This morning was our first Autumn Safari cruise of the season, and it provided the real sense of movement and migration we were hoping for. There were 2 Osprey hunting in the Wareham Channel, an adult and a juvenile, plus 3 different Marsh Harrier including a male on Arne Moors. We also managed to get the egret ‘hat-trick’ with 41 Little Egret on the Swineham gravel pit island, 1 Great White Egret near the mouth of the Frome and 2 Cattle Egret on Arne Moors. There was a juvenile Ruff on the Swineham scrapes and good numbers of wildfowl on the Swineham GP including 16 Pintail as well a smaller numbers of Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler. The top end of the Wareham Channel also held 40+ Spoonbill, 7 Greenshank, c300 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Lapwing, c50 Avocet and 2 Little Grebe. Meadow Pipit were on the move all morning with small parties moving across the harbour on a broad front. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 8 Spoonbill, 1 Little Stint, 38 Avocet, 26 Ringed Plover, 212 Black-tailed Godwit and 22 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Greenshank and c60 Common Redshank. There were still small numbers of vocal Sandwich Tern around the harbour and in Brands Bay there was another Ruff. There was another Osprey hunting in Lytchett Bay this afternoon and at Lytchett Fields just 1 Curlew Sandpiper today but 27 Ringed Plover. In Holes Bay during the day 4 Spotted Flycatcher were logged plus a Redstart at Upton CP, plus the Osprey was on the Pergins Island nest platform again.

Ruff – Swineham Scrape (from Autumn Safari Cruise this AM) – Alison Copland

Great White Egret – Wareham Channel (from Autumn Safari Cruise this AM) – Alison Copland

Avocet – Brownsea Lagoon (from Autumn Safari Cruise this AM) – Alison Copland

Marsh Harrier – edge of Wareham Channel (from autumn Safari Cruise this AM) – Alison Copland