Lesley Gorman, RSPB Dorset Reserves Visitor Operation Manager, shares her love of Dorset's Spoonbills and reveals why they are so special.
For me and many of our visitors, Spoonbills are one of our most unusual looking birds. I really look forward to them arriving at RSPB Arne and Poole Harbour each autumn, travelling from the Netherlands and western Europe.
Photo above: Spoonbill bending neck to feed in the water at RSPB Arne by Terry Bagley
In Dorset we have the largest over-wintering flock of Spoonbills in the country, with numbers peaking from late September to mid-October, although a couple of birds sometimes stay throughout the summer. The record number of Spoonbills recorded in Pool Harbour was approximately 84 in October 2022.
From a distance these large, white, heron-sized wading birds can be mistaken for Little Egrets. However, when you see them head-on you instantly understand where their name comes from. The adult birds have the most impressive long, flat, spoon-shaped bill.
Photo above flock of Spoonbill stood together in the water at RSPB Arne by Terry Bagley
In summer, mature birds have a yellow tip to their bill and develop yellow chest plumage together with an impressive shaggy white crest at the back of their head. They fly with their neck and long black legs extended forming a distinctive shape in the sky.
Photo above - Spoonbill stood in the water at RSPB Radipole Lake, Weymouth by Neil Bowler
Spoonbills are a very rare breeding bird in the UK and of European conservation concern. In recent years, a breeding colony of Spoonbills has established in Norfolk and this is the first UK breeding colony in over 300 years.
In the Middle Ages Spoonbills bred happily in southern England and Wales and in fact they regularly appeared on medieval menus. But numbers were falling by 1600, due to this persecution and the drainage of their wetland homes across Europe for agricultural purposes.
Photo above two spoonbills feeding in the water at RSPB Arne by Terry Bagley
The RSPB and other conservation organisations are steadily improving wetland landscapes across the country to benefit the wildlife that relies upon them, including Spoonbill and Bittern. Here in Dorset, we hope that our continued hard work to give Spoonbills a home will encourage them to breed in Poole Harbour in future years.
These beautiful birds are generally seen feeding in flocks at a few different locations at RSPB Arne. Watch them gently sweep their spoon-shaped bill from side to side in the shallow intertidal waters. Spoonbills detect the tiniest of movements in their bill and quickly catch a range of crustaceans, small fish, and other tiny creatures unlucky enough to be swept up. The Spoonbills tend to feed at low tide and so can spend vast amounts of daytime hours sleeping if the low tide falls at night. To see Spoonbills in action rather than snoozing, it’s a good idea to check the tide times before your visit to RSPB Arne.
To find out more about RSPB Arne and its amazing wildlife, click here.
For events at RSPB Arne, click here.
To keep up-to-date with news from RSPB Arne visit Facebook and Instagram