Today’s highlight was the appearance of 2 Corn Bunting in the stubble fields at Ballard Down, Studland. Once abundant, they suffered dramatic declines locally and nationally in the second half of the 20th century with changing farming practices. Though they have persisted and even begun to recover at several sites throughout Dorset, they are now considered a very scarce visitor to Poole Harbour. To see them using the habitat locally is thus an encouraging sign and shows the potential for such sites to support them once again in the future.

Also present at Ballard were 1 Whitethroat, 4 Wheatear and 5 Stonechat, whilst in Studland village there were 6 Spotted Flycatcher and 1 Garden Warbler. Slightly further west, Rempstone was also busy with migrants with 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Redstart and 20+ Willow Warbler present early this morning, along with a young Tawny Owl. Meanwhile in Holes Bay a couple of ‘winter’ species were present in the form of Whimbrel and Common Gull.

The Lytchett Bay airspace was a hive of activity this morning with 6 Swallow, 5 House Martin, 2 Sand Martin along with 1 Peregrine, 4 Marsh Harrier, and two hunting migrant Osprey. Its fantastic to see numbers of the latter building considerably now, ahead of our Osprey Cruises which start at the end of this week and run until the first week of September!

Migrant Osprey fishing – Lytchett Bay – Mark Wright

Tawny Owl – Rempstone – Rob Johnson (@RobJohn72810618)

We’ve been dreaming of these sort of easterly winds in August for years! It seemed impossible to disappoint and sure enough today saw the Aquatic Warbler count double in under an hour, with a further 2 trapped and ringed at Lytchett Bay after yesterday’s success. These four birds (3 at Lytchett Bay and 1 at Longham Lakes) are the only UK records this year!

Migrant Osprey are becoming more prominent by the day, with unringed individuals logged at Middlebere and Lytchett Bay. The Wytch juvenile Pied Flycatcher has continued its stay for another day,  having arrived on Monday and a White-tailed Eagle was seen overhead at Morden Bog this morning.

The big question now is what will tomorrow bring?!

Spotted Flycatcher – Middlebere – Mark Wright

Aquatic Warbler – Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson

Great coverage of the harbour today despite the sweltering heat. Lytchett Bay struck gold early morning during a ringing session, processing the second Aquatic Warbler for the UK and Dorset this year. And with these easterlies continuing into the weekend, could we see more before the week’s end? The Bay also clocked up 12 Ringed Plover, 26 Dunlin, 4 Whimbrel, 12 Greenshank and fishing Osprey causing a commotion among the gulls.

An un-ringed adult Osprey dropped ono the Middlebere nest platform at 10:40am, bringing in a fish at 11am. A couple of Yellow Wagtails graced Wareham Common early morning along with two flyover Tree Pipit and abundant Willow Warbler as Holes Bay featured Spotted Redshank and early Wigeon, viewed from the Stone Bench. A visit to Studland House Boats turned up a Turnstone, 9 Common and a Sandwich Tern while Brand’s Bay received notable visits from Marsh Harrier and Snipe among the 4 over-summering Dark-bellied Brent Goose 113 strong Curlew flock and 2 Ringed Plover. A single Spoonbill flew past train station roundabout early doors.

Un-ringed migrant Osprey – Middlebere Platform camera

Brownsea Lagoon is embracing autumn nicely with increase to 12 Spoonbill alongside 80 Redshank, 50 Black-tailed Godwit and a hunting Peregrine. Holes Bay also saw increases, with Black-tailed Godwits currently at 636, 100 Redshank and smaller numbers of Dunlin and a single Common Sandpiper. Greenlands Farm featured a nice suite of migrants including 2 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Redstart, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, and 8 Willow Warbler. Finally, 2 White Stork circled low over Upton Roundabout just before 3pm. Later in the day 2 White Stork passed over Upton.

Spoonbill – Brownsea Lagoon – Seb Haggett

Still sweltering, but the heat provided perfect thermaling conditions for two Honey Buzzard to drift over the Piddle Valley mid-morning. The Brownsea Lagoon saw decent numbers of waders building with 7 Avocet, 1 Grey Plover, 22 Ringed Plover, 1 Knot, 227 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpiper, 200 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Spotted Redshank, 14 Greenshank, 148 Redshank, 7 Curlew, 1 Shoveler and 17 Spoonbill. More migrants were on the move and a ringing session early doors in the Piddle Valley produced a single Garden Warbler, 3 Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler plus small pulses of Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler and an early morning Nightjar. At Arne there was a single Wheatear in the overflow car park and there were several Spotted Flycatcher up on the Coombe Heath walk. At Greenlands Farm there were singles of Wheatear and a Yellow Wagtail went over. At Lytchett Fields there were 47 Redshank, 12 Ringed Plover, 12 Greenshank, 10 Dunlin and 3 Whimbrel on French’s Pool, plus there were 11 Common Sandpiper and 4 Green Sandpiper on Sherford Pools.

One of two Honey Buzzard over the Piddle Valley – Alison Copland

It sounded like there were some more migrant Osprey arrivals today with 2 seen over Middlebere, 1 over the Wareham Channel, 1 at Morden Bog and 1 over Lytchett Bay. Some of these sightings could be the same bird, but Osprey sightings are definitely increasing. A White-tailed Eagle was at Lytchett Fields and seen to fly low over the fields. Also at Lytchett Fields there were 10 Common Sandpiper, 11 Greenshank, 42 Redshank and 4 Green Sandpiper. Yesterday there was a Black Redstart calling near Poole Quay and there were 16 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon. Ringing activities across the harbour were a bit slower today but did return a couple of Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Nightjar, 20+ Sedge Warbler, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Whitethroat and a few Willow Warbler. The rare sight this year of 3 Crossbill passed over Wareham Common and a Honey Buzzard was seen to drift north over the west of the harbour. The male and female Peregrines were back on the Barclays building and the first Shoveler of the autumn was back in Holes Bay with 2 Common Sandpiper, 219 Black-tailed Godwit and 97 Redshank. 

Nice comparison of juv (above) and adult (below) Grasshopper Warbler

Firstly, we have a minor update on the condition and progress of Osprey chick ‘5H2’ which you can read about HERE. Thankfully, CJ7, 022 and 5H1 have all been back on the nest all day today without incident, so hopefully the juvenile Goshawk has moved on.

There were a couple of sightings of White-tailed Eagles in the Wareham Channel area today, but at the moment we’re unsure which ones they were. More migrants were passing through with Wheatears at Brands Bay and up on Ballard with the first migrant Tree Pipit of the autumn over there too. Also on Ballard were 10+ Willow Warbler, 5 Common Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler. In Brands Bay there were still 4 Brent Geese along with 127 Curlew and 2 Whimbrel. 

Wheatear – Brands Bay – Garry Hayman

Well, it’s been an interesting 24 hours! Starting yesterday afternoon when the recent migrant male un-ringed Osprey visited the Osprey nest platform again about 5pm before being seen off. Then, around 18:30 an unfamiliar raptor suddenly appeared on the nest which saw CJ7 get really defensive. Initially the bird was on the far side of the nest, but as it moved onto the main section of the nest, it soon became evident what it was. A stunning, fresh juvenile female Goshawk. An ultimate predator. It seemed like the visit was only fleeting, however, at 19:40, like a lightening bolt, the Goshawk returned to the nest and attempted to predate Osprey chick ‘5H2’. CJ7 reacted and got involved in the tussle which looked as if all three tumbled to the floor. Concerned, Liv from our team, headed out and actually found 5H2 near the nest on the floor, injured with gash on her flank……not ideal. Reacting quickly, Liv slowly placed her jacket over 5H2 and managed to then get it safely into a box, before we then made arrangements for her to be seen by a specialist vet today. As it stands we’re still waiting for an update, but the last we saw early this AM, 5H2 was looking strong, bright eyed and was ‘doing well’. This is encouraging but as we all know, situations can change very quickly with wild birds so we’ll just have to hope for the best. Today we managed to get visuals on CJ7, 022 and 5H1 and all are fine, with them even visiting the nest this evening having avoided it all day.

Now, it’s vital to remember that Goshawk are as equally stunning and thrilling as Osprey, and have been as rare as Osprey in Dorset over the last 100 years. It’s really only in the last 2-3 years that Goshawk have begun being able to expand their range after decades of persecution. There’s no doubt that they’re formidable hunters but they should not be demonised for simply trying to survive in a landscape where humans have wiped them out. Yesterdays ‘Gos’ was a juvenile female, a dispersing youngster from somewhere. It could have been local, or it could have come from much further afield, we just don’t know. It’s hoped that because we’ve been able to get this far in to the season without attracting the attention of any adult Goshawk, that yesterdays event was just an unfortunate one off with a young Goshawk trying it’s luck in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Now…on to more positive news, some White-tailed Eagles are back! Today, 4 year old female G318 was in the Frome and Piddle Valley. Male G816 was at Morden Bog for a while, with young G812 arriving over the Wareham Channel this morning. There were also lots of migrants on the move toady with several ringing sessions taking place highlighting the strength of passage. In the Piddle Valley ringing records returned a good number of Sedge Warbler and Willow Warbler, as well as 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Kingfisher and 1 Nightjar. Meanwhile, at Lytchett Heath numbers of birds ringed included 88 Sedge Warbler, 33 Willow Warbler, 4 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Whitethroat and 46 Reed Warbler. On Brownsea there were 10 Spoonbill again. It seems as if Osprey passage is now picking up with sightings in Lytchett Bay, Middlebere and over the Wareham Channel, possibly consisting of 2-3 individuals. Spotted Flycatchers were along the Middlebere approach track and at Arne. At Brands Bay there were 4 Brent Geese, 111 Curlew, 3 Whimbrel and 2 Greenshank.

Ringed juvenile Nightjar – Piddle Valley

Juvenile Goshawk yesterday on the webcam (prior to the attack)