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