It was the last of our Osprey Cruises today, what an epic run it has been. The cruise this morning set out again on a low-tide, with notable species including 1 Knot, 1 Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Greenshank, c.300 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Spoonbill feeding on the mudflats. Five Marsh Harrier were active throughout the day across the Wareham Channel, a Goshawk was seen high over Hyde’s Heath, later moving across Arne Moors, as well as a Peregrine bombing towards Old Poole Town, White-tailed Eagle G801 flying low over the Holton shoreline and the ever mobile Hobby adding interest on the raptor front. There were at least 5 Osprey using the harbour today, with several seen from the boat, including a juvenile attempting to hunt (unsuccessfully) this afternoon. A couple of the highlights from the afternoon trip included a confiding Kingfisher along the Poole seawall from the get go as well as 2 Osprey hunting at in Arne Bay, putting up the flock of c.43 Spoonbill. Running these cruises twice daily over the last 15 days has really allowed us to get a feel for how the Wareham Channel functions during early autumn migration and we’ve seen numbers of sinensis Cormorant, Great Crested and Little Grebes all increase as the trips progressed.

An early morning report of Arctic Skua near the harbour entrance was a nice start to the day. A stunning total of 6 Curlew Sandpiper were reported in Brands Bay this morning on the rising tide, which is the highest number to have been previously recorded there. Also present were the 4 Brent Geese, 107 Teal, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Lapwing, 8 Knot, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 23 Dunlin, 148 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Greenshank. As the tides changed, 22 Great Crested Grebe were seen from Redhorn, with 16 Ringed Plover, 15 Sanderling, 3 Dunlin, 4 Turnstone, 1 Common Sandpiper, as well as 13 Pintail flying in the direction of Littlesea. At South Haven, a Green Sandpiper was spotted flying over, which is an uncommon recored for the area. Also on the rising tide at Holes Bay, 55 Wigeon, 151 Teal, 4 Pintail, 3 Shoveler, 300 Black-tailed Godwit, 133 Redshank, 20 Dunlin, 4 Knot, 2 Common Gull, 2 Water Rail and 1 Little Grebe were counted. A blue-ringed Osprey, yet to be confirmed whether juvenile or adult, was hunting in the Middlebere Channel this afternoon.

Osprey – Wareham Channel – @twamersKingfisher (male) – Poole Quay from Osprey Cruise – Alison Copland