Late news came in last night from 2 local birders of a Long-eared Owl that had been spotted roosting in some trees along the main footpath at Swineham. They both headed down there and were rewarded with seeing the bird leaving its roost site. Despite it almost being pitch black they managed to get a couple record shots to confirm its identification. Long-eared Owls are a very rare occurrence in the harbour so this is a truly significant sighting. There is also a very good possibility that it’s still in the area. Also at Swineham yesterday was a Barn Owl, Marsh Harrier, 2 Sandwich Tern, 5 Swallow, 2 Willow Warbler and also still 10+ Brambling and 3 Willow Warbler near the pumping station at the east end of Church Lane in Wareham.

Almost as incredible was the sighting of 11 Little Ringed Plover on the Brownsea Lagoon yesterday afternoon. We’ll have to check the records but that must be the highest spring gathering of this species on record for the harbour?