Spoonbill numbers continue to rise with now at least 66 in the harbour and mainly found on the Brownsea Island lagoon. 2 Little Stint were found amongst the larger flocks of Dunlin. Little Stint are similar in size to House Sparrows while Dunlin are a little larger, like a Starling. 10 Curlew Sandpiper, a single Knot and 15 Greenshank also on the lagoon.

A Osprey was spotted over Baiter and Poole Park, the observer drawn to the alarm calling gulls over head. The Osprey continued into the harbour and westwards along the northern shores of Brownsea Island. This was probably a newly arriving migrant. Another Osprey was seen at Lytchett Bay, catching a fish on it’s first attempt.

Lytchett Bay is getting busier with birds with a growing number of Wigeon (25) and 80 Teal. 10 Common Sandpiper were a high count for this area. 56 Redshank, 3 Spotted Redshank and 20 Greenshank were identified along with 6 Little Grebe. 

5 Glossy Ibis made a return to the same area off the Wareham bypass during the late afternoon.

Curlew Sandpiper – Brownsea Island lagoon – wildontheroad.bsky.social

Some pretty serious downpours tonight would have filled up the river valleys, making it perfect for the ongoing Glossy Ibis irruption. Yesterdays 5 were still on Lytchett Fields this morning and spent most of the day there before then heading off SW and were re-found in the Frome Valley near the Wareham by-pass. Yesterday there was a British record total of 605 birds logged across the country. While they used to be rare vagrants in the UK, sightings have really increased over the last decade as birds recolonise western Europe due to wetland restoration and, aided by climate change as the move north. They bred for the first time in the UK in 2022 in Cambridgeshire. This September’s arrival seems to be caused by birds dispersing in favourable winds from south-western Europe, along with very high breeding success in Spain and France from a growing population. Could this big influx encourage more birds to stay and breed? There was a flock of 91 in Devon yesterday so its likely we’ll see more over the next few weeks.

Grounded migrants were thin on the ground up around Ballard this morning but did include 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Common Whitethroat, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Tree Pipit, 15+ Chiffchaff and a light passage of House Martin, Sand Martin and Swallow. In the Lower Piddle Valley, Carey a good range of migrants were ringed including 2 Nightjar, 6 Grasshopper Warbler, 15 Sedge Warbler, 1 Redstart, 26 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler and 1 Tree Pipit. On the Brownsea Lagoon 2 Curlew Sandpiper were out in front of the Avocet Hide and c50 Spoonbill were on the Tamerisk Island. In Lytchett Bay 3 different Osprey visited, as did an adult White-tailed Eagle. A flock of 11 Cattle Egret were at Holmebridge/Worgret, another was on Wareham Common, 1 in Lytchett Bay and 2 in Middlebere.

Glossy Ibis – Lytchett Bay

With calmer conditions this last night and this morning, it obviously got some birds moving with a new Wryneck on Brownsea today, right in front of the new Lookout hide. Plus, this evening the Glossy Ibis influx reached the harbour with 5 settling on Lytchett Fields this afternoon before relocating to the bay. There were 6 Curlew Sandpiper off Jerry’s Point, 2 on the Brownsea Lagoon and 2 on Lytchett Fields. Cattle Egret also seem to be arriving with 4 at Middlebere/Wytch Lake, 4 at Holme Bridge, 1 at Lytchett Fields and 2 at the Wareham Causeway. Wheatear, Whinchat and Stonechat seem a regular fix for the southern harbour heathlands, an Osprey was over Middlebere and 2 were in the Wareham Channel. The Spoonbill flock on Brownsea was 55 and a Great White Egret was at Swineham.

Northern Wheatear – Middlebere

The final Osprey cruise of the season provided the variety of species you’d expect during autumn migration. Two adult Osprey were seen, one perched on the Arne coastline, another briefly flying along the edge of the Wareham channel. As the storm clouds gathered overhead, birds kept lower in the skies with large groups of hirundines gathering and a flock of 13 Little Tern made a rapid entrance and southerly flight across the channel. Two Spoonbill were in flight looking for shallow areas during the high tide. 4 Bar-tailed Godwit fed along the sandy, quiet beaches of Arne and at least 10 Common sandpiper and 4 Redshank were feeding along the strand line of the northern edge of Brownsea Island.

On the Brownsea lagoon passage waders were in good numbers with 4 Curlew sandpiper, 4 Knot 2 Little Stint and a further 3 Bar-tailed Godwit. Dunlin numbers now exceed 100, 25 Ringed plover, 20 Redshank and 30 Avocet. The Spoonbill numbers are now at 63 including the 2 seen earlier.

Later in the day, 2 Grey plover, 8 Sanderling and a single Little Stint also seen on the Brownsea lagoon.

At Brands Bay, Studland, Great-crested Grebe (17) numbers are steadily increasing as wintering and passage birds arrive in the Harbour. 1 Little Stint, 29 Turnstone, 58 Redshank and 106 Bar-tailed Godwit also showing that passage migration is in full flow. A single, un-ringed juvenile Osprey was also seen and photographed having recently caught a fish.

At Lytchett Bay, Shoveler numbers are increasing with 6 individuals (4 also seen on Brownsea lagoon). 1 Ruff, 24 Greenshank, 2 Green sandpiper and 4 Spotted Redshank. A Pale-morph juvenile Honey Buzzard was seen flying overhead.

Avocet – Brownsea Island lagoon – Alison Copland

Spoonbill – Brownsea Island lagoon – Alison Copland

Juvenile Osprey with fish – Brands Bay, Studland – Birds of Poole Harbour

Another big push of migration in the harbour today, with the Lower Piddle Valley ringing station catching 172 birds, including 1 Redstart, 43 Blackcap, 39 Sedge Warbler, 11 Willow Warbler, 27 Chiffchaff, 1 Nightjar, 2 Firecrest, and 5 Tree Pipit. Our morning Osprey Cruise was very productive with 5 Ospreys seen including 1 juvenile and 1 very distant White-tailed Eagle. At Swineham, 2 Bearded Tit were briefly seen and heard and 1 Water Rail was calling from the reeds. There was plenty to see on Brownsea Lagoon including 5 Knot, 58 Spoonbill, c150 Common Ringed Plover, 20 Avocet, and 10 Greenshank. The fun began even before we left the quay, with 1 Wheatear on the rocks, 5 Yellow Wagtail and 1 Tree Pipit flying over. Plus, there was 1 Kingfisher on the Quay and another on the Brownsea Lagoon. There were 2 different Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel, with an adult female and a juvenile. There were more Wheatear  moving today with 5 on Hartland, 1 on Poole Quay, 3 at Greenlands Farm and 1 on Brownsea.

Knot – Brownsea Lagoon – Mark Wright

The stormy conditions brought with it some nice birds in the Wareham Channel with a small, all dark Skua species that was sadly too distant to identify. A Glossy Ibis also dropped in to Arne Moors this morning. The first Pintail of the Autumn dropped in to Holes Bay today along with 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Knot, 302 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Dunlin and 1 fishing Osprey. From our Osprey Cruises we also had at least 5 Osprey, 2 Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel and on the Brownsea Lagoon there were 27 Spoonbill, 12 Avocet, 4 Knot and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit.

Spoonbill from our Osprey Cruise this AM – Brownsea Lagoon – Mark Wright

Incredibly early record of 12 Dark-bellied Brent Geese flying into the harbour this afternoon during the stormy conditions. We normally don’t see the first birds coming in until early/mid-October. There was a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper on the Brownsea Lagoon from our Osprey Cruise this morning along with c50 new Bar-tailed Godwit, 8 Spoonbill and a further 20 in Wytch Lake. There was a possible juvenile Arctic Tern on the sandspit of Long Island. 2 late Swift were over Tower Park and another 2 were over Middle Beach, Studland. In Lytchett Bay there were 2 Osprey, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Spotted Redshank, 15 Greenshank and 1 Whimbrel. At the Middlebere Channel this evening there was a good count of 31 Yellow Wagtail amongst the cattle and horses, before heading off to roost. There were also 2 Spotted Redshank, 7 Greenshank, c100 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Hobby and 1 Osprey. At Swineham this evening 1 Ruff was on the newly filled Swineham ‘Stilt Pools’. The Brownsea Lagoon also had c150 Ringed Plover, 4 Knot and c100 Dunlin. Finally, at Holmebridge this afternoon 21 Cattle Egret were with cows just west of the bridge.

Greenshank – Lytchett Fields RSPB – petey632.bsky.social

The Lower Piddle Valley ringing station hit the jackpot today with an Aquatic Warbler trapped and ringed during the weather fronts. These stripier version of a sedge warbler breed in eastern Europe, mainly in Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania. During the spring migration these fen and mire loving warblers head straight from Western Africa to the breeding grounds. During the autumn, their route takes them more west across Europe and in certain wind conditions they are known to skirt the southern edges of the UK. So far, this is the third individual to be seen in the UK this autumn. The global population is only around 8000 singing males. Through bird ringing, their wintering location in Africa has now been identified and protected and the population is being carefully monitored.

Read here for more information about this species.

Lytchett Bay showed further signs of autumnal migration with growing numbers of juvenile Black-tailed Godwits having now started their journey south. 17 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Osprey and 14 Swallow also recorded.

At Arne, 8 Spoonbill out of a growing total of over 50 in the harbour were seen from Middlebere. 3 Osprey and a single Marsh harrier were also seen.

The afternoon Osprey cruise had 3 Osprey including male 022 from the Carey nest site. 022 would still be catching fish for any of his off spring that still remain in the harbour. Great views of a Marsh harrier, 1 Peregrine Falcon and a single 1yr old White-tailed Eagle flew high over-head. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 52 Spoonbill, 7 Greenshank, c150 Ringed Plover, 3 Knot and c200 Dunlin.

Aquatic Warbler – Lower Piddle Valley – Ed Betteridge

Thats it….August done. Nothing but the waft of autumn smells and steely grey sky’s over coastal sites to get birders hearts racing. Autumn migration has been well under way for weeks and weeks, but Sept, Oct and Nov autumn migration is the real deal, with the first Redwings due later this month, plus the opportunity for a multitude of other rarer scarcer species on the potential hit list. With the strong south-westerlies  the last week, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper…..Western Sandpiper all enter day-dreaming braincells, whilst passages of Swallows and House Martins stream overhead.

September got off to a good start with the (now annual) Forster’s Tern logged off Shipstal Point, RSPB Arne this afternoon. We have been keeping an eye out from our Osprey Cruises over the last few weeks, semi-expecting it to be back at some point, and right on cue, it showed up. Ospreys are still here in good numbers despite the weather with 3 in Lytchett Bay this afternoon and several around the Wareham Channel and Middlebere. There were 2 new White-tailed Eagles around briefly with a 2024 juvenile in the Wareham Channel this afternoon and a juv from this years IOW release which tracked just north of the harbour briefly. There was a Wigeon in Brands Bay, 2 Spotted Redshank at Lytchett Fields, 3 Spoonbill at Middlebere and it was also good to see our 2023 male Osprey 5H3 is still in and around the harbour, which is excellent news for a potential 3rd nest next year!

Male Osprey 5H3 – Lytchett Bay – Mark Wright