With the weather cooling down ever so slightly today, things still seem to be hotting up with the local Osprey drama. CJ7 and 022 continue to raise their family as is standard for this time of the season, and actually, (currently) there haven’t been too many dramas other than the annoying Magpies, but elsewhere Osprey interactions are building, and it’s quite possible we may be witnessing a third pairing with 3-year old male 5H3 and 2-year old Scottish female 6J8 seemingly hanging out together on a near permanent basis. They’re currently visiting various local harbour platforms and seem content within each others company, which was in stark contrast to this afternoon when 2-year old male 5H6 (the Mighty Titch), who we haven’t seen for a few weeks, suddenly appeared and tried to settle next to 6J8, who was most upset and angered by this and soon saw him off. All of this behaviour bodes well for next spring, but of course, there’s a long way to go between now and spring next year! There was also an Osprey sat out on the depth markers out in the middle of Lytchett Fields this afternoon which drew the attention of local male 022 who tried to see it off.

Elsewhere there were Red Kites over Wareham and Carey, the Common Swift chicks on our Swift nest box cam are doing well and growing fast (Watch Live Here: https://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/swift-box-cam/) and there were 2 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon. More autumn passage signs with 7 Green Sandpiper and 2 Greenshank ‘new in’ at Lytchett Fields, a Goosander and 3 ducklings were on the River Piddle and a Hobby and Kestrel were fighting over Wareham Common.

3-year old male Osprey 5H3 and 2-year old female 6J8 content on a harbour nest platform this AM

2-year old male Osprey 5H6 and 2-year old female 6J8 not quite so content on a harbour nest platform this PM

Adult Swift and 2 chicks in our Swift nest cam box