The heat is getting a bit brutal, but the breeze that picks up around midday certainly helps cool things down. This morning the White-tailed Eagle pair decided to go for a wander with the male G812 heading back north with the female G801 (worryingly) following him. However, she got as far as Blandford and got cold feet and did a u-turn, heading straight back to the harbour. Phew! No doubt he’ll be back soon. In Holes Bay yesterday over 100 Little Egret were roosting in the Pergins Island roost which is a great mid-summer total, with numbers continuing to build during August. Also in Holes Bay this morning were 42 Redshank and 77 Black-tailed Godwit. At Lytchett Fields, there were 2 Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 30 Lapwing, 6 Greenshank and 58 Common Redshank. A couple of days ago a young Common Redstart was logged (the first of the season) along with an early Yellow Wagtail over Lytchett Fields yesterday.

Little Egret and corvid flock – Pergins Island (yesterday) Martin Adams

Good numbers of waders were reported at Lytchett Fields today, with 78 Redshank, 59 Lapwing, 11 Green Sandpiper, 5 Greenshank, 2 Snipe, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Curlew and 1 juv. Little Ringed Plover present. Also reported at Lytchett Fields were 3 Common Tern, as well as an early Yellow Wagtail and the first Common Gull of the “autumn”. This morning, the 2 White-tailed Eagles seen from yesterday evening’s boat were still present on the Arne shoreline – a promising sign that the new male (G812) may stick around fo longer. A Caspian Tern has also been cause for excitement up at Stanpit Marsh, with hopes that it may put in an appearance on Brownsea Lagoon, however, there are no signs as of yet.

We’ve announced 2 additional Summer Safari Cruises in the coming weeks, on Sunday 31st July and Tuesday 2nd August. For more info and to book, head to our bookings page.

White-tailed Eagles (yesterday evening) – Arne shoreline – Garry Hayman

This morning, female White-tailed Eagle G801 was once again back in her favoured area of the Wareham Channel, flying over the gull islands, but sadly the male she was with yesterday morning, G812, had already left the area by this morning and traveled back north……..However. Having gone back to a favoured area further north, only to realise the female he’d been hanging out with there had gone, he promptly did a u-turn this evening and arrived back in the Wareham Channel to hook up with G801 again! So we once again have 2 White-tailed Eagles back again….but for how long this time? Hopefully longer than 12 hours. This evening we had a private bird boat charter which ventured up the Wareham Channel where both White-tailed Eagles were on view, plus, male Osprey 022 was seen to catch a fish, also some of the local Marsh Harrier were active at the top of the channel. There were 7 Common Sandpiper in the mouth of the Frome and c50 Black-tailed Godwit were feeding on the mud. There were 2 of the local Peregrine on the cranes at Poole Quay and off Shipstal 17 juvenile Mediterranean Gull were roosting on the water with the local Black-headed Gulls. On the dried up Swineham scrape there were 5 adult Yellow-legged Gull and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. In the Lower Piddle Valley a Hobby and an adult female Kestrel were hunting insects and feeding on the wing. The strangest (and perhaps most worrying) find of the day was an adult Gannet off Redhorn Quay, Brands Bay. If it had been blowing a gale, then perhaps not so unsual, but with Bird flu about, could it potentially be a sick individual?

White-tailed Eagles G801 and G812 – Wareham Channel 

Juv Mediterranean Gull – Shipstal Point

Our Poole Harbour Osprey family looking grand on the webcam this afternoon

Another hot day which drew in another White-tailed Eagle, this time a 2nd cal year male known as G812. He was released on the Isle of Wight in 2021 and today he joined the (currently) resident female G801 where they were seen soaring together high over the Wareham Channel around midday. Whether he sticks around or not is a different question as these young male eagles seem prone to explore as many areas as possible, regardless of whether there’s a lonely female present. At Lytchett Fields there were 71 Common Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 10 Green Sandpiper, 53 Lapwing, 10 Teal and 2 Little Ringed Plover. For the first time this season, male Osprey 022 has been seen fishing regularly out in the Wareham Channel on and off throughout the day. Yesterday he delivered seven fish to the nest, so he’s obviously upping his fishing efforts, perhaps to keep the chicks well fed and hydrated during this hot spell.

White-tailed Eagles G801 and G812 over Wareham Channel – Paula and John Thorpe

White-tailed Eagles G801 and G812 over Wareham Channel – Paula and John Thorpe

White-tailed Eagle and Med Gulls over Wareham Channel – Paula and John Thorpe

It was all go today, with scorching sunshine but also a decent range of birds too. Our Summer Safari cruise left at 9am with mirror calm waters and 20+ degree heat beaming down on us. It wasn’t long before we were in the top end of the Wareham Channel where 80+ Black-tailed Godwit were back feeding in the mouth of the Frome and there were also 3 Greenshank, 5 Redshank and 50+ Curlew and 2 Marsh Harrier. Up the Frome a partial summer-plumaged Cattle Egret was in with the cows at Swineham, there was an adult Yellow-legged Gull on the scrape and 4 Reed Bunting were still in fine voice. A few Bearded Tit were heard in the reeds and one made a very brief appearance. As we left the Frome, male Osprey 022 did the right thing, turning up and began fishing in the Wareham Channel, where he then caught a fish and then soared over Keysworth for a while. Female White-tailed Eagle then put in an appearance over Arne briefly, annoying all the local Grey Herons. We also logged 3 Common Seal in the mouth of the Piddle too. On Brownsea juvenile Common and Sandwich Terns are now following around their parents, calling for food both on and off the lagoon, there was also a single Ringed Plover back and another c50 Black-tailed Godwit were on the lagoon. In Holes Bay north a big flock of 147 Redshank which is a decent total for early July. At Lytchett Bay there were 8 Green Sandpiper and 2 Little Ringed Plover. A ringing session at Lytchett Heath by Stour Ringing Group saw the first 2 migrant Sedge Warbler and 1 Common Whitethroat of the autumn ringed along with 22 Reed Warbler. 

Newly arrived flock of 147 Common Redshank – Holes Bay – Martin Adams

Sightings are increasing now as passage begins to build up. The 3 Spotted Redshank were still in Middlebere this evening and there were 2 Green Sandpiper and 2 Little Ringed Plover at Lytchett Fields along with a Marsh Harrier. This evening was our last Puffin cruise of the season and we were lucky as many auks have already left the Durlston and Dancing Ledge colonies already, as had 2 of the 4 Puffin that had been present this season, but we did get decent views of the remaining 2. There were also 40+ Swift feeding over Dancing Ledge and there were Peregrines on the cliff at Ballard and near Durlston.

Last Puffin sighting of the season – Dancing Ledge

It was only a matter of time, but the first ‘group’ of Spotted Redshank arrived yesterday with 3 in Middlebere, one in full summer plumage still and the other two in partial summer plumage. There was an early one a few weeks ago on the Brownsea Lagoon which didn’t stick around, but now is the time to start looking for them as the females start arriving back and passing through, having left their arctic breeding grounds in recent days. At Holes Bay the over-summering male Wigeon was off the Stone Bench at Upton CP and the first newly fledged Med Gull of the summer was on Lytchett fields, as was the juvenile Little Ringed Plover and the adult male. On Hartland near Middlebere what seemed to be a fresh juvenile Northern Wheatear was seen, possibly suggesting local breeding which would be another great Poole Harbour breeding record for the year if confirmed and would be almost equally as significant as the Poole Town breeding Black Redstarts which were still active again today in the private garden. There was also a Whimbrel in Brands Bay.

Spotted Redshank – Middlebere – Mark Wright

Spotted Redshank – Middlebere – Mark Wright

Over-summering male Wigeon – Holes Bay – Martin Adams

The first juvenile Little Ringed Plover of the season arrived onto Lytchett Fields this morning, but although looking incredibly fresh and young, it wasn’t thought to have fledged from the Lytchett Fields area despite arriving with an adult male and female. They almost certainly didn’t breed too far away. There was an obvious increase in Redshank numbers at Holes Bay with 49 present on the low-tide along with 23 Little Egret. August sees the peak counts of Little Egret in the harbour, so numbers will continue to build around the harbour during July. There was another arrival today with 3 new Avocet back on the Brownsea Lagoon, including what looked to be a fresh juvenile, so probably from just a bit further east along the coast. Also on the Brownsea Lagoon were 1 Common Sandpiper, 39 Black-tailed Godwit and 4 Redshank. 

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Adult male Little Ringed Plover – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Adult female Little Ringed Plover – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

It was great to see that the Black Redstart family were still active this evening in a small private garden, Poole Quay. Although having moved slightly from the other day, the male was busy still feeding all three newly fledged juveniles. There were more signs of autumn passage with the seasons first Ruff logged at Lytchett Fields along with 2 Little Ringed Plover and 4 Green Sandpiper. Despite having to postpone a run of Puffin cruises recently due to strong wind, tonights rescheduled trip didn’t disappoint with good views of all 4 last remaining Puffin out on the water, along with passing Gannet, plenty of Guillemot, a couple of Razorbill and a 1 lone Fulmar with the added excitement of a Peregrine chase over the tern islands on Brownsea before we even left the harbour. Plenty of Mediterranean Gull were also loafing out on the water in Poole Bay.

Male Black Redstart – Private garden, Poole Quay area

Juvenile Black Redstart, Private garden – Poole Quay area

2 Puffin from this evenings Puffin Cruise