A cracking day’s birding around the Harbour today, including a late case of Osprey mania! We started the day off at Holes Bay, with two of our team positioned along the shoreline in search of Ospreys. If you haven’t been to the stone bench before, it’s well worth a visit over the coming days if the juveniles(!) stick around – you can find more information about the site here (SY 99625 92858).

At 9.30am, the first juvenile Osprey appeared on Pergins Island Perching Platform. Before too soon, the juvenile was joined by a second bird. And if that wasn’t exciting enough, the two were then joined by a third bird in the afternoon, presumably the individual that circled over Hatch Pond briefly at 1.12pm, before heading towards Holes Bay. The bay also saw autumn high counts of 614 Wigeon, 100 Teal and 15 Shoveler, 2 Pintail, 23 Mallard, 49 Swans, 2 Moorhen.  47 Cormorant, 19 Oystercatcher, 80 Curlew, Kingfisher, Swallows and an Avocet.

Lytchett Fields held on the the long-staying Long-billed Dowitcher for another day, matched by another top find – Grey Phalarope! Other scarce birds for the bay included Shoveler, Gadwall and Common Sandpiper from the Turlin shore. Elsewhere, the low tide at Baiter early morning made for a super hour of birding, with highlights of 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Sanderling, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 17 Ringed Plover, 35 Turnstone, 2 Wheatear, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Sandwich Tern, 11 Swallow, Great Crested Grebe, 2 Rock Pipit and good Redshank & Oystercatcher counts!

Juvenile Osprey – Holes Bay – Alison Copland