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During the autumn, thousands of birds arrive on Brownsea, en route from the Arctic to warmer climes, including brent geese from Russia and waders from Canada and Greenland.Ìý

Some species of wading birds, particularly avocets and black-tailed godwits, are particularly fond of Brownsea due to the warmth provided by the brackish lagoon on the eastern side of the island.

Egrets are becoming a common sight in Dorset.

Bird watchers come from all over the country armed with long lenses and binoculars to try and catch a glimpse of the many species on and around the island.

Chris Thaine, Warden of the Dorset Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve on Brownsea Island said, "The lagoon provides a great sanctuary for these birds in what is a very busy harbour.

"The lagoon is 70 acres of complete refuge and so on a high tide, when the mud flats are covered, that's where they come and sit things out.

"Quite simply if you're an avocet, that's where you want to be.

Ìý"We're seeing internationally important flocks of avocet and black-tailed godwit building up slowly in the autumn and we get something like 25% of the UK's avocets on this lagoon."Ìý

Nesting sites

Other birds to be found on Brownsea include gulls, oystercatchers, mallards, cormorants and little egrets.

Birdwatchers in one of the hides

They nest on the banks and islands around the lagoon, and along the shore with Poole Harbour. Small gravel islands have been constructed in the water to provide nesting sites for common and sandwich terns.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý

Move inland and different birds can be found. The reedbeds in the island's nature reserve are home to reed warblers, water rails and wildfowl such as moorhens.

Little grebes, coots and tufted ducks reside over the two lakes and an area has been set up to encourage herons to breed.

The best chance of seeing the birds is from one of several hides overlooking the lagoon and the lakes.