The warm weather meant that raptors were on the move along the river valleys with several Common Buzzard, 3 Red kite and a Sparrowhawk seen over Carey floodplain. A White Stork flew west along the Piddle valley mid morning.

A Marsh harrier was seen hunting over the gull islands, spooking the gulls into a frenzy. Nearby an Osprey was in it’s usual dead tree at Lytchett Bay. Also at Lytchett Bay, several Sandwich tern feeding and Reed buntings moving about in the reed beds.

At Arne, at least 20 Oystercatchers, 1 Yellow-legged gull, 5 Sandwich terns and 30 Black headed gulls were milling around off Shipstal point. Brownsea Island until recently, held the only breeding pair of Yellow-legged gull in the UK. Perhaps the individuals that are still seen in the harbour are the off-spring of this pair?