We have a golden rule here at BoPH….Never be put off by the weather. Although you could barely see any of the harbour shore line this morning, the murk soon cleared to reveal a whole suit of birds right across the area. A White-tailed Eagle was in the Wareham Channel this morning and then female G466 gave incredible flight views right past our Summer Safari Cruise just before midday. At Swineham there were 3 Marsh Harrier floating around, and 1 Great White Egret, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Bearded Tit and c10 Common Swift were around the Stilt Pools, Swineham. A Little Tern was off the Brownsea south shore with c20 Common Tern and c10 Sandwich Tern. The Brownsea Lagoon held 2 Spoonbill, 6 Bar-tailed Godwit, 8 Avocet and 3 Common Redshank. An Osprey was hunting in the Wareham Channel, and there were several more signs of early autumn movements with a few small parties of Curlew moving around RSPB Arne Moors and Keysworth, plus the mid-summer arrival of Little Egret is definitely underway with several groups now forming along shorelines and on the Brownsea Lagoon. A Garden Warbler was singing next to the gravel pit at Swineham, a Goshawk was seen at Middlebere along with 2 Peregrine. 

Bearded Tit – Swineham Point – Joe Parker

Female White-tailed Eagle G466 – Goat Horn Penninsular – Joe Parker

Spoonbill – Brownsea Lagoon – Joe Parker

Still not much sign of the sun, but mild temperatures and overcast sky’s do provide good conditions for moths, and there was a bumper haul at Carey Secret Garden last night/this morning with 153 species logged from 3 traps, including a Dotted Fan-foot which is possibly only the 3rd Dorset record, plus a Scarce Merveille De Jour which is red data book species. There were also some possible early signs of autumn dispersal with 3 new adult Blackcap ringed at Carey Secret Garden, suggesting some possible local dispersal due to failed breeding? Also 11 Chiffchaff were ringed which would have been local youngsters, but dispersing into the local landscape, before their longer migration later in Sept and Oct. In the Frome Valley 4 summer plumaged Cattle Egret were between Holmebridge and Wareham, where a 2nd cal year White-tailed Eagle was having a fight with a Red Kite, and was then later seen at Carey having a fight with female Osprey CJ7. The summering male Red-breasted Merganser was off Jerry’s Point this afternoon and on Brownsea there were 11 Avocet and 1 Spoonbill.

Finally, some good news, there’s been a hatching in our Swift box! The first feed seemed to be around 20:10, and with their growth being substantially faster than our Ospreys, the next 14 days should be a facinating insight into Swift nest ecology and behaviour. To watch all the drama on our Swift Cam visit: https://www.youtube.com/live/uS1oq61EuOA

Dotted Fan-foot – Carey Secret Garden – Ed Betteridge

Scarce Merveille De Jour – Carey Secret Garden – Ed Betteridge

Wareham Webcam Swift pair feeding their newly hatched young

It was much of the same today, left overs from teh weekend with 2 Osprey in and around Middlebere and the southern shores, 1 adult and 1 2nd cal year White-tailed Eagle over Corfe and Middlebere, a Spotted Flycatcher was at RSPB Arne and another at Carey Secret Garden. An Osprey caught a fish on Lytchett Fields during the high tide, a Goshawk was over Holton Lee and 2 Marsh Harrier were in and around Swineham Point.

Male Osprey ‘5H3’ near RSPB Arne yesterday – Mark Wright

Another warm day in the harbour with conditions more settled. Lots of raptor activity, especially with the local Peregrine families with the Poole birds flying well now and at Corfe Castle 2 chicks getting very close to fledging. Ospreys 6J8 and 5H3 were seen interacting again in the Middlebere Channel as well as catching fish successfully. Also present in Middlebere were 1 Spoonbill and 1 White-tailed Eagle. There was a decent count of 25 Common Swift over Upper Parkstone this morning and there were a few more signs of ‘autumn’ progressing with 13 Avocet on the Brownsea Lagoon now, along with 4 Teal, 3 Redshank and 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, plus 1 Spoonbill, also the emergence and dispersal of young from the local breeders suggest autumn passage is just around the corner with young Common Whitethroats moving around out on Ballard Down.

Outside of the Poole Harbour boundary but, this evening we took out a successful Seabird and Puffin Cruise to Dancing Ledge with 2 Puffin sat on the water at Dancing Ledge plus another 2 observed on the cliff ledge, along with 6 Fulmar, 6 Kittiwake, 500+ Guillemot and 3 Razorbill. 

Juvenile common Whitethroat – Ballard Down Peter Moore

A slightly better day, and although the wind persisted, but faded away by sunset, the sun started to make things feel warmer by late afternoon, giving us a taste of the weekend to come. A decent return across the harbour included 2 Osprey in Middlebere this AM including Scottish female 6J8, and a Hobby was over the Middlebere hide. This evening an Osprey caught a fish in the Wareham Channel and there were 2 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon with 4 Sanderling and 9 Avocet, and at Swineham a pair of Bearded Tit were active and a Hobby was over RSPB Arne Moors. This afternoon another Osprey was hunting over RSPB Lytchett Fields, 2 Spoonbill were in Middlebere and the Peregrine family were active on the Asda building, Poole, Holes Bay.

Spoonbill – Middlebere – Alison Copland

Sadly, there was no sign of yesterdays Red-backed Shrike today which isn’t unusual…..nearly all Poole Harbour Red-backed Shrike records have been just 1 day birds. Still, not all was lost, as a third Spoonbill arrived onto Brownsea today! Plus, the Red-breasted Merganser was also still on the lagoon, there were up to 2 Osprey in Middlebere and the Wareham Channel at different times during the day, and adult male White-tailed Eagle G463 was over Middlebere. A Great White Egret was on Swineham Point this evening and Nightjar was singing in Upton CP again.

Osprey – Middlebere this evening – Garry Hayman

Firecrest – RSPB Arne – David Turner

With a steady (and often quite strong) set of south-westerly winds over the last week, it was a surprise when a visitor more associated with an easterly airflow was found at RSPB Arne, with an all too brief male Red-backed Shrike was at Arne Farm. Initially feeding on a log pile next to the farm, it then quickly disappeared, and was later re-found, on Grip Heath at Arne, but once again, soon disappeared and couldn’t be relocated. The south Poole Harbour-Purbeck landscape is evolving beautifully, and although todays bird is almost certainly a passage migrant on its way elsewhere, it’s hoped this will become less ‘all to brief’ and a ‘much more frequently’ circumstance.

Elsewhere an adult male White-tailed Eagle was in the Wareham Channel this afternoon, and the local Marsh Harrier pair were busy in west harbour. The Brownsea Lagoon still held 2 Spoonbill plus 9 Avocet, 1 lone Bar-tailed Godwit. At Middlebere this morning 2 Osprey were active in the area, a Spoonbill flew over and a Hobby was over RSPB Arne Moors.

Red-backed Shrike – RSPB Arne Farm – Peter Moore

Another day of two halves, with this morning not really worth getting out of bed for, where as this afternoon a hint of the early summer we had a few weeks ago, and with the summer due to arrive back later this weekend, it seems we just have to endure a few more days of grot. This afternoon when the sun came out, 2 Osprey were seen in Middlebere and 1 was also later seen in the Wareham Channel (likely 022). The Brownsea Lagoon held 2 Spoonbill, 7 Avocet, the lone male Red-breasted Merganser and a sure fire sign that autumn is just around the corner 😉 with the first returning Common Redshank of the season, likely a failed breeder from somewhere relatively close by? Also this afternoon an adult White-tailed Eagle circled over Middlebere, a Great White Egret was seen on RSPB Arne Moors and a Marsh Harrier was hunting over Ridge Wharf boat yard and an Osprey was in Lytchett Bay this morning.

Hobby briefly on one of our Osprey nest platforms this afternoon