Wednesday, December 13th, 7:30-9:00pm
The Return of Breeding Ospreys to Poole Harbour – Brittany Maxted
For more information and how to book…

The next In Focus event at the Pod, Stanpit Marsh, is December 9th. If you are interested in buying or renewing your optics, come along and test the possibilities in the field. A small percentage from each sale will be donated to CHOG.

CHOG is a founder member of this organisation and will benefit from some of the funds raised. We have already been active during 2023 in our area – from east of Bournemouth pier to the Hampshire border – with plans for three Swift streets well progressed. If you would like to make a donation to provide funds for the construction and installation of Swift nest boxes, please follow this link…

It was mainly cloudy with showers, but the southerly wind increased temperatures to above the mid-teens. The sea was again watched at Hengistbury, the best being a juvenile Little Gull. Also mainly flying west were 20 Common Scoter, 40 Gannet, 15 Mediterranean Gull, 25 Kittiwake and 2 Sandwich Tern, while a Razorbill was on the sea and at least 180 Herring Gull were in the offshore feeding flock. Four Sanderling were in the mixed flock of Dunlin and Ringed Plover on the Sandspit. Three Bar-tailed Godwit were at Stanpit, together with 2 adult Mediterranean Gull, and a Grey Wagtail flew over Priory Marsh. After lunch, small numbers of finches headed east – totals were 70 Siskin, 50 Linnet, 25 Goldfinch, 5 Chaffinch and 7 Swallow. Eight Chiffchaff, 15 Goldcrest and a Blackcap were also noted.

The wet and windy conditions for much of the day meant there was little coverage. At Wick, 6 Chiffchaff were near the viewing platform and 6 Siskin flew over. An hour’s sea watch from Mudeford Quay in a break between showers this morning only produced 6 Common Scoter and 2 Brent Geese east.

It was generally a bright day, but the strengthening easterly wind made it feel several degrees cooler than the forecast temperatures. Once again, there was reasonable overhead passage at Hengistbury, with totals of birds heading into the easterly wind being 365 Siskin, 520 Linnet, 935 Goldfinch, 31 Redpoll, 80 Chaffinch, 60 Meadow Pipit and 33 Swallow. A Mistle Thrush, not a common bird locally, 2 Redwing and 2 Sparrowhawk were also on the move, while a Merlin was over the eastern end of the Head and a Red Kite drifted over Stanpit. The sea also received some attention; flying mostly east were 23 Brent Goose, 42 Common Scoter, 9 Wigeon, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Kittiwake, a Razorbill and 23 Dunlin. Goldcrest and Chiffchaff numbers were up, especially the former, with at least 60 and 35 respectively noted across Hengistbury.

If you join between now and the end of the year, you will also get 2024 Membership. The easiest way to join and make a positive contribution to local conservation is here…

It was cloudier today, but temperatures remained in single figures until mid-morning. Most of today’s news comes from Hengistbury, where good numbers of birds were moving overhead, but with a more limited variety of species. Flying into the lively north-easterly breeze were 1,350 Goldfinch, 1,050 Linnet, 275 Siskin, 39 Swallow, 17 Redpoll and 85 Meadow Pipit. At least 5 Sparrowhawk were also moving in the same direction. The sea was also quieter with a Razorbill and a Common Scoter on the sea, as well as a further 15 Scoter east. Other birds on the move were a Great White Egret south and a Buzzard east, while a Peregrine loitered overhead for several minutes. Settled at Hengistbury were about 20 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrest and 25 Chiffchaff, with a further 9 Chiffchaff and 20 Siskin noted at Wick. This evening at Stanpit, at least 100 Pied Wagtail were around the reeds at Parky Mead with more birds continuing to drop in.

The first frost of the autumn brought a chilly start to a lovely, sunny autumn day, with a light northerly breeze. There is much to write about on a busy day in the harbour, with the monthly WeBS count and excellent visible migration at Hengistbury in the morning and a CHOG walk at Stanpit this afternoon. Starting at Hengistbury, the highlight of a good variety of species was 2 Tree Sparrow west, the first, and possibly the only, record of the year of this now scarce species, and 2 Ring Ouzel north. Totals of other birds heading north-east totalled 975 Linnet, 1,150 Goldfinch, 138 Redpoll, 18 Brambling, 310 Siskin, 135 Chaffinch, 48 Reed Bunting, 275 Meadow Pipit, 85 Alba Wagtail and 79 Skylark, as well as 16 Swallow. Also on the move were 37 Rook west and 5 Sparrowhawk north, while 7 Tufted Duck and 10 Snipe came into the Harbour.  At sea, 3 Pintail and 8 Shoveler went west, as did a Great Northern Diver, 98 Cormorant, 130 Mediterranean Gull, 57 Common Gull, 23 Dark-bellied and 5 Pale-bellied Brent Geese. The WeBS count included 295 Canada Goose, 74 Greylag Goose, 11 Egyptian Goose and a further 6 Dark-bellied Brent. Wigeon increased to 422, Coot totalled 244, but otherwise just 19 Teal and one more Tufted Duck were logged. Fewer waders were at Stanpit, the best being a Greenshank, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Ruff and a Whimbrel. One Avocet was seen in the morning, with two noted in the afternoon. Other reports involved 20 Pied Wagtail at Stanpit, a further 12 Siskin at Wick, 2 Cattle Egret at Wick Hams, plus a Peregrine and a Red Kite over.

CHOG member, Jeff Picksley, is looking for a new home for these publications…

One of the two Osprey over the Harbour this morning – Scott Usher

In contrast to yesterday, it was a fine, sunny day, encouraging some overhead passerine movement at Hengistbury. Mostly heading into the light westerly wind were 420 Goldfinch, 380 Linnet, 144 Redpoll, 204 Siskin, 31 Reed Bunting, 67 Skylark, 35 Chaffinch 2 Brambling, 125 Alba Wagtail and 95 Meadow Pipit, as well as a single Fieldfare, 18 Swallow and 22 House Martin. The sea produced a Velvet Scoter, 19 Common Scoter, 8 Guillemot, 19 Common Gull and 26 Mediterranean Gull also moving west, while 2 Goosander were inside the Harbour and a Great White Egret was seen to arrive. Six Cattle Egret left the Hengistbury roost and waders departing on the rising tide included 9 Grey Plover, 5 Golden Plover and 2 Ruff. Two different Osprey visited the Harbour during the morning, at least one of which failed to catch a fish. The only other reports were of 3 Firecrest at Hengistbury, a Wheatear near the Hiker Café with another on Stanpit, where there were a further 40 Meadow Pipit on Crouch Hill.

Despite the wet and windy conditions, which prevailed for most of the morning and again from mid-afternoon, the sea was watched from Mudeford Quay for several hours from dawn and from Hengistbury for an hour at lunchtime. However, visibility wasn’t good and the combined totals were just 23 Common Scoter, 6 Sandwich Tern and 2 Mediterranean Gull, with a few unidentified auk and Gannet also on the move. The only other report is of 3 Ruff at Stanpit with Black-tailed Godwit.

It all comes from Stanpit again, with the best being 3 Ruff; but also: a Greenshank, a Bar-tailed Godwit, over 100 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Ringed Plover and 61 Lapwing. Singles of Brent Goose and Sandwich Tern – the former the vanguard of the arrival, the latter a straggler in departing – were also around the bight, while 5 Wheatear were on Crouch Hill.

Cattle Egret at South Marsh this evening – Jackie Smith

Record shots of some Cattle Egret (top) and the Glossy Ibis flying to roost yesterday evening – Alan Hayden.

It was a mainly sunny day with a light easterly breeze, which meant a few birds were on the move at Hengistbury. Heading into the wind were 75 Meadow Pipit, 155 Siskin, 120 Swallow, 75 House Martin, 9 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Grey Wagtail and 16 Chaffinch, while a Common Tern and 5 Common Gull were off the headland. Also at Hengistbury, there was an influx of Goldcrest with 30 logged, as well as 2 Willow Warbler, 3 Firecrest, 2 Treecreeper and singles of Nuthatch and Garden Warbler. There was also one each of Whinchat and Wheatear at Whitepits. Moving to Stanpit, the Glossy Ibis was seen leaving the Hengistbury roost at 06:25 with 25 Cattle Egret. The Ibis lingered on Blackberry briefly before heading off north towards the Avon Valley. Wildfowl continue to increase with 120 Wigeon, 2 Pintail and a Tufted Duck, andsettled wader totals were 16 Knot, 43 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 3 Snipe and 3 Turnstone. Three Avocet arrived from the east and circled the harbour several times but probably did not land. Three Wheatear were around Crouch Hill and 12 Chiffchaff in North Scrubs. On the Odonata front, up to four Willow Emerald dragonfly are frequenting the Lily Pond at Hengistbury, but so far only males have been seen. The Cattle Egret tally going to roost this evening increased to 28, with the Glossy Ibis joining them at 19:37.

Please refer back to yesterday for some late news.

Curlew Sandpiper near the train terminal at Hengistbury this morning – Chris Chapleo

Early risers managed to see the Glossy Ibis and at least 8 Cattle Egret leaving the Hengistbury roost this morning before some patchy mist rolled in off the sea reducing visibility temporarily until it was burned off by the sun. There were a further 16 Cattle Egret off the tip of South Marsh, so 24 in total. The other main news of the day was of a Spotted Crakeseen briefly crossing the main track near the Bailey Bridge at Stanpit, having presumably been flushed out of nearby reeds by the rising tide. This is the first harbour record for nearly 10 years. Also, an Osprey fished the harbour, only to drop its catch when mobbed by gulls, and the Curlew Sandpiper was again on the inner harbour shore near the train terminal on Mudeford Sandspit. Despite the virtually still conditions, there was some overhead passage with 370 Swallow, 95 House Martin, 15 Sand Martin, 235 Meadow Pipit, 11 Tree Pipit and 8 Yellow Wagtail moving south, while another Yellow Wagtail, a Whinchat and 3 Wheatear were on Crouch Hill. Also around the Marsh were a Redstart, 12 Sedge Warbler, 23 Chiffchaff and 17 Reed Bunting. A Tufted Duck and 5 Shoveler were present, together with 4 Knot, 5 Common Sandpiper, 26 Snipe and a Greenshank, while 48 Black-tailed Godwit arrived from the north and 2 Whimbrel flew west through the harbour.

Late news: A Hobby and 2 Peregrine were at Stanpit this evening, and additional waders included 21 Knot, 5 Sanderling, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit and 6 Greenshank. The Glossy Ibis went to roost at 19:30, together with a total of 26 Cattle Egret and 37 Little Egret.

The flock of Pale-bellied Brent Goose leaving Stanpit yesterday evening – David Faulkner

One of the Wheatear on the top of Hengistbury this morning – Leo Pyke

The sun finally broke through the overcast skies in late morning, but the fresh north-easterly breeze made it feel decidedly cooler than of late, especially early on. Overhead passage at Hengistbury produced the autumn’s best counts so far of Meadow Pipit and Siskin with 935 and 220 respectively moving east. Also travelling in the same direction were 42 Yellow Wagtail, 8 Grey Wagtail, 14 Tree Pipit, 425 Swallow and a single Lesser Redpoll. Wheatear were also arriving, with a total of 33, mostly on top of the headland, plus six more at Stanpit. Two Sanderling were on the Sandspit and 7 Snipe flew over, while at sea 45 Gannet, a Common Scoter were noted, and 12 Sandwich Tern moved west. Migrants on the ground included 3 Whinchat, 9 Whitethroat, 15 Blackcap and 25 Chiffchaff. On the other side of the harbour, a flock of 18 Greylag Goose arrived at Stanpit, where the waders included 8 Knot, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Turnstone and 3 Greenshank, with a fourth bird on Salt Hurns at Hengistbury. A young Marsh Harrier was seen from both sides of the harbour, as were a Peregrine, 2 Raven and a total of 6 Cattle Egret. Late news this evening: a Glossy Ibis and 13 Cattle Egret flew over the Marsh to roost at Hengistbury, 38 Knot were in Stanpit Bight and a Curlew Sandpiper was again near the Train Terminal on the Sandspit.

A cloudy and fairly still morning gave way to a pleasant, sunny afternoon with a south-westerly breeze. At Hengistbury, 14 Cattle Egret left the roost early morning, 3 Wheatear were in the fenced-off area of the Sandspit and 15 Turnstone were on the inner harbour shore. At Stanpit, the Wigeon increased to 55, and a single Tufted Duck was present, while waders included 12 Knot, 2 Greenshank, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 25 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Common Sandpiper. The Dunlin and Ringed Plover flock was not counted but contained 5 Sanderling in the afternoon. There were 2 White Wagtail at Crouch Hill, together with 4 Yellow Wagtail and a further 9 Wheatear. North Scrubs held 12 Chiffchaff and a single Willow Warbler, and a juvenile Peregrine visited the Marsh. There were also a number of Brent Goose sightings during the day – probably all involving the Pale-bellied race. A flock of at about 45 birds flew east through the harbour this afternoon and, though fairly distant, a number were Pale-bellied so, given the time of year, it’s likely the whole flock was of this sub-species. Whether these birds returned is unclear, but an hour or so later, a similar number of birds were settled around Blackberry Point and were all Pale-bellied. They lingered until late afternoon. Then, this evening, a flock of 35 birds arrived from the west and landed briefly before continuing east.

It was a sunny day with a variable amount of cloud, and a light, refreshing south-westerly breeze kept temperatures a little lower than of late. Starting with wildfowl, 3 Egyptian Geese, 2 Shoveler and 32 Wigeon were at Stanpit, and 3 Tufted Duck were on the Quarry Pond at Hengistbury, where the young Little Grebe was still present. An Osprey visited the harbour and caught a fish before flying high inland, while the best of the waders was a Curlew Sandpiper on South Marsh, with that or a second bird seen this afternoon near the train terminal at Hengistbury. Also about the Marsh were 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Knot, 2 Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank and 2 Common Sandpiper. Crouch Hill hosted a pristine White Wagtail, 7 Wheatear and at least a couple of Yellow Wagtail. Moving across to Hengistbury, a light overhead easterly movement involved 276 Swallow, 8 House Martin, 2 Sand Martin, 136 Meadow Pipit, 11 Siskin and 4 each of Grey and Yellow Wagtails. Grounded migrants over Hengistbury and Wick totalled 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Whinchat, 9 Blackcap, 21 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler and a further 10 Wheatear. A Nuthatch was in the Wood, together with 2 Treecreeper, a Firecrest, 2 Goldcrest and Coal Tit. Finally, 14 Cattle Egret were counted going into roost at Hengistbury this evening.

The wind picked up apace today and by late afternoon it was quite unpleasant. Earlier, a Little Ringed Plover, a Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper and 15 Redshank, plus two adult Mediterranean Gull, had been inside the harbour; while at least one Peregrine was around the Priory.

A male Southern Hawker at Hengistbury – Ian Wigley

The weather was overcast with occasional light showers, becoming more frequent during the late afternoon, and a moderate south-westerly wind. Most of the reports come from Stanpit, where the first Greenshank for several weeks lingered for most of the day, with a supporting cast of 8 Curlew, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Sandpiper, 12 Redshank and 11 Dunlin. Two Great Crested Grebe were inside the harbour, as were 5 Sandwich Tern, a total of 16 Mediterranean Gull and a good total of 42 Great Black-backed Gull, all of them adults. In addition, the first three juvenile Black-headed Gull of the summer were seen. Three Gadwall and 5 Shelduck were noted, but the latter did not include the family party that’s been present for the last couple of days. The only news from Hengistbury is of a Little Grebe on the Ironstone Quarry, though it is believed two birds were seen recently. Last, but not least, a late afternoon trip to Stanpit produced a Cattle Egret flying north over Fisherman’s Bank.

It was quite cloudy but with sunny intervals, and there was a brisk north-westerly wind. Just over 100 Swift headed westover Hengistbury and Wick, and a flock of 40 Sand Martin also appeared to be on the move. At Stanpit, Common Sandpiper and Redshank numbers increased to four and 26 respectively, but the Curlew were down to six. Three Common Tern and 22 Sandwich Tern were inside the harbour, and the Shelduck family was still present. At Hengistbury, a Little Grebe was on the Ironstone Quarry, single Mediterranean Gull and Gannet were off Hengistbury and a newly-fledged family of Stonechat was at Whitepits.

The morning was overcast, but still bright and warm out of the brisk south-westerly wind. The cloud gradually cleared for a while during the afternoon. At Stanpit, a flock of 16 Black-tailed Godwit landed in the Bight briefly before continuing on its way, while a Little Tern and a/the Pale-bellied Brent Goose flew high east without stopping. Also present were 13 Lapwing, a Common Sandpiper, 10 Redshank, a Whimbrel and 10 Curlew, two of which flew west. There were 10 Sandwich Tern around the harbour as well as 7 Shelduck, six of which were a family party. The four juveniles were well-grown but hadn’t been reported in the harbour before today, so may well have been bred elsewhere.

On a mainly overcast day, the only news is of 2 Curlew heading west over Wick, a Lesser Whitethroat still singing in Roebury Lane and a lone Gannet off Hengistbury.

It was bright start to the morning, but it was cooler and cloudier than of late with a brisk westerly wind. The pick of the birds was undoubtedly the first Roseate Tern of the year, which flew east through the harbour. A Great White Egret and a Kingfisher were seen at Stanpit, while 8 Black-tailed Godwit and 14 Swift headed west. Six Mediterranean Gull and 2 Common Tern were also present. At Wick, a singing Lesser Whitethroat was in Roebury Lane, with a second bird near the Wooden Bridge, and the Buzzard remained faithful to the No Dogs Field.

Lesser Whitethroat at Stanpit – Leo Pyke

One of the juvenile Stonechat on Crouch Hill – Leo Pyke

Red-eyed Damselfly on the CHOG Walk along the Mude Valley this morning – Robin Harley

The weather was unchanged today, but there was no sea mist to break up the sunshine. The moderate breeze varied from south-east to south-west. Once again, the main focus was on Stanpit, where 2 Grey Plover and 6 Curlew were on the mud at low tide, a lone Wigeon and a flock of 11 Gadwall were on the river, with a further three of the latter circling the harbour before departing to the south, and the Pale-bellied Brent Goose was on South Marsh. A Lesser Whitethroat was on Crouch Hill, as well as three juvenile Stonechat that were probably raised on the southern side of the harbour. The seemingly resident Buzzard was at Wick and, although not usually mentioned here, a family part of five Raven were around the marsh.

Another warm, sunny day was only interrupted by a sea fret which shrouded the area for a while during the morning; there was a light, mainly southerly breeze. At Stanpit, a Red Kite drifted across the Marsh, a Garden Warbler was singing in Ashtree Meadow and 10 Curlew were about the Marsh. The only other news was of 18 Sandwich Tern fishing off The Run, a Turnstone on the Sandspit and confirmation that the Ringed Plover nest is still safe and sound.

Sand Martin on the Hengistbury cliffs – Alan Crockard

Great Spotted Woodpecker in the Nursery at Hengistbury – George Garland

Female Orange Tip Butterfly at Hengistbury – Peter Boardman

With mostly clear skies overnight and much of the morning, combined with a fresh north-easterly wind, it was a relatively quiet day from a birding perspective. At Stanpit, the only new passerines reported were 2 Spotted Flycatcher, while three each of House Martin and Swift headed inland. A flock of 4 Whimbrel lingered on the marsh for a couple of hours, and singles of Grey Plover, Curlew, Greenshank and Redshank were also present, as was the Brent Goose. Two Red Kite were soaring distantly to the north. The only news from Hengistbury is of the Garden Warbler still in the Nursery.

The weather was on the change today. After a sunny start, the cloud increased during the morning and there were several, very localised, thundery showers during the afternoon. A Great White Egret flew upriver over Stanpit, and a Marsh Harrier was hunting over Wick reeds. There were very few waders around the marsh, but a flock of 7 Grey Plover landed for a while on the mud, with a further bird leaving the harbour to the east. Otherwise, 2 Greenshank lingered on the tip of South Marsh and a lone Dunlin headed west. There was a brief arrival of Swift, but the movement petered out almost as soon as it started and only amassed some 33 birds heading into the light north-easterly breeze. Summing up, 4 Egyptian Geese were about the Marsh, two of which left to the north, 6 Shelduck flew west out to sea, a Cuckoo was heard on Wick and a Peregrine was seen north of the harbour.

Sand Martin at Hengistbury – Alan Crockard

It was a little warmer today, with a light north-easterly breeze; early cloud soon cleared to give a sunny morning, before it gradually increased towards lunchtime. Passerine migrants at/over Stanpit included 3 Yellow Wagtail, a Tree Pipit and 2 Spotted Flycatcher – one in North Scrubs and the other in Ashtree Meadow, with a Wheatear on Crouch Hill and a Cuckoo noted later in the morning. Waders about the marsh were 2 Curlew, 6 Grey Plover, 8 Whimbrel, six of which left to the east, and the first Spotted Redshank of the year flew over but was not seen to land. Meanwhile, new wildfowl were represented by singles of Pochard, Shoveler and Teal, in addition to the long-staying Brent Goose. At least 35 Swallow arrived, as well as a few House Martin.

It was another sunny day, with variable amounts of cloud and a light northerly wind. Initially, it seemed to be quiet bird-wise, but the list of species accumulated by late morning was fairly reasonable. Again, most records were from Stanpit, where the highlights were an Arctic Tern flying north over the Recreation Ground and an Osprey that headed east over the harbour harried by gulls and corvids. It was another reasonable day for arriving Swift, with a total of 52 logged, together with 24 Swallow and a flock of 6 House Martin. Settled waders included a Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Whimbrel and 3 Dunlin, whilst 2 Grey Plover in full summer plumage landed only briefly at Stanpit before heading over to Holloway’s Dock and then leaving to the east, as did 2 Black-tailed Godwit. Also present were 3 Tufted Duck, 3 Sanderling and a Ringed Plover, together with 3 Common Tern and a dozen Sandwich Tern. Two Spotted Flycatcher were seen – one in Ashtree Meadow at Stanpit, and the other around the stunted oaks at Hengistbury. Last, but by no means least, was the rare sighting of a Muntjac deer at Hengistbury just before dawn

Rock Pipit at Hengistbury – Alan Crockard

Kestrel over Hengistbury – Dave Miller

There was plenty of sunshine today, with a cool, predominantly northerly wind that gradually increased in strength up to mid-morning, before weakening a little for the afternoon. Most of the news focused on Stanpit, where a Grasshopper Warbler was heard in Ashtree Meadow and 2 Yellow Wagtail were seen early on. It was the best day of the spring so far for Swift arriving over the Harbour, with a fairly modest total of 36 heading north, and an accompanying Hobby doing likewise. At least 5 Red Kite were seen in two groups, all but one drifting west. Very few waders were present, with just 8 Dunlin and 3 Whimbrel seen, while probable singles of Ringed Plover and Redshank were heard only. Eleven Sandwich Tern on the exposed mud were joined by a flock 43 flying in from the direction of the beach huts, presumably having been out at sea with the feeding gull flock that was again off the head. Finally, a Red-throated Diver went past Hengistbury offshore, and the Brent Goose was associating with six of its Canadian cousins on Stanpit.