It seems we (as in birders) are experiencing new and exciting birding spectacles more these days. This summer we’ve had displaying Osprey in the harbour for the first time in nearly 200 years, earlier this spring we had 3 of the IOW White-tailed Sea Eagles visit the harbour (an occurrence thats sure to increase over the years) and today a migrating flock 0f 36 White Stork passed over the harbour, circled above Brands Bay and drifted off south over the Nine Barrow Down towards Swanage. If you’d said to us even 10 years ago this would have all occurred in the harbour within a single year, then we would never have believed you, but here we are in 2021 and things are looking bright. Todays White Stork flock probably consisted of recently released individuals from the White Stork project in Sussex, as well as recently fledged juveniles from some of the wild nests in that area and quite possible one or two wild individuals from European populations. Regardless of their origin, the spectacle was quite something and considering flocks of migrating White Stork haven’t regularly been seen over Dorset air-space for nearly 400 years, it seems we really are entering a new era for species recovery along the southern British coast. Lytchett Fields was also looking incredible this morning with 2 Ruff, 2 Little Stint, 1 Spotted Redshank, c30 Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plover, c50 Common Redshank, 6 Greenshank, 4 Common Snipe, c200 Teal, 3 Pintail and 2 Kingfisher. In Holes Bay there were there were 3 Kingfisher, 37 Little Egret, 3 Grey Heron, 415 Black-tailed Godwit, 69 Redshank, 4 Dunlin, just 3 Curlew and 2 Oystercatcher along with 192 Wigeon, 70 Teal, 9 Shoveler and 2 Pintail. At Sunnyside 20 Yellow Wagtail were with Cattle and to end a nice day of sightings a Honey Buzzard was seen over Northmoor, Wareham.

White Stork flock over Brands Bay – Aidan Brown

White Stork flock over Brands Bay – Aidan Brown

Little Stint – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam