We apologise, for some reason last nights post didn’t upload, so we’ll just do a double whammy today. Yesterday we spent the day checking Kestrel boxes around the harbour, most of which we put up several years ago. It was great to see that many were active with healthy chicks, some of which were at the right stage to be ringed and colour-ringed under licence to understand more about their movements and productivity. Kestrel populations have crashed in recent years, with very little known about their decline. By colour-ringing a number of them, we’ll hopefully learn how far some of these young birds are dispersing. In total we ringed 3 healthy broods of Kestrel with broods of 3, 4 and 5 chicks. A further 3 nests were observed with chicks too. A big thank you to National Trust Purbeck Countryside team and the ringers at Careys Secret Garden for supporting on this.

This morning the local Osprey drama re-started with newly arrived female 6J8 returning to a favoured nest platform, quickly followed by male 5R0. During the stormy weather they’ve been keeping a low profile, with very few sightings, but today 5R0 managed to deliver her 2 fish which is a great sign for this early in the season. Will he be able stay the favourite, or will 5H3 and 5H6 try and muscle in over the coming days? Yesterday there was very little observed during a sea watch, despite promising conditions with just 5 Manx Shearwater, 5 Kittiwake, 7 Guillemot, 4 Fulmar and 10+ Gannet. Great news today too that 2 of the 4 Poole Asda Peregrines have fledged, both of which were sat on different parts of the flats. All being well chicks 3 and 4 will fledge over the coming days, and this is a brilliant time to monitor/watch them from the Asda car park as the parents start encouraging them to fly by flying around overhead with prey in their talons. This afternoon the strange sight of a Nightjar flying down the track was unusual and unexpected!

Kestrel chick ringed near Hartland Moor yesterday

Kestrel chick being ringed at Carey Secret Garden yesterday

Male Osprey 5R0 delivering female Osprey 6J8 a fish this AM

Female Osprey 6J8 and Male Osprey 5R0 together on nest platform this AM