwich Tern , 1 Common Tern, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Wheatear and a Peregrine. From the Coombe Heath hide at Arne there were 36 Knot, 250 Dunlin, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, 7 Grey Plover and an Osprey in the dead trees. Up on Stoborough Heath there were still a few passerines around with 3 Whinchat, 2 Whitethroat, 6 Chiffchaff and 11 Stonechat with another c30 Stonechat and 6 Whinchat in the lower Frome Valley. 

Whinchat – Bestwall – Paul Morton

Great White Egret – Long Island (viewable from Arne) – Paul Morton

Lesser Yellowlegs – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam