A busy morning for the BoPH team kicked off with our special Up With The Lark cruise focusing on bird sounds for International Dawn Chorus Day! Sailing up the River Frome we were immersed in the songs of Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap and Skylark whilst newly arrived Swallow and Swift soared overhead. Guests also enjoyed views of a pair Bearded Tit, Marsh Harrier, and a Red Kite mobbing the 2 White-tailed Eagles, who shortly later caused some trouble of their own, chasing male Osprey 022 in an attempt to steal the fish he had just caught off the Holton shoreline. At the same time the other members of our team and a group of volunteers were out on the islands in the Wareham Channel, surveying the breeding gull colony under licence. A record total if 278 Mediterranean Gull nests were logged, along with 3,568 Black-headed Gull nests which is a decrease on the 2021 total of 3706.

Also of note this evening were 2 Spoonbill on Brownsea Lagoon, and at Swineham the drake Garganey was present once again along with 2 Cuckoo.

Wareham Channel Black-headed & Mediterranean Gull colony (surveyed under licence)

Male Osprey 022 with a fresh fish and White-tailed Eagles G466 & G463 in pursuit – Robin Morrison