The uncertainties of winter 20/21 are a struggle we will all face together. To help navigate these testing times, Birds of Poole Harbour is releasing weekly birding features, providing the resources to help you unlock, understand and connect with the harbour’s rich winter birding scene. Each Friday, we’ll release a new article focusing on key winter species, birding hotspots and local insights.

To kickstart your winter birding bug, we’re opening the series with a Birds of Poole Harbour Winter Birding Checklist (download available below). Featuring 160 species (including a couple of distinctive subspecies), the checklist gathers our most familiar residents and common wintering birds, as well as several scarcer seasonal visitors, accompanied with a brief comment on the status of each species in Poole Harbour. Use the checklist, alongside our weekly articles, to hone your winter birding and help you identify new species may not have encountered before or discover more about our fascinating winter visitors. A spectacular twenty-five thousand(!) waders and wildfowl can winter in Poole Harbour, many having bred in Scandinavia, Iceland or even Russia! Desperate to escape the harsh winter conditions further north, thousands of birds choose the comparatively mild climate of Poole Harbour to spend their winter.

But hang on… it isn’t quite winter yet. The rest of October is yet to unfold! Our first few articles will explore the impressive autumn movements of finches and the imminent arrival of our thrushes and crests. So, check in next week when we release our first article examining the oncoming invasion of Redwings and Fieldfares.

We hope this series inspires a connection with the superb birding spectacles Poole Harbour has to offer over the winter, helping you get the same thrills we get out of birding our local area over the coming months. And don’t forget to share your sightings with us! Tag us on social media (Twitter & Facebook), or you can share your sightings via email. Contact hqmanager@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk with any sightings or identification queries.

Articles

Article One: Thrushes
Article Two: Tiny October Jewels
Article Three: Focus on Finches
Article Four: Woodpigeon Migration

Wigeon, Holes Bay