It was another mighty fine day, with a stiff easterly breeze setting in from sunrise. Although migrant numbers dipped a bit compared to the last few days, there were more NFY’s (New For the Year) records in the form of single singing Reed Warblers at Lytchett Bay and Swineham, a Common Sandpiper in mouth of River Frome, 1 Whimbrel in Lytchett Bay and a Yellow Wagtail at Greenlands Farm. Other good records from across the day included the Forster’s Tern appearing in Lytchett Bay this morning, which is interestingly the first place it visited when it was first found 3-years ago in Spring 2023! It then later today re-appeared on the Boomerang of the Brownsea Lagoon with 4 Common Tern and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. Lytchett Bay had a good day, not only because of the species mentioned above, but it also logged a Sanderling in with a Ringed Plover flock (Sanderling being a Lytchett Bay mega), plus it saw a colour-ringed Osprey, code: Y1 which is a 2016 male ringed up in Kielder Forest. From our Spring Safari this AM the most surprising find was a Black-throated Diver which pitched down near South Deep. Also logged were 3 different White-tailed Eagles over Brands Bay/Rempstone, 1 Great Northern Diver near the harbour entrance, 2 Little Ringed Plover and 2 Wheatear on RSPB Arne Moors, the Razorbill was still off the Brownsea Lagoon sea wall and 5 Spoonbill were on the lagoon with c50 Avocet. A female Common Redstart was around the Wareham Common/Carey boundary all day, there were great numbers of Swallow and Sand Martin feeding high above the Piddle Valley with c150 of each. There was a thin scattering of Willow Warbler and Wheatear in traditional areas and a few more Common Whitethroat were logged with 2 in the PCW Drain and 1 at Lytchett Bay. There were also 2 Spotted Redshank in Lytchett Bay and a couple of House Martin. Just after sunrise 11 Common Scoter passed Old Harry, and this afternoon a Hobby zipped through Sunnyside Farm and headed north. The adult un-ringed female Osprey was once again on the Middlebere platform all day.

Useful comparison of nominate ‘Northern Wheatear’ (note paler underparts) – Greenlands Farm, Studland

and sub-species ‘Greenland Wheatear’ (note more extensive rufous underparts) – Greenlands Farm, Studland

Black-throated Diver – from this AM’s Spring Safari Cruise – Benjamin Warner