With Christmas Day now only a week away, it seems a white Christmas is almost definitely off the cards sadly. Will we ever see one again? Who knows, but there are certainly loads of Redwing and to a lesser extent Fieldfare currently moving/arriving in Dorset. This is really late in the season for numbers to be arriving, but this last week has seen a dramatic increase in Redwing moving about with October, November and early December seeing almost none spread across the area. It would be nice if some Waxwing could arrive with them too. Perhaps a few will turn up on Xmas Day as Christmas present in someones garden? Other sightings today included 2 Slavonian Grebe and 5 Great Northern Diver off Jerry’s Point, 12 Spoonbill on Shipstal Point, RSPB Arne and a male Hen Harrier in Middlebere. A Spotted Redshank was on Lytchett Fields and off Middle Beach there were 4 Black-necked Grebe and 6 Common Scoter. 

Bar-tailed Godwit – Shore Road, Sandbanks 

One of the highlights from our Winter Safari Cruise this morning was a male Hen Harrier being tailed by a Marsh Harrier over the Keysworth shoreline of the Wareham Channel, with at least 3 other Marsh Harrier active around Swineham. Across the harbour, at least 12 Great Northern Diver were present, with the Black-throated Diver showing well near the south shore of Brownsea. The Brownsea Lagoon provided views of 300+ Avocet, 350 Black-tailed Godwit, 350 Dunlin, 30 Grey Plover, 60 Redshank and 2 Greenshank. The flock of c.25 Spoonbill were roosting near Ower Bay. Studland was well watched throughout the day, with counts from Jerry’s Point including 6 Great Northern Diver, 2 Slavonian Grebe, 2 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Eider, 4 Goldeneye, 36 Red-breasted Merganser and 41 Great Crested Grebe. On the early low tide in Brands Bay there were 208 Teal, 413 Wigeon, 176 Pintail, 74 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 21 Grey Plover, 95 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit and 126 Common Gull, and the Long-tailed Duck was present in the afternoon. There were 6 Common Scoter and 10 Black-necked Grebe also counted in Studland Bay. 15 Cattle Egret were reported on Wareham Common this afternoon.

Black-throated Diver – South Brownsea Shoreline – Seb Elwood

Today, after a couple of weeks of trying, we finally managed to break the Poole Harbour Great Northern Diver record with 25 logged across the entirety of the harbour. The biggest total was in the north channel between the Poole Quay and Sandbanks which consisted of 13 individuals, with 8 around South Deep and 4 in central harbour/Wareham Channel. There are still plenty of other good birds around with the Long-tailed Duck, 1 Black-throated Diver, 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Slavonian Grebe, 2 Eider, 2 Black-necked Grebe and 7 Goldeneye off Jerry’s Point. Off Fitzworth there were 21 Spoonbill, in the Wareham Channel there were 4 Marsh Harrier and male White-tailed Eagle G463, with the the pair both in Middlebere this morning. On Swineham GP 8 Pochard remained, and this evening, a long awaited double figure count of 10 Black-necked Grebe entered the roost in Studland Bay, where there was also a single pale-bellied Brent Goose.

Long-tailed Duck – Jerry’s Point – Clive Hargrave

Eider – Jerry’s Point – Clive Hargrave

Slavonian Grebe – Jerry’s Point – Clive Hargrave

A cold northerly wind whipped across the harbour, but there was plenty on offer around the including a special 15 minutes for the guests on our Winter Safari Cruise this afternoon. Across the open water, Great Northern Diver numbers seem be be down with ‘only’ 7 logged, including a near sum plum individual out in centre harbour. The Black-throated Diver was off Jerry’s Point with 2 Eider and later this afternoon the Long-tailed Duck was also off Jerry’s Point. In the Wareham Channel there were 4 Marsh Harrier around Swineham and a male Hen Harrier flew across the channel over towards Keysworth. Along the southern shore c25 Spoonbill were roosting off Fitzworth and the Brownsea Lagoon was packed with Avocet, totalling c400. A Guillemot off Poole Quay was new in and there was a bit of thrush passage with a small group of Fieldfare and Redwing moving high across the Wareham Channel. The moment of the boat trip was when the White-tailed Eagle pair were seen cruising in, high over Ballard/Godlingston, taking an age to cruise down towards the harbour, eventually reaching Goathorn, before seemingly peeling off and heading off towards Arne, just as our boat was approaching the Brownsea Lagoon. After a cruise along the Brownsea Lagoon sea wall, we headed along the Brownsea north shore, making our way home, only to then meet the eagles head on, which were heading towards the lagoon, which then started calling and hunting, with female G466 making a few active dives/fishing attempts 100 yards off the side of the boat. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen the eagles plenty of times from our trips, but to hear them calling with a boat full of guests, and to see several stoops down towards the water was truly magical and we hope many more people over time get to experience the very same thing in and around the harbour. Elsewhere a female and male Goshawk was causing mayhem around Middlebere, a Merlin was on Hartland, 3 Black-necked Grebe were in Studland Bay and 8 Pochard were on Swineham GP.

White-tailed Eagle – Hunting Brownsea north shore from Winter Safari Cruise – Andy Brown

Black-throated Diver off Jerry’s Point from Winter Safari Cruise – Andy Brown

Partial summer plumaged Great Northern Diver off Jerry’s Point from Winter Safari Cruise – Andy Brown

A rather slow day today with the on/off down pours, although there were some good totals logged on the Brownsea Lagoon with 2940 Black-tailed Godwit, 2230 Dunlin, 790 Avocet, 32 Knot, 123 Grey Plover, 120 dark-bellied Brent Geese. Off Jerry’s Point the 2 Eider were still present and there were 2-3 Great Northern Diver, 1 Slavonian Grebe and the Long-tailed Duck was there this morning. In Poole Park, there’s a drake Goldeneye back on the main lake.

Goldeneye – Poole Park – John Thorpe

There were loads of decent open water species spread out across South Deep, Brownsea shore and Brands Bay this afternoon, mostly viewable from Jerry’s Point and Redhorn Quay at Studland. Combined totals in this area included 7 Great Northern Diver, 2 Red-throated Diver, 1 Black-throated Diver, 1 Long-tailed Duck, 2 Eider, 5 Goldeneye, 2 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Black-necked Grebe, c40 Great Crested Grebe and 17 Red-breasted Merganser. Out in Studland Bay there were 3 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver and 5 Common Scoter and in Shell Bay another (sum plum) Great Northern Diver and 12 Sanderling were on the beach. A grey male Hen Harrier was at RSPB Arne, a ringtail Hen Harrier was at Lytchett Bay this AM.

Long-tailed Duck – Jerry’s Point 

Yet again it was a tale of two halves today, with not even the ducks wanting to venture out this morning in the torrid weather. Then, as if someone had flicked a light switch we had crystal blue sky’s and bright sunshine. The open water was still a bit choppy, but still good enough to log 1 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver, 2 Eider, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 22 Red-breasted Merganser, 5 Goldeneye and 21 Great Crested Grebe between Jerry’s Point and Redhorn Quay. At Lytchett Bay the male Brambling was at the feeder station again and there was a Spotted Redshank on the fields, this morning an adult male Hen Harrier was hunting around the bay and 2 Spoonbill were in the bay. An adult female Peregrine was hunting and causing mayhem between Middlebere and Wytch Lake and there were decent numbers of Fieldfare moving around the south of the harbour, especially between Studland and Middlebere with flocks of c100 birds dotted around. Off Middle Beach, Studland there were 3 Black-necked Grebe and 1 Common Scoter and the Long-tailed Duck was seen briefly off Jerry’s Point late this afternoon. A Great White Egret was in Middlebere and there was a good count of 34 Knot in Holes Bay.

Brambling – Lytchett Bay – Peter Moore

An excellent Winter Safari around the harbour today with stunning views of male White-tailed Eagle G463 giving several flybys past the boat, appearing to be hunting waders on the mud. Still impressive numbers of Great Northern Diver with 20 spread across the whole harbour, including North Channel, South Deep, Central Harbour and Wareham Channel. Also 1 Red-throated Diver off South Deep, 2 female Eider off Jerry’s Point, 4 Goldeneye, 1 Peregrine, 2 Marsh Harrier, a very brief Goshawk, c300 Avocet, 2 Spoonbill and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit along with ‘the usual’.

The 1 Long-tailed Duck was also seen again today from the harbour mouth as well as 12 Bar-tailed Godwit in Whitley Lake. In Holes Bay there were 34 Knot, 5 Spoonbill, 2000+ Black-tailed Godwit, 1000+ Wigeon, 300+ Dunlin, 150 Avocet and 80 Pintail. An adult male Hen Harrier was at Arne RSPB. Seen today in Lytchett Bay, from the Rock Lea Viewpoint were 80 Avocet, 1 Spotted Redshank, 6 Spoonbill, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Brambling.

Male White-tailed Eagle G463 – Birds of Poole Harbour Winter Safari – Seb Elwood