After the storm last night some passage migrants may have been forced to drop into the harbour for shelter. The bad weather has certainly meant Ospreys are still being sighted in good numbers as they haven’t all migrated yet! With 3 different individuals catching a fish each from Middlebere this morning. Single birds were also spotted at Ham Common, Lytchett Bay and Holes Bay. Good variety of waders at Lytchett today with 10 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Ruff, 7 Common Snipe, c25 Dunlin and 3 Curlew Sandpiper all being seen. The long-staying Forster’s Tern was still at Shipstal today amongst Sandwich Terns as well as a single Spotted Flycatcher and Hobby at Arne. In Holes Bay 1 Wheatear and 8 Pintail were present. Out to Poole Bay from Sandbanks 1 Gannet and 8 Common Scoter flew past heading west. The Forster’s Tern was at Shipstal still and the White-tailed Eagle pair were mooching around the Wareham Channel.

Osprey with fish in the Middlebere Channel – John Thorpe