As we write, things have cooled a small amount, although its now 27 degrees as apposed to 37 degrees, so still pretty warm, and whilst this may effect bird activity to not do very much, it certainly gets moths going, and there have been huge numbers moving along and around the Dorset coast over the last couple of nights. That included a great Poole Harbour record of a critically endangered Speckled Footman, an exceptionally rare heathland specialist which is almost restricted almost entirely to a few areas of heathland around WNW Poole Harbour and Wareham Forest. Bird sightings were pretty few and far between today, mainly because most folk were hidden away indoors, but female Osprey CJ7 could have done without a persistent Magpie that was bothering her and the chicks all afternoon, and Scottish female Osprey 6J8 was in Middlebere this evening with a male, presumed to be male 5H3. Theres also been a stunning adult Yellow-legged Gull around the Swineham area this last week and was on a channel marker near Swineham Point this evening.

Speckled Footman – Near Wareham Forest – Kate Fox

CJ7 warning off an annoying Magpie that persisted after ‘fish bits’ for most of the afternoon.

Yellow-legged Gull – Swineham – Joe Parker