Birds of Poole Harbour boat trip with Spoonbills and a White-tailed Eagle - 11th October 2026

I had booked a birdwatching boat trip round Poole Harbour on Sunday afternoon, which turned out to be overcast, but mainly dry

We firstly headed to Brownsea Lagoon where, looking over the sea wall, I saw Curlews and Oystercatchers, plus other small wading birds

View of the sea wall surrounding Brownsea Lagoon

Grey Plover on the far left and what I think maybe a group of Knot on the right

Spoonbills and Oystercatchers on land inside the lagoon

More Spoonbills were standing in the shallow water

Looking towards Brownsea Island with the houses, holiday cottages and castle near the harbour

Plenty of Avocet in the lagoon

Bird hide at the other side of Brownsea Lagoon

Little Egret standing just outside the lagoon

Curlews, Oystercatchers and mixed waders in the shallow water of the lagoon

When we left Brownsea Island, we came across a flight of Sinensis Cormorants

The Cormorants landed in water in front of a Little Egret tree

We were on the trail of a White-tailed Eagle and the guys on the boat showed us a full-scale cut-out!!

Then, in the distance, we saw the real thing perching on a tree on one of the little islands -

a female White-tailed Eagle on a branch in the centre of the photograph below!

I zoomed in on the eagle!

The Eagle is still there - on the right above the highest section of ochre cliff!

Then she flew over the water in order to try and steal a fish from a seal - she failed and I also failed as I missed taking a photograph and just caught her heading back to the island!

Distant Marsh Harrier perching on a post to the left of a group of Cormorants and Little Egrets

Bellowing Sika stag in the reeds near Swineham

Sika stag just visible on the other side of the river at newly-developed Arne Moors

Heading back to Poole we passed the holiday park where I was spending the week

My mobile home was on the second row just to the left of the top of the steps down to the water 

- wish I could have afforded to be on the front row!

 

Birds and wildlife in the woodland and on the lagoon on Brownsea Island - 10th October 2026

When I first arrived on Brownsea Island, I went to the woodland to try and see some Red Squirrels.

They obviously knew that the boat had just arrived and were in hiding!

Instead I saw a Speckled Wood butterfly

and what appears to be the only remaining Peacock on the island, which was standing in the churchyard

I then went to the Dorset Wildlife Trust area, where distant Spoonbills were flying above the lagoon

They landed and were standing in a row in shallow water - viewed from the Tern hide

I caught a glimpse of a female Stonechat on brambles near the lagoon

where a Chiffchaff was trying to hide

I then went to the Avocet hide, where a Redshank was being blown about in the wind

I was lucky in that a beautiful Grey Plover was wading around right in front of the hide

Three Spoonbills were wading in the shallow water

An Avocet was standing in front of the hide

It was lunch-time for a Redshank

Bar-tailed Godwit marching in front of the hide

Little and large - Grey Plover and Godwit!

Large Brittany ferry sailing across Poole Harbour behind the Brownsea Lagoon sea wall

The Godwits were disturbed by something and took to the air

so did a very large group of Avocets

I left the lagoon and went for a walk in the woodland where I came across a male Pheasant

a female Common Darter dragonfly

and - at last - a Red Squirrel

Back at the lagoon - there was a row of Redshanks near a little spit of land

and the Avocets took to the air again

Just before I left the island on the last ferry to Poole, I saw another Red Squirrel searching for food 

- unfortunately, in the wrong position for a good photograph