Despite the windy weather there were some obvious arrivals today, most notably the first gathering of Spoonbill of the autumn with 8 feeding in the Wareham Channel before relocating to the Brownsea Lagoon this evening. There were also 6 Greenshank new in on the lagoon and the 3 Avocet chicks were still doing well with both parents standing guard. There were 2 Common Sandpiper on the Brownsea sea wall. There was also the first sightings of a fresh juvenile Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel as it called to it’s parent near by, with a possible second being seen too. An Osprey (likely male 022) was hunting in the Wareham Channel this evening during our Sunset Safari and earlier today, male 374 was seen briefly on a harbour nest platform. There was a large gathering of Sand Martin at Swineham this evening with c400 flying around and on the Swineham scrape this evening 3 adult Yellow-legged Gull were roosting. The 2 over-summering Eider were off the Brownsea south shore and the over-summering dark-bellied Brent Goose was on the Brownsea Lagoon. The White-tailed Eagle pair were in the Wareham Channel.

Osprey flying past Corfe Castle in Wareham Channel, from Sunset Safari Cruise – Alison Copland