Trip to RSPB Arne

Sunday 29th December 2013 - what a fantastic day for birding with crystal clear, blue skies and wall-to-wall sunshine. Not even that cold either for the time of year! A trip to RSPB Arne, we felt, was way overdue and as usual it did not disappoint.

Thanks to meeting up with a friendly and helpful survey team from Birds of Poole Harbour, we were treated to great sightings of Avocet, Spoonbill, Grey Plover, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Red Breasted Merganser and more, through their awesome 50x Swarovski Spotting Scope. Must put one of those on my "must buy" list for 2014!

The scenery at Arne is, in my opinion, unparalleled in southern England with a fantastic and diverse wetland habitat, alongside breathtaking heathland which the RSPB work so hard to preserve. The reserve is about 3 miles from Wareham in Dorset at BH20 5BJ and well worth the trip.

Pictured (top left) is the view from Coombe Heath and a few pictures taken whilst we were with the Poole Harbour birding team, including some Oyster-catchers (middle left) in flight and a pair of Spoonbills (bottom left) who were feeding in the bay.

Spoonbills are rare in the UK with only small numbers visiting annually and Poole Harbour is one of the best places to see them in the UK.