Despite the forecast, it seems there were still plenty of people out, dodging the showers and hopefully trying to gather some data for our Big Poole Harbour spring count. Rain for parts of the day hampered a percentage of coverage, but dry spells certainly seemed productive. There were 13 Cattle Egret in the Frome Valley, 1 Great White Egret in the Wareham Channel and of course multiple Little Egret, meaning the ‘egret hat-rick’ was completed for the count. Cuckoo were calling on Slepe Heath (2), at Swineham (2), in the Frome Valley (1) and at Greenlands Farm (1). Up the Frome Valley and around Bog Lane the female Mandarin was seen and there was a female type Marsh Harrier too, along with 1 Hobby and c50 Swift with c100 Swallow and Sand Martin. In Shell Bay, Studland a Great Northern Diver circled the bay and there were also 2 Gannet and also 14 Sanderling on the beach. At Swineham 5 Common Sandpiper were around the edge of the main gravel pit and there were 4 Marsh Harrier off the end of the point. From our ‘Up with the Lark’ cruise this morning 6 Bearded Tit were counted in the mouth of the Frome, plus 2 Wheatear, several Bar-tailed Godwit and c30 Dunlin on the Brownsea Lagoon. The 3 Brent Geese in Brands Bay were a welcome addition to the day list, as were all the local breeding/singing records of Woodlark, Skylark, Tree Pipit, Blackcap, Reed and Sedge Warbler, Water Rail, Redshank, Lapwing and even potentially 2 Curlew nests too. The Peregrines on Barclays were active on and off throughout the day and it also looks as if female White-tailed Eagle, G801 may be on her way back south (to the harbour)? having ventured up to Yorkshire and Cleveland. Other new passerine arrivals included a Spotted Flycatcher in Lytchett Bay, a Lesser Whitethroat in the Frome Valley and Wareham high street had 11 Swift bombing up and down this evening.

Spotted Flycatcher – Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson