Migration is still a bit sluggish at present with little or no sign of any big passage of birds yet. Don’t get us wrong, waders are moving through in small numbers and passerines are now begging to appear but we’re just being impatient! Today 2 Little Tern were out in Shell Bay and a Redstart was at South Haven with a Whitethroat. At Middlebere 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 14 Shelduck, 1 Curlew, 1 Greenshank, 2 Grey Plover, 1 Hobby and 6 Little Egret were recorded with Whitethroat still feeding young along the track. At Lytchett Fields there were 22 Lapwing, 1 Knot, 10 Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Snipe, 1 Sparrowhawk and 2 Yellow Wagtail. On Brownsea counts consisted of 6 Curlew, 2 Whimbrel, 4 Spotted Redshank, 9 Greenshank, 216 Redshank, 268 Black-tailed Godwit, 31 Avocet, 71 Oystercatcher, 59 Ringed Plover, 2 Red Knot, 324 Dunlin, 2 Sanderling, 2 Turnstone, 1 Spoonbill, 1 Kingfisher, 48 Teal, 6 Common Sandpiper and a family party of Firecrest near the Mac Hide entrance. In Holes Bay north a Lesser Whitethroat was sin scrub with 10+ Willow Warbler, 5+ Chiffchaff and several Blackcap.

Night recording last night from our listening station in Old Town Poole produced a bit of quality rather than quantity as two (night recording) year ticks were encountered. The first was a Little Ringed Plover that passed over at 23:54 and even more surprisingly an Arctic Tern at 23:07. 

Little Ringed Plover – Calls of a night time migrant 23:54 – Old Town Poole 11/08/16

 Arctic Tern – calls of a night time migrant 23:07 – Old Town Poole 11/08/16