It’s always nice when the sun shines, and even nicer when the sun shines and a rarity turns up. Today local patch walker Peter Moore was out for his morning walk out around Swineham/Bestwall when an ‘exciting warbler’ gave a snippet of song at the beginning of the Two Rivers walk just outside Wareham. It gave a section of song that suggested Marsh Warbler but it was rather lack-luster to say the least which you wouldn’t expect from Marsh Warbler. Sadly it wasn’t then heard for the rest of the day, suggesting it may have disappeared. A dialogue was started with Mark Constantine and Magnus Robb from the Sound Approach who kindly provided comments on criteria relating to sections of song that should be listened out for should the bird be re-found later on, particularly the classic ‘pi-chow pi-chow’ call that Marsh Warbler produce in amongst their repertoire of mimicry. Thankfully Peter returned again this evening and the bird was re-found in the same spot, this time singing much more frequently and loudly and producing the full vocabulary you’d expect from Marsh Warbler. An excellent find. This evening it spent it’s time mimicking the local Blackbirds, Blue Tits, Whitethroats and Goldfinches. Just an incredible song.

Also in the area were 2 Hobby, 1 Cuckoo, 20+ Swift, 3+ Cetti’s Warbler and 5+ Reed Warbler. Female Osprey CJ7 wasn’t seen on the nest today for the first time since April 8^th, but was seen out over the Wareham Channel around midday. Strangely 24 Lapwing turned up on Lytchett Fields this evening suggesting either local foraging or perhaps more worryingly failed local breeders already moving about. On Shell Beach there were 6 Sanderling feeding highlighting that passage is still underway and the White Stork was seen again up the Frome Valley near Wool.