Ooof! They weren’t wrong about the temperature drop. Saturday felt like a cold March day with hoodies and jackets needed. The temperature drop and swing in wind direction from the NW, pretty much halted and new, late arrivals/migration from taking place. Even female Osprey CJ7 seems to have given up moving around the harbour and has now taken up semi-residence in the Wareham Channel, although she did make a brief appearance of another harbour nest platform late afternoon. This time of year it’s always good to confirm breeding of rare, scare (or just shy) species and today Gadwall were seen with young in Middlebere which is good news. It’s also thought that at least 3 pairs of Avocet are sitting on eggs on the Brownsea Lagoon, but the best bit is they’ve finally decided to nest somewhere safe! The last few years they’ve nested with 2ft of several Great Black-backed Gulls which sadly normally predate the young Avocet within days. Now that the Avocet have chosen to set on some of the small stony islands there may be a better chance of success! On Friday there was a report of a Turtle Dove in a Wareham garden but no further info. Both the male and female Peregrine were on the Asda building which suggests breeding didn’t occur this summer sadly. Several visits to Lytchett Fields produced 1 Little Ringed Plover, up to 20 Lapwing, 6 Teal and 7 Black-tailed Godwit.

Little Ringed Plover – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

CJ7 on ‘other’ harbour nest platform on Saturday evening