It’s surprising any birds were left in Dorset with a howling wind beating across the county all day, but amazingly, having been absent for 2 months, the Forster’s Tern which first appeared in Lytchett Bay back in April suddenly reappeared at Lytchett Fields this morning. After being seen in Dorset earlier in the year it was then seen to head east with sightings in Hampshire and West Sussex later in the spring. Where it’s been in the mean time is anyones guess, but now it’s back in the harbour, will it stay for several more weeks like it did last time? Another surprise was a Honey Buzzard that was going full pelt with the strong tail wind in an easterly direction high over the Osprey nest in the Piddle Valley. There was also a decent push of Common Swift today over the Frome and Piddle Valley with a conservative count of c200 during the course of the day, along with 2 Hobby. At Middlebere a wader count included 1 Northern Lapwing, 1 Whimbrel, 6 Eurasian Curlew, 168 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper and 6 Common Greenshank.

Honey Buzzard – High over Piddle Valley – Terry Mullen