Today’s highlight was the appearance of 2 Corn Bunting in the stubble fields at Ballard Down, Studland. Once abundant, they suffered dramatic declines locally and nationally in the second half of the 20th century with changing farming practices. Though they have persisted and even begun to recover at several sites throughout Dorset, they are now considered a very scarce visitor to Poole Harbour. To see them using the habitat locally is thus an encouraging sign and shows the potential for such sites to support them once again in the future.

Also present at Ballard were 1 Whitethroat, 4 Wheatear and 5 Stonechat, whilst in Studland village there were 6 Spotted Flycatcher and 1 Garden Warbler. Slightly further west, Rempstone was also busy with migrants with 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Redstart and 20+ Willow Warbler present early this morning, along with a young Tawny Owl. Meanwhile in Holes Bay a couple of ‘winter’ species were present in the form of Whimbrel and Common Gull.

The Lytchett Bay airspace was a hive of activity this morning with 6 Swallow, 5 House Martin, 2 Sand Martin along with 1 Peregrine, 4 Marsh Harrier, and two hunting migrant Osprey. Its fantastic to see numbers of the latter building considerably now, ahead of our Osprey Cruises which start at the end of this week and run until the first week of September!

Migrant Osprey fishing – Lytchett Bay – Mark Wright

Tawny Owl – Rempstone – Rob Johnson (@RobJohn72810618)