Today was a case of making the most of this morning’s offerings before the rain showers came in full force! The Lower Piddle Valley ringing station caught a Wryneck, a scarce passage migrant. A Wryneck was caught nearly the exact date last August, on the 28th! The end of August is the peak time for encountering this species in the harbour, as they make their southbound journey to Africa to winter. On our Osprey cruise this morning we managed to dodge the showers and were rewarded with 1 Osprey successfully catching a fish in the Wareham Channel. Both adult White-tailed Eagles were present, with G466 (female) sat on Shag Looe before making a short journey to the gull islands and then flying past the boat over the Arne shoreline. As we were up the top of the Wareham Channel, G463 (male) flew in high from the Purbeck coast, before settling on the Holton Lee shoreline. One of the highlights of the cruise was a stunning fly-by of an adult Hobby, close enough to see all the details of its plumage and a prey item (likely a small bird) in its talons. Other species seen included 6 Greenshank, c300 Black-tailed Godwit, and 2 Spoonbill. Elsewhere in the harbour, there were 23 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, 27 Turnstone, 2 Whimbrel, 3 Greenshank,  1 Green Sandpiper, and a returning Wigeon in Brands Bay. On the Brownsea Lagoon, there were 1 juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and 6 juvenile Knot. 2 Osprey were seen in Lytchett Bay, with one successfully catching a fish.

Wryneck (handled and ringed under BTO license) – Lower Piddle Valley – Ed Betteridge

Osprey with fish – Lytchett Bay – Alison Copland