Today's Poole Harbour Birdboat arrived back on Poole Quay at about 1430, leaving a couple of hours to check out a bird-filled Holes Bay before dusk. Ducks included small numbers of Pintail and Goldeneye as well as the usual flocks of Wigeon and Teal, and four more Spoonbill were among the waders and gulls. This colour-ringed adult was sporting the crest plumes and yellow gular patch of a breeding bird.
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| Spoonbill, Holes Bay |
A slightly incongruous setting for all this wildlife, with a four lane highway ringing in your ears, but for all Dorset's chocolate box reputation, with the Weymouth reserves and various sites on the developed shores of Poole and Christchurch Harbours, it's a pretty good place for urban birding as well.
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| Drake Wigeon, Holes Bay |
Another of Poole's urban gems, Hatch Pond, has become celebrated for its wintering Bittern, with up to 5 birds being present in recent years. Only one was on view tonight when I arrived, but two others had been seen. Fortunately it didn't wait until dark to walk out into the open.
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| Bittern, Hatch Pond |
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