The Christmas and New Year buzz all comes to an end for many tomorrow….typical, just as it’s forecast for the sun to come out. Anyway, still plenty to see today with male White-tailed Eagle seen several times, firstly in Brands Bay at around 11:30am, before then heading to Brownsea where he was seen and photographed from Baiter and Whitecliff, then at around 16:00 he was seen over the Wytch Channel heading towards Middlebere. Off the Houseboats there was a Great Northern Diver, 4 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Scaup and a Razorbill. In Brands Bay there were 2 Slavonian Grebe, 1 Scaup, 2 Common Scoter and 1 Guillemot. A Red-necked Grebe flew into the harbour entrance at dawn and there were 6+ Great Northern Diver around Studland/Shell Bay area and 3 Razorbill. Out from the Middlebere ‘lookout’ there were 2 Hen Harrier logged and 2 different Merlin, with a Peregrine causing havoc at the top of Middlebere a few times. Out in central harbour there were 3 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Great Northern Diver. At Holme Lane 3 Woodlark were in the usual cattle field feeding and a Cattle Egret was at the end of the Bog Lane footpath. The 2 Purple Sandpiper were on the groynes at beyond the Haven Hotel and there were 3 Spotted Redshank and 7 Spoonbill in Middlebere. Finally, a Norwegian colour-ringed Rock Pipit was seen in the Wytch Channel area, which we’re currently waiting to receive the ringing details for.

Merlin – Middlebere – Mark Wright (@markwright12002)

Red-breasted Merganser – Poole Park – Rene Goad (@GoadPhotography)

Once again more people were out birding again today with rewards had in Brands Bay with 2 Tundra Bean Geese in Brands Bay. The Upton/Creekmoor birds weren’t there today, so could suggest it was two of the three. However some plumage characteristics suggest these could have been in fact be two different (new) individuals. Sadly they didn’t stay long and flew off SE and couldn’t be re-located. A Hen Harrier was hunting for over an hour at the back of Greenlands farm and over the salt marsh. It was accompanied by a Merlin, with the Merlin sat on a gorse bush as the Hen Harrier hunted all around it. This partnership is quite a regular occurrence each winter with Hen Harrier and Merlin often complementing each other with different hunting techniques, but often both rewarding one another with prizes! there was a Razorbill in Brands Bay with  7 Goldeneye, 2 Slavonian Grebe, 4 Scaup, 1 Common Scoter, approx  350 Common Gulls, 7 Turnstones, 400 Dunlin, 10+ Grey Plover and Sandwich Tern. Male White-tailed Eagle was in Middlebere again today and was beautifully captured on camera (see image below). Off Knoll beach this evening there was disappointingly only 12 Black-necked Grebe in the roost…..in Jan 2011 there were 80!!! Also 10 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Slavonian Grebe and 7 Common Scoter this evening.

White-tailed Eagle G461 – Middlebere – Pennhillman

Firstly……HAPPY NEW YEAR! With 2021 now behind us, all of us here at BoPH are excited for the year ahead and the opportunities that may present themselves. Poole Harbour and South Dorset are certainly going to be an exciting place to be over the next several years, with multiple progressive and game changing projects in place. Ospreys, Sea Eagles and (hopefully) Beaver releases, landscape scale land regeneration schemes, wetland creation projects! Of course, these aren’t all being carried out by us, but by other local organisations and partnerships too. Regardless of who’s doing them, it currently feels like there’s no better time to be a birder and naturalist in Dorset…..so we’re raising a glass not only to 2022, but what the future brings as a whole over the next many years. Chin chin.

A good list of species kicked off the new year with 2 Siberian Chiffchaff at Shell Bay, Studland also 15 Gannet and 5 Kittiwake south there. In Shell Bay there were 3 Great Northern Diver and a sea watch from Branksome produced 5 Red-throated Diver, 3 Kittiwake, 2 Fulmar and a Razorbill. From the Bog Lane footpath the Cattle Egret was seen again in the Lower Frome Valley and at Middlebere there were 2 Spotted Redshank, a ringtail Hen Harrier, 1 Merlin and male White-tailed Eagle G461 was seen a couple of times, once in Brands Bay and again in Middlebere. At Lytchett Fields a Jack Snipe was flushed and off Middle Beach, Studland 9 Common Scoter and 1 Black-necked Grebe. At the Houseboats at Studland there were 20 Sanderling and the 3 Scaup were distant off Jerry’s Point. The Tundra Bean Geese were originally in fields next to the main Upton CP car park but later flew to the fields back at Longmeadow Lane again. There were 27 Spoonbill on Shipstal, Arne, another Spotted Redshank at Lytchett Fields.

Group of Spoonbill yesterday at Middlebere which contained 4 Dutch ringed individuals – Mark Wright

A great end to whats been an up and down year with a low-tide cruise to see out 2021. Plenty to see, despite the gloom. Around the Jerry’s Point area there were 2 Great Northern Diver, 3 Scaup, 4 Common Scoter and 2 Slavonian Grebe (seen from the shore, not from our boat trip). Off Brownsea there were 2 Razorbill and a Guillemot was off Poole Quay. In the Wareham Channel there were 3 Marsh Harrier, 14 Spoonbill, c200 Lapwing, c300 Dunlin and plenty of Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit. Off Shell Bay there were 6 Great Northern Diver and 3 Black-necked Grebe with 2 Razorbill off Pilots Point. There were 2 Sandwich Tern in Brands Bay and on the high tide 30 Spoonbill were in Middlebere. White-tailed Eagle G461 was seen briefly off Green Island and a Goshawk was over Hartland late afternoon. The Tundra Bean Geese were still in fields around Upton CP and a Cattle Egret was in the Frome Valley again.

Spoonbills seen from boat cruise – Wareham Channel – Alison Copland.

Yep….another grim grey day, brightened up however with the news that male White-tailed Eagle, G461 arrived back into the harbour. A sea eagle was seen flying from Round Island around midday, and some corresponding with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation provided the info we needed to confirm it was him. He hasn’t been present for around a month now, but it’s great that he’s now back and once again checking out some of his old haunts. Lets see how long he stays here for now. Hopefully indefinitely! There was a single Cattle Egret in the Frome Valley, viewed from the Bog Lane loop walk and the 3 Tundra Bean Geese were still in fields next to Long Meadow Lane, Creekmoor. Off Jerry’s there were 3 Scaup, 2 Great Northern Diver, 3 Common Scoter and 18 Red-breasted Merganser with a Merlin also dashing across Brands Bay. In Middlebere there were 27 Spoonbill, 3 Spotted Redshank and c600 Avocet.

Red-breasted Merganser – Poole Park – Mark Wright @markwright12002

A slow day for sightings today, perhaps the slightly volatile weather had something to do with it…? That said, it seems lots of people did head out to enjoy the 3 Tundra Bean Geese which were still present and giving fabulous views in the field to the east of Longmeadow Lane and north of the A35, adjacent to the Upton Gateway Roundabout. It’s wonderful to see so many people enjoying these rare visitors, especially at such an urban site! Bean Goose sightings are roughly a once-per-decade phenomenon in Poole Harbour, and on average only around 300 individuals winter in the UK each year (typically at more eastern sites) so it’s a great privilege to see these birds.

Elsewhere, 100 Oystercatcher and 20 Brent Geese were foraging in a flock together on Baiter Park. And in the south of the harbour 2 Great Norther Diver, 3 Common Scoter, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 10 Turnstone, Red-breasted Merganser, Redshank, and a large flock of Brent Geese were seen off Jerry’s Point.

Brent Geese – Jerry’s Point – Jared Watt

The 3 Tundra Bean Geese were still present in the field adjacent to Longmeadow Lane, in Upton. A 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull was spotted in Brands Bay, along with 7 Goldeneye, 4 Common Scoter, plus 1 Slavonian Grebe & 1 Great Northern Diver off Jerry’s Point. Off the other side of the Studland peninsula, 11 Black-necked Grebe and 9 Common Scoter were seen from Middle Beach. In the Middlebere Channel 2 Ruff, a Merlin and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were present.

Adult Yellow-legged Gull – Middlebere – Matthew Barfield

A mix of weather today, with heavy down pours, but also some lovely crisp winter sun. The calm water allowed open water species to be logged nice and easily with 3 Great Northern Diver off Jerry’s Point and another 3 in Shell Bay. There were also 2 Slavonian Grebe off Jerry’s Point with 4 Common Scoter and 7 Goldeneye. Off Middle Beach there were 13 Black-necked Grebe and 14 Common Scoter. The 3 Tundra Bean Geese were still at Upton CP and at Middlebere there were 2 Peregrine, 1 Merlin and 1 ringtail Hen Harrier. There was another Great Northern Diver off Baiter and at Lytchett Fields there were 43 Avocet and 2 Marsh Harrier, with another 4 Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel.

Tundra Bean Geese – Upton CP – Peter Moore

No need for any sightings today, rather we’d much prefer to wish all our followers and supporters a massive Merry Christmas from everyone here at BoPH, and of course, a safe, exciting and bird-filled 2022.

Everyones kindness over the last year has helped us through and we look forward to an up and coming busy events schedule and seeing you all again soon.

You’re all amazing!!

Thanks so much

Team BoPH xxx