Southerly winds have brought some relief from the warm weather we are experiencing in the harbour today. The Tern colonies are still exhibiting healthy numbers of breeding pairs with c153 Common Terns and c153 Sandwich Terns, eggs are not far off hatching now! 3 Gadwall, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, 14 Black-tailed Godwit, a Sanderling, a Grey Heron, c50 Oystercatcher, 2 Spoonbill and 2 Avocet were busy wading across the Lagoon. Over in the Piddle Valley a Tree Pipit called overhead on night migration, Nightjar was heard churring and the (night only) singing Nightingale was singing perfectly at 3am! Over at Lytchett Fields, with the lack of rain, it was a lovely sight to see Alison Copland’s video of a flock of House Martin collecting mud for their nests. This is a positive sign for the Upton House Martin population and the wider UK population and has given us inspiration to research Poole Harbour’s population later this year. The best record of the week only reached us today sadly, and that was of a Turtle Dove seen and photographed at Greenland’s Farm, Studland by NT Ranger Ben Cooke. And these days, there’s only one thing rarer than a Turtle Dove in Poole Harbour and that’s a photo of one in Poole Harbour, so thanks to ben Cooke for sending this through.

Turtle Dove – Greenlands Farm – Ben Cooke