It was a bit of a raptor-fest up at Careys Secret Garden today for our Osprey Tours with sightings of 2 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine, 2 Sparrowhawk, 10 Buzzard, 1 Hobby and of course the local Osprey pair and chicks. In the afternoon the pair began alarm calling and 022 headed off at high speed to see off an adult White-tailed Eagle which was also battling with a Buzzard! 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Woodlark and 1 Cuckoo were also seen/heard. 2 Osprey were fishing in the Wareham Channel this morning so one of these birds could be a 2-year old migrant. 1 2nd calendar year Marsh Harrier was at Morden Bog along with 2 Hobby.

 Nightjar Churring this week from our Young Birders Event – Slepe Heath

We had a fabulous last Spring Safari Cruise of the year this morning! We saw 1 adult White-tailed Eagle from the local pair drifting high over RSPB Arne whilst being distracted by 1 Peregrine Falcon being mobbed by 1 immature Herring Gull. In the Wareham Channel, we had the nesting Marsh Harrier pair flying low over Giggers Island. With such a low tide in the harbour this morning, lots of mud was exposed, with c25 Black-tailed Godwit foraging and a Common Seal hauled up in the mouth of the River Piddle. We heard 1 Water Rail squealing in the reeds at Swineham, alongside 2 Reed Warbler and 3 Reed Bunting. Once again Brownsea Lagoon was producing lots of good birds, with 1 breeding plumage Turnstone, 4 Spoonbill, 3 Ringed Plover, and 2 Sanderling with c20 Dunlin. Along the Brownsea Island shoreline, we spotted 2 Bar-tailed Godwit. Elsewhere in the harbour today, 1 unseasonal winter plumage Great Northern Diver was present in Brands Bay, Studland, alongside 1 Lapwing, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Whimbrel and 4 Curlew. 1 Red Kite was seen over Poole Quay early this morning. From Coombe Heath at RSPB Arne 1 Buzzard, 3 Avocet, and 1 Marsh Harrier were spotted in the Middlebere Channel.

Juvenile Spoonbill – Middlebere Channel – @dizzygirl66.bsky.social

A bit of sunshine on our Spring Safari Cruise this morning and some great birds seen too. We were delighted to see the nesting pair of Marsh Harrier perform a food pass over Giggers Island. It looked like the prey of choice was a Bank Vole. There was 1 Little Ringed Plover again on Stilt Pools, Swineham. Over on Brownsea Lagoon, there were 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, with another feeding along the northern Shoreline. We had some stunning fly-bys of Common Tern and Sandwich Tern, alongside a smart adult pair of Mediterranean Gull on the lagoon. First seen feeding in a tern flock in the central harbour, were 4 Little Tern which we later then spotted sat in amongst a flock of Sandwich Tern on Brownsea Lagoon. We don’t often see Little Tern in the harbour, with the closest nesting birds being at Chesil Beach in West Dorset. 2 Whimbrel were seen, one on the Arne shoreline and another on the northern shoreline of Brownsea Island. 3 Dartford Warbler were seen at Ham Common Viewpoint and 3 pairs of Teal were seen at Sherford Pools at RSPB Lytchett Fields. Later this afternoon, a Little Gull was sat on the Boomerang on Brownsea Lagoon. In other exciting news, the fourth and final Osprey chick has hatched on the Carey nest in the early hours of this morning! It’s fantastic to see the whole family doing well, and CJ7 and 022 carefully distributing the fish to ensure every chick is well-fed.

Dartford Warbler – Ham Common Viewpoint – @dpnotts.bsky.social

Four Osprey chicks on the nest!

Another rainy and blustery day in the harbour today. We are eagerly awaiting the hatching of the fourth egg on the Carey Osprey nest, which should be in the next 24 hours. You can just about see a pip on the fourth egg. Not long now! Elsewhere in the harbour, summering wildfowl numbers have been increasing in Lytchett Bay, with a count of 79 Mallard, 24 Shelduck, and 40+ Canada Geese. Also, in the arable field there were 2 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, and 1 Oystercatcher. At RSPB Lytchett Fields, there were 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Great White Egret, and 20+ Swift overhead. At Stilt Pools, Swineham, there were 2 Little Ringed Plover.

3 Osprey chicks, one egg left to hatch!

We had another intruding Osprey at the Carey nest today who landed on the nest while 022 and CJ7 were also sat there. She turned out to be Rutland female 3H9 back again, when she appeared on another nest platform in the harbour with 022. She’s been seen at a few other spots around the south coast over the last few weeks, so hopefully, she will stick around and could be a future local breeder! 1 Hobby and 1 Red Kite were over Wareham Forest today. Another Hobby was seen flying over Swineham gravel pit. At Holton Heath there was the, sadly rare within Poole Harbour, sighting of 1 Marsh Tit calling. Also present were 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Tree Pipit and 2 Woodlark.

022 (left) with 3H9 (right) on another nest platform in the harbour

A more blustery day in the harbour today with some fantastic interactions between birds of prey from our Spring Safari Cruise this morning. In the Wareham Channel we had local male Osprey 022 catch a fish and then be harassed by a Buzzard. Soon after, 022 began skydancing, while carrying the fish, to see off an intruder Osprey in proximity to a Red Kite! This intruding Osprey was driven off towards Middlebere and was later photographed as 1AO, a Scottish ringed male who we are still waiting to hear back on info, in terms of his life history. We then had a food pass between the Marsh Harrier pair in the Wareham Channel, and most amazingly of all, a late female Merlin caught a Dunlin on the Brownsea Lagoon as pictured below! c40 Dunlin were on the Brownsea Lagoon along with 5 Bar-tailed Godwit and the usual Common Tern and Sandwich Tern, busy caring for eggs and chicks. There was no sign of the Roseate Tern today. 1 Hobby flew over the Wareham Channel and 2 Bearded Tit were in the mouth of the River Frome. 1 Spoonbill was in the Middlebere Channel.

We also had the exciting news this morning that the third Osprey chick on the Careys Secret Garden nest had hatched overnight! Hopefully the final one will be out in the next 48 hours or so!

Female Merlin with Dunlin prey from our Spring Safari – Brownsea Lagoon – dpnotts.bsky.social

Scottish ringed Osprey – 1AO – Middlebere Channel – ‪dizzygirl66.bsky.social‬

3 Osprey Chicks on the Nest Webcams first thing this morning

Marsh Harrier food pass in the Wareham Channel from our Spring Safari – ‪dpnotts.bsky.social‬

A more blustery day in the harbour, but that brought with it a Roseate Tern on the Brownsea Lagoon. It was first seen on the boomerang island before later being seen briefly by the South Haven houseboats in the afternoon. 1 Red Kite was over Coombe Heath, RSPB Arne and 1 Cattle Egret was at Middlebere. 1 Whimbrel was at the Turlin Moor viewpoint in Lytchett Bay. At Swineham, first thing this morning there was 1 Cattle Egret, 1 Cuckoo, 5 Ringed Plover and 3 Bearded Tit.

Red Kite – Coombe Heath, RSPB Arne – Mark Wright

The Holes Bay Asda Peregrine chicks were ringed this AM. A great recovery and result after the previous adults both died of presumed bird flu in 2023. A new pair established in late 2023 and set up the territory during 2024. Now 4 chicks! The Common Tern chicks on the Brownsea Lagoon have also now begun hatching. There were 2 Little Gull in-between North Haven and Brownsea Lagoon.

The report of the Wryneck from yesterday was confirmed as seen yesterday at Morden Bog but not seen today. It could still be around so worth a look but only vocal Hobby were seen/heard today. 1 White-tailed Eagle was seen soaring over Corfe Castle.

Common Terns on nests – Brownsea Lagoon – Nicki Tutton