A small but noticeable arrival of migrants today saw an increase in Willow Warbler numbers across the harbour, with Spotted Flycatchers and Common Whitethroats also picked up at various sites including Wytch Farm and Soldiers Road. The first early returning juvenile Black-tailed Godwits (4) were logged at Lytchett Fields this morning. To the east, Holes Bay recorded 2 Whimbrel among the 46 Curlew as well as 77 Black-tailed Godwit, 92 Redshank, and 41 Little Egret. There were also 2 Cattle Egret at Lytchett Fields.

If you’re interested in learning about and getting a closer look at some of the common early autumn migrants passing through the harbour at the moment, our bird ringing demonstrations at Careys Secret Garden this Saturday and Wednesday offer the perfect opportunity to go through key ID features up close. We’ll be exploring how to quickly recognise each species in the field while talking through and showcasing the importance of the ringing scheme and how it contributes to our understanding of migrations, population changes and survival rates. Events details available on our website here.

Spotted Flycatcher – Wytch Farm – Rob Johnson (@RobJohn72810618)

Willow Warbler – Wytch Farm – Rob Johnson (@RobJohn72810618)

A rather dank start to the day, but it did produce the seasons first Little Stint of the autumn on the Brownsea Lagoon, along with 12 each of Common Ringed Plover and Greenshank, 1 Avocet and 6 Spoonbill. The Osprey migration season is starting too, with the arrival of an adult un-ringed male which landed on the Poole Harbour Osprey nest cam this evening, which seemed to confuse juvenile 5H1. It landed on the nest about 18:00, but was soon seen off by our male 022.

Un-ringed adult Osprey on nest cam

Un-ringed adult Osprey ion nest cam

It was a pretty windy (and damp) summer Safari Cruise this AM, but the rewards were out there. Sadly no Eagles or Ospreys, but there was an adult and juvenile Marsh Harrier in the top end of the Wareham Channel along with c300 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Greenshank, 5 Common Sandpiper and 2 Common Seal, along with smaller numbers of Curlew and Common Redshank. There was also 4 Common Sandpiper on the rocks just off Poole Quay before we set off. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 5 Spoonbill, 2 summer plumaged Knot, 6 Greenshank, 10 Dunlin, c200 Black-tailed Godwit and 8 Teal back. At Lytchett Fields today the first Wood Sandpiper of the autumn was present, albeit briefly with 4 Green Sandpiper. In Holes Bay there were 222 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Common Sandpiper and up on Ballard the first migrant Wheatear of the autumn was on the high ground. In Brands Bay the 4 dark-bellied Brent Geese were still there along with 3 Whimbrel.

Common Buzzard – RSPB Arne

We received late news of a migrant Osprey at Morden Bog yesterday meaning the return autumn migration has now begun. August is peak Osprey migration month with the latter part of August seeing the most intense passage. Without doubt the best places to look for Osprey from the shore are the Middlebere Channel, Coombe Heath at RSPB Arne, Lytchett Bay and of course, their favourite hunting ground the Wareham Channel which can be viewed from Ham Common, Hydes Heath at Arne or, from one of our Osprey Cruises which start on August 19th. 

Almost as rare as breeding Osprey are over-summering dark-bellied Brent Geese but the 3 at Brands Bay have held tight all summer, avoiding kayakers, dog walkers and sun burn. Common Gull numbers are increasing already with 11 in Brands Bay today along with 3 Whimbrel and 53 Curlew. At Lytchett Fields there were some decent counts of 13 Greenshank, 15 Green Sandpiper and 6 Common Sandpiper. There were singles of Marsh Harrier and Hobby active on the edge of the Wareham Channel viewed from Hydes Heath.

Spotted Flycatcher – Soldiers Road

July comes and goes with our Osprey family looking content and settled now that both chicks have fledged and been on the wing for over a week now. Annoyingly one of the chicks landed on the camera this afternoon and knocked the lens down again but we’re hoping that with a re-boot we can get it in the right position again. Its sad to think that August will be the month we see them leave, meaning we only have a few weeks left before they all depart south, but with our Osprey cruises starting in about 3 weeks, we hope that for some trips we’ll be lucky enough to see the youngsters at some point.

Talking of cruises, this morning we headed out on our penultimate Summer Safari, heading up the Wareham Channel. Singles of Marsh Harrier and Spotted Redshank were logged also 3 Spoonbill were over Swineham Point, 5 Greenshank, c300 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Common Seal. In Middlebere there was a Juvenile Spoonbill, 4 Spotted Redshank, 12 Greenshank 6 Curlew, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Green Sandpiper. 

Green Sandpiper – Middlebere – Mark Wright

There were more arrivals today, with more comings and goings too. On the Brownsea Lagoon, the expected early arrival of the first ‘autumn’ Spoonbill landed with 6 new fresh in individuals including a pretty cute fresh juvenile, sporting its much shorter bill and dark black primary wing tips. Other new arrivals were the first 6 Avocet and 2 Sanderling. Also present were c80 Redshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 5 Greenshank and still decent numbers of Common Tern, including 2 newly hatched (very late) chicks. White-tailed Eagles were coming and going like buses. Firstly, long-staying female G801 left today and ventured back to the Isle of Wight, whilst yesterday evening male G816 arrived into the harbour. Well, this morning he left just as the other male G812 returned and was seen a few times over the Wareham Channel, art one point having a bit of a battle with male Osprey 022, which ended swiftly. Over Hartland there was a noisy exchange between 3 Peregrine Falcon, (2 juv and an adult). There has been some good news from harrier watchers Peter Hadrill and Garry Hayman who are confident that 4 juvenile Marsh Harrier have fledged from the 2 different nest sites in the harbour, which is great news and a postive step forward in really seeing this species re-establish back in the harbour. Our Osprey family are doing well with 5 fish deliveries today before tea time….including 3 deliveries from female CJ7 who doesn’t seem to have lost the knack considering she hasn’t been fishing since April!

Male Osprey 022 with fish over the Wareham Channel

These cooler July mornings aren’t what we were expecting with last weeks soaring temperatures but it’s making birding a bit easier. An early morning ringing session at Lytchett Fields saw a reasonable arrival of Sedge Warbler, but not much else other than 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Common Sandpiper and 2 local Kingfisher. Waders out on Lytchett Fields included 9 Greenshank, 30+Redshank, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Whimbrel , 2 Dunlin also 3 Common and 4 Green Sandpiper. We also helped support with the Upton CP family BioBlitz today which produced some decent Holes Bay surprises including a Spoonbill out from the new hide, also a full summer-plumaged Knot, 1 Greenshank, 177 Black-tailed Godwit, 77 Redshank, 1 Dunlin and 2 Peregrine. Male White-tailed Eagle G812 left the harbour this AM, heading north again……but he’ll be back. He always comes back.

Yellow-legged Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gull

Common Sandpiper – Lytchett Fields

The Brownsea Team had a welcome surprise this morning, prior to any guests arriving when they found 2 White-tailed Eagles on the Brownsea North shore. It sounds like they had moved by later in the day as one was then seen over the Wareham Channel around lunch time. There was no sign of  yesterdays Pectoral Sandpiper at Lytchett Fields but there was a good supporting cast of 2 Ringed Plover, 72 Redshank, 8 Greenshank, 7 Green Sandpiper, 4 Common Sandpiper and 1 Whimbrel. On Shell Beach there were 19 Sanderling and on the Brownsea Lagoon 44 Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover and 51 Black-tailed Godwit. This evening there was more evidence of arrivals with 2 Spotted Redshank in the mouth of the Frome with 6 Greenshank and c150 Black-tailed Godwit, plus a minimum of 25 Common Sandpiper along the Wareham Channel and Arne shoreline. There was also 120+ Curlew over and 2 Dunlin the Arne shore. A couple of fresh juv Marsh Harrier were at the top end of the Wareham Channel and on the dried Swineham scrape there were 17 Lapwing and 7 Yellow-legged Gull. Bearded Tit families were active in the reed beds at Swineham too.

White-tailed Eagle – Wareham Channel

Osprey chick ‘5H1’ keeping a close eye on things

It’s always nice to get autumn migration off to a cracker with a decent bird early doors. It’s rare for Dorset to see the arrival of an American wader outside of August or September, so a July Pectoral Sandpiper at Lytchett Fields today was a great find. Being so early in the season todays ‘Pec’ was an adult, showing a mature, darker, more worn plumage, unlike the fresher more fawn plumage of juveniles that appear later in the season. It stayed until early afternoon but wasn’t seen after the tide had peaked. There’s a good chance it’s still around, but just hiding away somewhere. Well worth looking out for tomorrow. There was also a Great White Egret on the fields today too. As July pushes on, pulses of migrants will begin to appear and today the first small flurry of Willow Warbler were appearing at several sites around the harbour.

White-tailed Eagle G801 wandered away from the Wareham Channel are and was on Brownsea for the morning before venturing back to the Wareham Channel later in the afternoon.

Pectoral Sandpiper – RSPB Lytchett Fields – Shaun Robson