Well, it’s all about the garden birding for now, and Red Kites seem to be the order of the day, with numerous households across the harbour now keeping an eye out to add this regal raptor to expanding garden lists. It’s good to hear that many people are taking government guidance and walking to their local patches, and getting rewards too! The Swineham Scrapes known as the Stilt Pools held 3 Little Ringed Plover and the scrape nearest the road had a Green Sandpiper too. Out at Wareham Common the Siberian Chiffchaff was still there and a Ring-necked Parakeet flew by too. It seems no matter where you are in the harbour at the moment Chiffchaff are singing from every block of woodland and Blackcap are now winding up, getting primed to be in full voice by April. In Holes Bay there are still c100 Wigeon left and a few Teal and Shoveler and a night sound recording session at Lytchett Bay produced a handful of Redwing still couple of Coot. Red Kite passed over Lytchett Matravers, Upton and Sandford.

As many of you will already know, Arne has also now closed to the public as have many public areas to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. This of course means it will be hard for many people to get their birding/spring fix so we’re hoping to post several sounds of spring over the coming weeks to help bring spring to life a bit more, which we started a few days ago with a singing Woodlark and Meadow Pipit over Slepe Heath from back in 2014. Well, as mentioned it’s hard to go anywhere currently without hearing Chiffchaff going for it, but if you haven’t heard one yet this summer……here’s one from a mild March morning back in 2016 which was being accompanied by a Dunnock and distant Green Woodpecker on Slepe Heath.

Common Chiffchaff & Dunnock song – Slepe Heath – 23/03/16

Eurasian Coot – Call of a night time migrant – Lytchett Bay – 26/03/20 @ 00:45 (Nick Hull)

Stonechat – Hartland