There seemed to be a nice scattering of downed migrants across the harbour today with 5 Wheatear, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Cuckoo and a small passage of Swallow across Greenland’s Farm. At Lytchett Fields there were 4 Little Ringed Plover again, also 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap and 1 Greenshank. At Holton Pools there were 2 Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Shelduck. Osprey activity seemed to ramp up a bit, although it may have just involved our two (currently resident) females ‘CJ7′ and ‘Beaky’. At dawn CJ7 was on a nest platform in the west of the harbour and Beaky was on the Middlebere platform for most of the day. Then at around midday 2 were seen circling high together over Round Island whilst another was seen out over the Wareham Channel. At Lytchett Fields, Stonechat fledged young for the first time in several years and the first fledged Robins are beginning to be seen at various sites too. In the Middlebere channel a single Spoonbill was feeding and Hobby were over Godlingston and Slepe Heath. In the Frome Valley only 6 Cattle Egret were counted. The summers first Nightjar of the summer was heard singing half-heartedly from a south harbour heathland and some night migration recording in the Piddle Valley logged a drumming Common Snipe and a few small parties of Whimbrel moving through.
Another fine May day with the unusual occurrence of a fine adult male Hen Harrier over Scotland Farm/Hartland…
Find out moreWith a decent set of easterly winds, thoughts of Pomarine Skua flocks passing close in at Branksome Chine…
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