The wind swung today to the SW but it was still blimmin cold! It seems like with the change in wind direction the Ospreys that have been using Middlebere have finally moved on with no photos from the Middlebere platform for the first time since March 31st. However whilst CJ7 was on the nest cam around 5:30pm another Osprey was seen fishing out in the Wareham Channel which promptly caught a flatfish and took it to the Keysworth shoreline to feed. A Raven came and landed next to it, and structurally the Osprey seemed quite a lot smaller suggesting it could be a male. We of course have no idea how the season will pan out this year, but its worth bearing in mind that there’s a chance CJ7 won’t pair up again this summer whilst we wait for some/more of our translocated males to arrive back. There’s been no shortage of migrant Osprey in the harbour so far this spring and CJ7 has probably encountered a good number of them with her daily outings around the harbour but so far, but they’re all probably established breeders further north meaning there’s little chance of them hanging around. As we move further into April and May the non-breeding Osprey begin arriving back and exploring, and it’s during this period ‘wandering’ males could become interested in the harbour and CJ7. A Peregrine was causing mayhem out in the Wareham Channel too flushing 300+ Black-tailed Godwit. A Spoonbill was in Middlebere, a Spotted Redshank was at Lytchett Fields with 1 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Ringed Plover and where 2 Osprey were also seen briefly over the fields, but not togther sadly. Also 1 Willow Warbler and 8+ Blackcap there too.At Swineham there were still 250+ Sand Martin, 20+ Swallow and a Little Ringed Plover on the Swineham Scrapes. Swallow were also pushing through again in small numbers and a Red Kite drifted over Studland. There was also a random Barnacle Goose on the Brownsea Lagoon which is a nice April record.
Greenshank – Brands Bay – Nick Gadenne
Stonechat – Middlebere – Nick Gadenne
Meadow Pipit – Middlebere – Nick Gadenne
Linnet – Middlebere – Nick Gadenne
Spring seems to be creeping along with more displaying and nest building birds today, including multiple Raven pairs/territories…
Find out moreAlthough you couldn’t see further than 100m for much of the day, there were birds to be found…
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