Last nights storm had thankfully passed by dawn. It was a pretty nasty night with winds peaking at 50mph amazingly. Somehow though a small flurry of Northern Wheatear managed to get through with several arriving this morning with sightings on Wareham Common, at Lytchett Bay, Greenlands Farm and Ballard Down. Despite much searching by visiting birders the Forster’s Tern couldn’t be found today, and has perhaps moved off already?? Same goes for 7 of the 10 over-wintering Glossy Ibis with the flock now reduced to just 3 individuals which were out on Wareham Common, just north of the railway this afternoon and this morning along with 42 Cattle Egret and 2 Red Kite. The adult Little Gull was still in Lytchett Bay this morning, a Red-necked Grebe was out in Studland Bay with 2 Black-necked Grebe and 6 Common Scoter. There were 2 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon and in the Lower Piddle Valley there were 4 Green Sandpiper and 1 Great White Egret. The early spring passage of migrant Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit is well underway with hundreds of beautiful summer plumaged individuals adding to the thousands that have been present the last few months.

Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits – Brownsea Lagoon – Nicki Tutton