Peter Moore's Wildlife Blog: Urban birding by bike

The journey clockwise around Poole Harbour as far as Sandbanks from my home in Wareham is one I make frequently on the bike and offers some of the best urban birding opportunities in the area. It can also be done via a mostly off road routes or in cycle lanes. I say mostly as there is a stretch of the A351 between Sandford and Holton Heath where the shared pedestrian/cycle path ends and bikes are directed on to the road - it's one of the nastiest stretches around to cycle on so please remember that if you are one of the many drivers who seem to be of the opinion that cyclists 'should' be using the (narrow, potholed, pine-needle strewn) pavement there - it is reserved for pedestrians!

Purple Sandpiper, Sandbanks, 22nd January 2022

Purple Sandpipers, Sandbanks, 29th December 2024

Purple Sandpiper, Sandbanks, 29th December 2024

Purple Sandpiper, Sandbanks, January 2014

This past couple of weeks I have had cause to head that way a few times and this post showcases some of the good birds, past and present, which I have enjoyed on the heavily urbanised north shore. Starting at the far end of our semi-circuit of the harbour is Sandbanks, where Purple Sandpiper used to be a reliable winter fixture but has become a bit more hit and miss in recent years. One or two can still be found sometimes on the groynes near the Haven Hotel. The same groynes often hold a small Sanderling roost which drags in the other odd wader. And a Long-tailed Duck memorably bobbed between the groynes one November day back in 2014.

Dunlin on a Sandbanks groyne, 8th December 2024

Sanderling, Sandbanks, 8th December 2024

Turnstone, Sandbanks, 8th December 2024

Long-tailed Duck, Sandbanks, 22nd November 2014

I've seen some good birds just inside the harbour over the years, one of the best being a November storm-driven Leach's Petrel back in 2009. A Little Auk off Brownsea pier, scoped from Sandbanks, was another highlight of yesteryear. A bit further round (heading anti-clockwise) on Shore Road can be good for waders though perhaps less so since the watersports people set up semi-permanent shop there with an inevitable increase in disturbance. It used to be a very reliable site for Bar-tailed Godwit, including one bird which famously sported summer plumage in the middle of winter and which returned several years running.

Leach's Petrel, Sandbanks, 29th November 2009

Summer-plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit, Shore Road, January 2017

Winter-plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit, Shore Road, January 2017

The journey anti-clockwise around the harbour from Shore Road climbs up Evening Hill away from the coast as the posh folks have privatised it as far as Parkstone Yacht Club, but from there to Poole Town centre a good cycle track hugs the shore. Where the Yacht Club meets Whitecliff Park is a muddy corner on the right state of the tide which attracts Redshank, Greenshank, Med Gull and Brent Geese, and just offshore both Black-throated and Great Northern Divers have been seen regularly close in to the path this winter. In previous years I have also seen Slavonian Grebe just offshore here.

Rock Pipit, Whitecliff Park, 4th January 2025

Greenshank off Whitecliff Park, 20th April 2024

Great Northern and Black-throated Divers off Whitecliff, 29th December 2024

Slavonian Grebe, off Whitecliff, February 2014

Whitecliff merges into Baiter Park which by some miracle continues to attract a wintering flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese despite packs of marauding dogs disturbing their lunch. The grass must offer exceptional dining to tolerate this, and when it's as waterlogged as it is at the moment that does help keep the riff-raff at bay to some extent. Occasionally a Pale-bellied Brent can be found secreted within the flock.

Dark-bellied Brent Goose (juvenile), Baiter Park, 4th January 2025

Dark-bellied Brent Goose (adult), Baiter Park, 4th January 2025

Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Baiter Park, February 2022

Poole Park Lake has a pretty good track record for a small body of water, hosting a Long-Dowitcher and a Ring-billed Gull at the same time back in 2011. The Dowitcher arrived when the lake was being drained, a period which saw may other common waders take advantage of the feeding opportunities. The lake can also be a good spot for close views of attractive wintering ducks like Red-breasted Merganser and Goldeneye.

Ring-billed Gull, Poole Park Lake, 5th February 2011

Long-billed Dowitcher, Poole Park Lake, 1st February 2011

Goldeneye, Poole Park Lake, 7th February 2016

Red-breasted Merganser, Poole Park Lake, 21st February 2022

Tucked away behind the main Poole Park Lake is a smaller lake which has also attracted some interesting birds - Mandarin Duck has become regular there in recent years, and I saw a drake Scaup at this location in 2014, as well as Kingfisher and Water Rail on more recent visits.

Kingfisher on the railings in Poole Park

Mandarin Duck, Poole Park, 29th December 2024

Water Rail, Poole Park, February 2022

Scaup, Poole Park, February 2014

Returning to the shoreline from the Park and continuing anti-clockwise Baiter Park soon gives way to Poole Quay where we rented a house in one of the old wharf buildings for a few years shortly after moving to Dorset - Black Redstart was one of the very few birds on our tiny courtyard garden list! In contrast, for sheer numbers of birds, Holes Bay in winter is difficult to beat, with the added bonus that many of them are habituated to people passing by on the shared pedestrian/cycle route which hugs the edge of the Bay. Large numbers of Wigeon, Teal and Pintail have been joined by scarcities including Smew and Goosander, while flocks of commoner waders sometimes pull in a Spotted Redshank or two.

Goosander by the PC World drain entrance, Holes Bay, 17th March 2024

Smew, Holes Bay, February 2015

Spotted Redshank, Holes Bay, 11 February 2017

The quintessential Holes Bay image: a scarce bird (Spoonbill) thriving amid the human detritus

A very confiding Black-throated Diver, Holes Bay, 6th January 2024

Continuing around Holes Bay eventually brings you to the Hamworthy Peninsula. I'm excluding Lytchett Bay from this post, despite that bringing a whole new world of other rarities into play, as it all gets a bit too green after Turlin Moor and every other bird in this post was seen and photographed standing on tarmac or concrete - so my final stop is Hamworthy Park, scene of one of the best birds of the festive season just gone - a male Snow Bunting which entertained many visiting birders whilst dodging dogs by the beach huts. I hope you enjoyed my urban birding tour as much as I enjoyed re-living it - and that you check out the north shore of Poole Harbour if you get the chance.