Apparently (according to a few sources) there may be some rain this week, albeit very brief. It does feel like things are beginning to turn slightly with 2 days of overcast sky’s now, having been wall to wall sunshine since June!

Bird-wise it was a bit slower today, although 15 Grasshopper Warbler ringed in the Lower Piddle Valley was still impressive. A White Stork apparently flew over RSPB Arne yesterday, at Lytchett Fields there were 4 Spotted Redshank today and there was another in Brands Bay, on the Brownsea Lagoon there were 23 Spoonbill, 14 Avocet and 6 Greenshank. We had a Pied Flycatcher land on one of our Osprey nest platforms at RSPB Arne this morning where 3 Osprey, 2 White-tailed Eagle and 1 Goshawk were also seen over/around the reserve. This evening up to 14 Nightjar were counted near Studland Heath which is a good mid-August total and are likely all juveniles.