RSPB Arne :: 15 February 2016

Visiting my eldest in Bournemouth during the school half term - as good an excuse as I need. Great few days break and also made it possible to make another visit to RSPB Arne. Started again with lunch at Mortons House, a 16th century Grade 2 Elizabethan manor house hotel and restaurant in the heart of historic Corfe Castle. The hotel is said to have been previously linked by underground tunnels to Corfe Castle. . Over the garden wall the steam train to Swanage passed by - must try and get down to the station at the right time to see the approach from a better angle.Many more people at the reserve than last October but the weather was significantly better.

Decided to try the green route again and picked up a few species in the wood prior to our encounter with the ska deer. Soon after this a pair of jay passed by - just managed a record shot. Once we got to the beach we could see a diving duck offshore - eventually spotted more and identified as red-breasted merganser, a year tick. Continued round to the hide and picked up curlew, spoonbill and a great black backed gull over. Spun back on the red route and found a pair of missile thrush in a large field with jackdaw and carrion crow.

When we reached the reserve visitor centre we also added nuthatch and great spotted woodpecker. Unfortunately didn't have time to make loop round the Coombe Heath trail so missed avocet and dartford warbler.

Sightings (34) included: robin, blue tit, great tit, chaffinch, coal tit, siskin, house sparrow, greenfinch, goldfinch, blackbird, woodpigeon, carrion crow, wren, jay, goldcrest, oystercatcher, redshank, great crested grebe, red-breasted merganser, wigeon, shelduck, teal, spoonbill, mallard, curlew, herring gull, black headed gull, lesser black backed gull, great black backed gull, magpie, jackdaw, mistle thrush, nuthatch and great spotted woodpecker.