Today was another fine spring morning, despite the forecast of degrading conditions. Swifts and Swallow were swooping low over Swineham and a Little Ringed Plover was on the flooded pools there. An Osprey was circling high above Arne by mid morning and was later seen in the Wareham Channel with another (or the same) resting up at Morden Bog for most of the afternoon. In the Corfe River Valley near Wytch Farm 2 Cuckoo were calling and there were plenty of common spring migrants such as Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing. Dartford Warbler and Stonechat were in fine voice on Slepe Heath and on Godlingston a single Wheatear and 2 Cuckoo. Near the chain ferry at South Haven a single White Wagtail was logged. On the Brownsea Lagoon a full high tide count was conducted and it seems there has finally been a big clear out of waders with only 6 Avocet, 1 Greenshank, 2 Common Redshanks, 105 Dunlin, 6 Ringed Plover, 2 Turnstone, 1 Whimbrel, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, 50 Oystercatcher and 1 Common Sandpiper however Tern numbers had built with 145+ Sandwich Tern and 82+ Common Tern. The terns are however late back on to their breeding islands and although some have settled we’d thought more would be nest building/on eggs by now.

Chaffinch – Holton Lee – John Pick

Little Egret – Whitecliff- John Pick

Oystercatcher – Whitecliff – John Pick

The day got off to a cracking start when a drake Garganey was first found on the small pools just south of Swineham GP where the Glossy Ibis then also suddenly appeared for a brief preen before moving off NE towards the gravel pits. Also at Swineham were 2 singing Cuckoo’s, 4 Reed Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, c10 Swift, 1, 1 Red Kite and 6 Gadwall. At Arne there was another Cuckoo, 2 Osprey and 4 Whimbrel. At Lytchett Fields there were just singles of Spoonbill, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel and Dunlin. There were 2 Hobby active again above HartlandThere was also a report of a Black Kite over Hartland Moor kid afternoon, if anyone has any info or photos that relate to this bird we’d be really interested in hearing about it.

Today provided another day in paradise as Bank Holiday record-breaking temperatures hit the headlines. The birds, well, they didn’t mind at all and with lots of insect life now on the wing species such as Hobby took full advantage as dragonflies began emerging from heathland ponds. There were 3 Hobby over Hartland, 1 over Middlebere and another over Wareham water meadows near the bypass bridge. Red Kite were again on the move with 3 over Wareham Common, 5 over Lytchett Matravers, 1 over Sandford and 1 over Studland. Its no surprise that with these stunning summer sunsets over the Bank Holiday weekend that Nightjars suddenly began to sing at dusk with birds back at Arne and on Brownsea. There was also the first spring arrival of Ruff with a single at Lytchett Fields and 3 on the Brownsea Lagoon. An Osprey was seen fishing in the Wareham Channel and then 2 were seen early evening at Morden Bog. On Brownsea Sandwich Tern numbers are building very slowly with only one of the islands in front of the Mac Hide being used and its worrying to see that next to no Common Terns have settled yet on the other islands…are the Canada Geese imposing too much?

Sandwich Tern – Brownsea Lagoon – Rene Goad

Mute Swan – Poole Park – Johm Pick Grendon

What a bank holiday weekend it’s turning out to be! Absolute scorchio. This big area of high pressure certainly prompted birds of prey to move with Red Kites being the most notable. Across the whole county many were seen drifting over with 1 over Baiter, 3 over Arne, 8 over Lytchett Matravers, 2 over Slepe Heath and 1 over Studland.  The Glossy Ibis that was seen earlier in the week (and presumed gone) reappeared heading low east over Swineham GP this morning but couldn’t be relocated, however its good to know its still around and will be well worth checking the pools and fields in that area. The River Frome walk produced an excellent total of warblers including 21 Cetti’s Warbler, 46 Reed Warbler, 3 Sedge Warbler (well down on last year), 4 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff and 1 Common Whitethroat along with 2 Bearded Tit, 10 Reed Bunting and 2 Raven.  At Lytchett Fields/Bay there was just a single passage Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, c30 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Egyptian Geese and 2 Common Whitethroat. At Arne the Osprey was again in Middlebere with 20 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Curlew, 5 Ringed Plover and 2 Dunlin in the channel and 2 Wheatear were on Coombe Heath. 

Red Kite – Slepe Heath 

This morning we hosted our dawn chorus walk at Challow Hill, Corfe. Although a bit cold to begin with, as soon as the sun peaked above the crest of the hill we were treated to a perfect early May day. On the edge of Challow Hill, 8 Common Whitethroat, c10 Yellowhammer, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Stonechat, 1 Dartford Warbler and c5 Linnet were logged and on top of the hill several Skylark were in full song and a Cuckoo flew along the ridge. Elsewhere around the harbour, over Slepe heath/Arne Moors 6 Hobby were actively feeding together, a Red Kite over Ridge, a Marsh Harrier was in the Wareham Channel and an Osprey was in Middlebere. On Slepe Heath there was a single Tree Pipit, several Dartford Warbler and We also found a singing male Common Redstart on the eastern edge of Hartland Moor which gave us a good opportunity to sound record its song. Common Redstart are excellent mimics and we’ve cut some sections of this birds song allowing you to hear the its amazing mimicry. Each strophe starts the same with a single call, then four ‘buzzier’ calls then the final section is the imitation, apart from the final example we’ve provided where the bird gives up totally on its own song and completely steals another’s! 

Common Redstart mimicking Green Sandpiper – East Hartland – 05/05/18

Common Redstart mimicking Chaffinch – East Hartland – 05/05/18

 Common Redstart mimicking Siskin – East Hartland – 05/05/18

Common Redstart mimicking Blackbird – East Hartland – 05/05/18

Dawn Chorus Walk – Challow Hill – Barbara Bisset

This was exactly how a May bank holiday should begin, with warm sunshine, clear sky and a gentle easterly breeze full of eastern promise. It was great conditions for finding and seeing birds today and lots of sightings were reported from around the harbour. At dawn, Cuckoo’s were calling along the Arne Road, Soldiers Road and at Swineham. Later in the day there were numerous Hobby around Slepe Heath and Hartland area with one perching up regularly on the northern boundary of Slepe Heath. There was a single Spoonbill on Giggers Island in the Wareham Channel and in the river Frome 3 Common Sandpiper were on the exposed mud with another 2 on the Brownsea shoreline. Whimbrel were much in evidence around the harbour in numerous fields and wet pastures. At Sunnyside Farm 8 Wheatear and a male Yellow Wagtail were on the open fields. Highlights of the day though go to a Wood Warbler that was in the Arne car park briefly and a male Goshawk that drifted up over the Wareham Channel whilst an almost equally good sighting was a Marsh Harrier in the mouth of the Frome (a rare sight in May now). At Lytchett Fields there was a Lesser Whitethroat, 1 ad Yellow-legged Gull and 6 Whimbrel.

Hobby – Slepe Heath 

Stonechat – Slepe Heath 

A chance encounter at 7:50am of an Osprey flying over the Sherford Bridge road heading towards the harbour allowed us to track it all the way to the Wareham Channel and then finally to Arne where a good enough view was obtained to see it was un-ringed. There was also a gathering of 6 Hobby over the Arne Road, Slepe Heath area at midday. At Swineham there were 23 Whimbrel in the fields behind ‘Curlews cottage’ and a Cuckoo was calling next to the B&B. At Lytchett Bay a Grasshopper Warbler was singing behind the waterworks at the end of Slough Lane and 5 Whimbrel were on Lytchett Fields. On the Brownsea Lagoon the Common Terns have finally taken to the breeding islands in front of the hides giving us a great opportunity to stream live footage in to our Birds of Poole Harbour HQ on Poole Quay.

Common Terns displaying on the Brownsea Lagoon via our BoPH HQ webcam on Poole Quay

Much of the same today with an Osprey over Arne and the Wareham Channel, 4 Hobby over Arne and 2 over Hartland, 1 Spoonbill in Middlebere, 6 Wheatear at Sunnyside and 2 at Middlebere.  

What a great start to the month! After a pretty dire April, May began with a bang as a hat-trick of great birds were found in the harbour today. It started off with a White Stork that was first seen heading SW over Canford Heath before then being spotted several minuets later over Stoborough heading west up the Frome Valley, making this only the 11^th Poole Harbour record. Then, about 30 minuets later Richard Howe’s found Poole Harbours twentieth Glossy Ibis, although out of those twenty only five have been in recorded in the last ten years and the other fifteen dating pre-1877 making Glossy Ibis a very rare bird within the harbour. Then, around midday a summer plumaged Cattle Egret was found at Swineham in amongst cattle on the north side of the River Frome. Sadly it upped and left west into the Frome Valley but there’s a good chance its still around with plenty of good habitat locally with grazing cattle. There was also a great supporting cast with a Spoonbill in Middlebere, 19 Whimbrel and 12 Wheatear at Greenlands Farm and a single Yellowhammer at South Haven (very scarce here). Hobby were seen over the Lytchett Fields, Wareham bypass and Greenland’s Farm with Cuckoo also at Greenland’s and another at Swineham. In Poole Harbour mouth 60 Common Tern were feeding in the tidal race on the morning tidal run and a Spotted Flycatcher was on Brownsea. At Lytchett Fields there were 196 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Greenshank, 4 Whimbrel, 1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Little Ringed Plover. In Holes Bay NE there were also 4 Whimbrel. In the PCW Drain a single Willow Warbler was singing and there were 3 Blackcap and 1 Whitethroat. An Osprey was hunting in the Wareham Channel mid afternoon and early evening and a passage Marsh Harrier passed through the west of the harbour. 

Glossy Ibis – Lytchett Fields – Richard Howe’s

Well, that’s April over and done with. Sadly it didn’t end on a warm or even remotely mild high. In fact we had to have the heating on in our office it was that cold. Still, May is on its way and things can only get better…right? It seemed today that there were a few hangers on (new arrivals)? From yesteday’s migrant fest with 2 Whinchat and 10 Wheatear at Sunnyside Farm, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Wheatear, 1 Garden Warbler and a Red Kite at Lytchett Bay and another (or the same) Red Kite over the Bakers Arms early Morning and 2 over Studland Bay. On the Asda building in Poole Holes Bay, the 1^st year male Peregrine was again resting on the eastern side. 

Spotted Flycatcher – Lytchett Bay – Ian Ballam

Peregrine Falcon – Asda, Holes Bay