Our first Osprey Cruise of the year got off to a flyer with 4 Osprey seen in the Wareham Channel area. Our resident female Osprey, CJ7, made a pass over the boat on the day we announced that she and male Osprey 022, were Grandparents! Their first chick together, 5H1 fledged in 2022 and is now breeding in the East Midlands!

Whilst in the Wareham Channel, sizeable flocks of Curlew flew overhead and a group of 5 Whimbrel followed behind, calling intermittently. A single Great White Egret flew south towards Middlebere. Our resident female, White-tailed Eagle G466, stood on the salt marsh watching and distantly, a second White-tailed Eagle was spotted soaring overhead. We’ve since worked out that this was the youngster from the Sussex nest that fledged two years ago!

The Brownsea Island lagoon was as busy as ever with 29 Spoonbill, 6 Mediterranean gulls, 10 Greenshank, 50 Dunlin, 25 Ringed plover and a single Wheatear perched on the sea wall.

The morning ‘Pop up event’ at Rock Lea viewpoint had 2 Osprey and at least 20 Greenshank. Two Spotted Redshank were recorded at Lytchett Fields later in the day and Middlebere had an Osprey and a Wheatear during the early afternoon.

Osprey female CJ7, flying over the boat and Wareham Channel – Claire Hilton