Well, we always bang on about it, every year without fail. But today is the day Autumn migration begins! This is always marked when the first Green Sandpiper of the season arrives at Lytchett Fields, and today was that day. This is usually a mid-June occurrence with numbers of passing ‘Green Sands’ often building through June and July, before peaking in early August. Later in June the first passage Little Ringed Plovers will also arrive and before we know it, the floodgates will open, and we’ll be treated to five glorious months of autumn migration. There have also been some great experiences with Nightjar over the last few nights/days with a few local birders capturing stunning images of these usually shy birds. This evening our Puffin Cruise out to Dancing Ledge was busy with 4 (possibly 5) Puffin, 1000+ Guillemot, 6 Razorbill, 2 Peregrine families, 14 Fulmar, 6 Kittiwake, 3 Gannet, 7 Common Scoter and the usual constant passing of Sandwich and Common Tern. In the Wareham Channel 2 White-tailed Eagle were seen briefly and male Osprey 022 was seen in the mouth of the Frome. An Osprey was also seen off Coombe Heath, RSPB Arne.

Nightjar – Poole Harbour – Tony Furnell

Nightjar – Dunyeats Heath – David Forster

Nightjar – Lytchett Heath – Ian Ballam