It was all about the raptors today. Both male and female White-tailed Eagles G801 and G816 were hanging out together in the Wareham Channel before heading off high over Wareham Forest. Also out over and around the Wareham Channel area a Goshawk was seen heading east and male Osprey 022 was seen catching a fish. There was also a new Osprey seen in the harbour today which was seen in near Wareham Forest and the Lower Piddle Valley, before then causing a bit of hassle in the harbour at the nest site. Also over the Wareham Channel were 4 Marsh Harrier, 1 Red Kite and 3 Peregrine were at Corfe Castle.

Distant photo of both White-tailed Eagles out on RSPB Arne Moors (No access) – Garry Hayman

A windy day, but good news in that male White-tailed Eagle G816 arrived back into the harbour this afternoon, joining the current female G801. A White-tailed Eagle was seen over Candford Heath, heading towards the harbour which is likely to have been him. The female G801 had already been seen from our Summer Safari Cruise this morning in the Wareham Channel where 2 Marsh Harrier were also active near their nest sites. In the mouth of the Frome a family party of Bearded Tit were active on the edge of the reed bed, and the first passage Curlew were feeding out on Arne Moors. At Swineham a pair of Egyptian Geese had a young (newly hatched) family in tow and multiple newly fledged Black-headed Gull are now present in amongst the numerous building gull flocks. On the Brownsea Lagoon a drake Wigeon was a surprise, and there were also 6 Black-tailed Godwit along with the first newly fledged Sandwich Tern seen on the wing. On the north Brownsea shore Oystercatcher had moderately sized chicks along with another pair on the lagoon it’s self. At Lytchett Fields passage is building already with 7 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Common Sandpiper, 10 Redshank, 12 Lapwing and 2 Teal, and yesterday evening an adult Yellow-legged Gull was in the bay.

Tawny Owl – Scotland Farm – OTBT birder (Twitter @BirderOtbt)

White-tailed Eagle – Holton Heath – Tony Furnell

White-tailed Eagle G801 was seen in Lytchett Bay briefly this morning and there were 2 Green Sandpiper on Lytchett Fields. There were up to 3 Hobby active over the Lower Piddle Valley and 3 Marsh Harrier were in the Wareham Channel. It’s also great to see that despite the issues elsewhere in the UK regarding bird flu, that this years Sandwich Terns have begun fledging already on the Brownsea Lagoon. There are also plenty of juvenile Tawny Owl calling at the moment, and an evening stroll around your local woodland could result in hearing several calling around the area. It’s a distinct, repetitive nasal call type which they’ll  continue to do through July and even into late August. Below is a recording from an early brood that fledged in early May 2019 near Wareham.

Juvenile Sandwich Tern – Brownsea Lagoon – Mark Wright

A White-tailed Eagle was in Lytchett Bay this evening, being chased by gulls out over Otter Island, towards the Wareham Channel. A Hobby was hunting in the Lower Piddle Valley near Swineham and another was further up the valley. It seems to have been a great season for Dartford Warbler with many territories across all heathland sites, with juveniles now begining to appear.

Sandwich Tern feeding young – Brownsea Lagoon – Clare Slade

Again another blustery day, but some stunning photos were taken of some stunning birds. This morning 2 fully summer plumaged Cattle Egret were at Lytchett Fields briefly, both looking as good as they could possibly look. Then, later today the 2 Roseate Tern were again on the Brownsea Lagoon and some more stunning photos were taken of them as they moved between the tern islands. There were also a minimum of 11 juvenile Sandwich Tern at the newly found nesting site at the gull islands in the Wareham Channel with 18 adults present.

Roseate Tern – Brownsea Lagoon – Mark Wright

Cattle Egret – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Cattle Egret – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Roseate Tern – Brownsea Lagoon – Clare Slade

A pretty blustery day, but 5 Little Ringed Plover at Lytchett Fields was notable, suggesting some autumn passage was underway, or certainly some local movements. The 2 Roseate Tern were seen again on the Brownsea Lagoon and there was a Spoonbill on there too.

Roseate Terns – Brownsea Lagoon – Nicki Tutton

Some good news today that a new White-tailed Eagle arrived into the harbour, this time a male and was briefly seen flying over Swineham with what was assumed to be the other White-tailed Eagle, female G801 who’s been around on and off since March. Also in the Wareham Channel was a single Great White Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier, 11 Curlew and a flock of 6 Lapwing. In Middlebere there were 2 Spoonbill. Last night we hosted another Puffin Cruise and were treated to great views of 3 Puffin, as well as good sized rafts of Guillemot and Razorbill, with close fly by of Gannet. Then, when we got back to the quay 2 Peregrine were on top of the large crane, 1 juvenile and an adult.

Atlantic Puffins – Dancing Ledge – Alison Copland

Northern Gannet – Durlston – Rene Goad

The highlight of today’s sightings are 2 Roseate Tern that have put in an appearance on Brownsea Lagoon, dipping in and out of the Sandwich Tern colony. 1 Spoonbill was seen again in the Middlebere Channel this morning. There was 1 Red Kite reported over Lytchett Bay this afternoon, and it’s been great news to hear that the Lytchett Bay View has been granted Local Nature Reserve status. After the arrival of Green Sandpiper this week, it was only a matter of time before we saw the first Spotted Redshank of the “autumn”, with one seen on the Brownsea Lagoon yesterday, looking stunning in its summer plumage.

Yesterday’s Puffin and Seabird Cruise was fantastic, with perfect weather conditions for venturing up the Jurassic Coast. We had several close fly-bys from Mediterranean Gulls as we passed Durlston, with one distant Gannet also visible. There were high numbers of Guillemots also at Durlston, with several Fulmar also visible on the cliffs.  At Dancing Ledge, we saw 4 Puffin, as well as fantastic views of Razorbill amongst the Guillemot rafts, and 6 Kittiwake on the cliffs. We were also able to confirm breeding Peregrine success at Durlston, with a juvenile visible with the male on the cliffs, as well as another individual at Old Harry.

Roseate Tern – Brownsea Lagoon – Nikki Tutton

Spotted Redshank – Brownsea Lagoon yesterday – Hamish Murray

Late info from yesterday, 2 more early Common Sandpiper were on a mooring in the Frome near Swineham and Lapwing breeding was confirmed in the Lower Piddle Valley near the mouth of the River Piddle with 4 chicks present. On Ballard there were 2 Yellowhammer. 

Yellowhammer – Ballard Down