With the wind easing off today it made for easier birding, so much so that the first rarity of the year was found with an adult Bonaparte’s Gull found feeding off Middle Beach, Studland this morning. Sadly it didn’t stick around, however there’s a good chance it will re-appear somewhere and could even possibly the same individual that was in the harbour this time last year and spent most of the spring around the Wareham Common/Swineham area. It was searched for during the rest of the day but couldn’t be re-found, although consequently whilst searching other birds were found including 2 Black-throated Diver off Banks Road, Sandbanks, 1 Long-tailed Duck, 4 Slavonian Grebe, 12 Great Northern Diver and 2-3 Sandwich Tern around the Jerry’s Point and Studland Peninsular. There were also 3 Black-necked Grebe and 2 Common Scoter out in Studland Bay. There was a male Hen Harrier seen in Middlebere plus 2 Spotted Redshank, the adult male Hawfinch was still in the Lytchett Matravers church yard at St Mary’s Church and 7 Cattle Egret were in fields near the Purbeck school roundabout. This evening another record count of Magpie were logged at Hatch Pond with 245 counted going into roost around 17:00.

Greenshank – Brands Bay

Slavonian Grebe – Jerry’s Point

Firecrest – Middlebere