Another stunning morning to be out birding, and what better way to explore the harbour than on one of our Spring Safari Cruises?! Todays venture up the River Frome was greeted by a couple of Swallows and a chance to listen to and enjoy the songs of Skylark, Cetti’s and fresh-in Reed Warblers, Reed Bunting and Blackcap. Then things really got going as we approached the Swineham scrapes, finding a Common Sandpiper before a smart summer-plumage Cattle Egret dropped in to join the colourful c.50 strong Black-tailed Godwit flock momentarily. As we re-joined the Wareham Channel we were treated to a fly-by of male Osprey 022 carrying a fish, followed in quick succession by a skydancing Marsh Harrier, only to be interrupted and harassed by a persistent Peregrine! And if that wasn’t enough to get the hearts racing, a Goshawk then decided to join in on the action, drifting north over Gigger’s Island before concluding the trip by working Brownsea Lagoon, scoping over the seawall to add male Wheatear, c.10 Avocet, Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Knot, c.20 Common Tern and numerous Mediterranean Gull to the species list for the trip. An early afternoon walk to Swineham Point witnessed the arrival of a White-tailed Eagle into the harbour! Elsewhere, the long-staying Lytchett Bay Green-winged Teal showed again on Sherford Pools, Lytchett Fields, a Peregrine with prey in tree beyond  and 2 Little Ringed Plover on Approach Pool. There was no sign of yesterday’s Little Ringed Plovers at Sunnyside, but this was made up for with singing Cuckoo. Three Red Kite were picked up circling over Stoborough Heath, and another individual was seen over Westbourne.

We’ve just announced dates for our Nightjar Experience Walks (June-July) and have added three more dates to the new Morden Bog Dawn Chorus ID Courses. The previous dates sold out in record time, so grab your places while you can! And there’s still a few places left on the Spring Safari Cruises from 27th April and into May… All information and events booking can be found on our events page here.

Summer-plumage Cattle Egret at Swineham from today’s Spring Safari Cruise – Clare Slade

Osprey 022 from today’s Spring Safari Cruise – Clare Slade

Peregrine (right) mobbing Marsh Harrier (left) from today’s Spring Safari Cruise – Clare Slade

Goshawk – Wareham Channel – Rene Goad

Plenty more spring migrants around today with more Cuckoo’s arriving with individuals on Slepe Heath, Wytch Lake, Brownsea and Arne. There were also 2 Common Whitethroat at Middlebere and a Tree Pipit flew over Scotland Farm. At Sunnyside there were 2 Little Ringed Plover, a Red Kite was over Hartland Moor, a Wheatear in Holes Bay and the Green-winged Teal was still at Lytchett Fields. There were loads of Black-tailed Godwit in the harbour today counted during WeBS, well over 1000. Not too many Whimbrel with just 6 logged in Wytch Lake. There are also good numbers of Med Gull on Brownsea where there are still 20 Avocet and c30 Bar-tailed Godwit.

Med Gull – Brownsea Lagoon – Clare Slade

Despite probably plenty of birders being out and about today, reported sightings were thin on the ground. A Blue-headed Wagtail at Sunnyside was a treat of a find, and White-tailed Eagle G801 was seen agin in the Wareham Channel, although was heading for the Corfe gap by late afternoon. The Green-winged Teal was still at Lytchett Fields, and at South Haven, Studland there were 20 Common Tern logged in through the harbour entrance and a Yellow Wagtail there too. The Middlebere Ospreys seem to have moved on but CJ7 and 022 are still doing well at their new nest site with plenty of mating and nest building still being carried out today.

Blue-headed Wagtail – Sunnyside Farm – Jol Mitchell

What a beaut start to the bank holiday weekend. Pea soup fog to start, followed by beautiful blue sky’s and 20 degree plus temperatures for the rest of the day. We hosted another Spring Safari Cruise this morning which provided a great opportunity to watch 2 hunting Osprey out in the Wareham Channel, 2 Marsh Harrier, a late Red-breasted Merganser, c80 Black-tailed Godwit at Swineham along with 4 Shoveler, 15+ Cetti’s Warbler, several Swallow and multiple Sandwich Tern. Reported separately at Swineham were 8 Reed Warbler and 3 Sedge Warbler. What was really frustrating was that just an hour after our trip finished, White-tailed Eagle G801 arrived back into the harbour, heading to her favoured area, the Wareham Channel! At Swineham there were also 2 Cattle Egret in fields up near Bestwall with 12 reported earlier in the day! At Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal was still there along with 2 Spotted Redshank. On Brownsea there were now up 20 Common Tern and 40 Sandwich Tern and still 42 Bar-taild Godwit and c20 Avocet. The Middlebere Osprey was busy this AM having caught a fish in the Wareham Channel for our boat to watch, before heading back to Middlebere. Sadly, there were no other sightings this afternoon suggesting she’s now moved on.

Osprey – Middlebere

April is ploughing on, and things are still really interesting. There are still 2-3 other different Osprey hanging around the Wareham Channel/Middlebere/Arne area with others still due to pass through during the rest of April. And with 022 out displaying briefly over the Wareham Channel it could tempt these new arrivals to hang around longer which will continue to change the dynamics of the Osprey population here on the south coast. Our new Osprey pair continue to look super happy, nest building, mating, fish swapping…basically doing all the things they should be doing to see out a productive and successful breeding season.

At Lytchett Fields today the Green-winged Teal was still there and there were 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank and 2 Little Ringed Plover. A Hobby was seen again out over Slepe Heath, a Tree Pipit was over Wareham Common and c40 Swallow were over Swineham GP tonight. There were also a few new Reed Warbler and Swineham and 2 Sedge Warbler. 

New Osprey using the Middlebere nest platform

One of our favourite markers of spring today… The first Hobby of the season was logged out over Slepe Heath this morning.  Always a treat to watch these birds hawking dragonflies through the summer months! Plus, another good record of a Wood Warbler briefly in the Lower Piddle Valley. The Lytchett Bay Green-winged Teal continued its residency for another day, again appearing on Sherford Pools with the rising tide, accompanied by 99 Black-tailed Godwit on French’s Pool, 3 Pintail in the bay and a Red Kite that drifted west towards Lytchett Bay airspace. Brownsea Lagoon welcomed the arrival of 3 Common Tern, as well as appearances from singles of Whimbrel, Knot, 6 Greenshank, 2 Dunlin, c.90 Black-tailed Godwit, 35 lingering Avocet and c.40 SandwichTerns. Watches from Coombe Heath, Arne offered wonderful views of the of the various Osprey comings and goings, clocking up 3 different individuals (including 022), as well as enjoying 5 Spoonbill. Greenlands Farm offered several grounded spring migrants in the form of 1 Redstart & 2 Wheatears while PC World Drain, Holes Bay again produced Common Sandpiper. At Sunnyside this evening the first Whinchat of the spring was found and both Reed and Sedge Warbler were singing at Swineham too. Finally, a Hoopoe was found on Hartland Moor before flying off.

Male Osprey 022 photographed from Coombe Heath – Kate Plater

Hoopoe – Hartland Moor – OTBT Birder (Twitter – @BirderOtbt)

Yet again, the Wareham Channel featured White-tailed Eagle, with observers enjoying the bird from Ham Common and Swineham Point, while the reedbeds fringing the shorelines were patrolled by Marsh Harrier. At Holes Bay, PC World Drain offered Common Sandpiper and a Sandwich Tern put in an appearance in Holes Bay South. Here at Birds of Poole Harbour we’re thrilled to welcome Jenny Shelton from the incredible RSPB investigations team supporting us over the next few weeks on Osprey monitoring and protection, as well as making star guest appearances on our public bird boats! Lytchett Bay continues to tick over on the wader front, with 5 Ringed Plover and 2 summer-plumage Dunlin (both in summer plumage), 5 Greenshank, 168 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Ringed Plover and the Spotted Redshank, as well as the Green-winged Teal and singing Reed Warbler.  Big thanks to Garry Hayman and Peter Hadrill for a fantastic write up on the Wintering Hen Harriers in the Isle of Purbeck/Poole Harbour this winter. A must-read report!

Spotted Redshank -Lytchett Bay – Ian Ballam

A fascinating day with plenty going on. White-tailed Eagle G318 appeared in over the Wareham Forest and headed straight for the Wareham Channel. Raptors were moving around with 3 Red Kite, 8 Buzzard, 1 Goshawk, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Sparrowhawk and a Peregrine moving over the Lower Frome and Piddle Valleys. There was also a decent number of hirundines around with c100 Sand Martin, c30 Swallow and c10 House Martin feeding high above Wareham. There was also a flock of 8 Whimbrel high over Swineham heading north with another on Brownsea Island. At Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal was still on Sherford Pools along with 5 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Spotted Redshank and 1 Common Ringed Plover along with a Black Redstart At Bog lane there was a Ring Ouzel, 2 Mandarin and 5 Cattle Egret were on the floodplain.

Our Osprey pair continued to settle in with more food passes at the nest site along with some more mating whih is just what we want to see at this early stage. Theres still a long way to go but things are all looking good!

Green-winged Teal (left) and Eurasian Teal – Lytchett Fields

Well, what can we say! What a day it’s been not only for us, but everyone that has followed and supported our work over the last few years. We’ll be providing a more detailed update on todays events but if you weren’t aware yet, our translocated 2019 male Osprey, 022 returned and (kind of) instantly paired up with female CJ7 on a harbour nest platform. Not only that, to share any exciting moments this summer we’ve been able to instal a new nest platform camera to share this historic moment. To read the full overview CLICK HERE.

Not only did we see 022’s safe return, but it was Osprey mania around Middlebere and out in the Wareham Channel with ‘Beaky’ hogging the Middlebere nest platform all day, gorging on fish constantly and on a different harbour nest platform, 022 actually spent time with ‘another lady’ before hooking up with CJ7. There were Osprey hunting on and off all day suggesting there were likely 4 (maybe more) present.

As luck would have it, we also had one of our Spring Safari boat tours this morning, and it couldn’t have been timed better. As we entered the Wareham Channel their was a feeling in the air and it wasn’t long until we were watching female White-tailed Eagle G318 on the edge of the channel. Quite amazing in its self, without all the Ospreys! Then, the Osprey action began which included (as we know now) a partially displaying 022 over the channel, who seemed to be eyeing up another Osprey over at Arne who he joined for a while before moving off. Also logged were 3 Marsh Harrier, including a displaying individual and a Goshawk too. There were also c200 Black-tailed Godwit, 10+ Gadwall, c40 Shelduck, c20 Curlew and 15 Redshank in the Wareham Channel. A sea watch from Branksome this evening produced 1 Manx Shearwater, 7 Gannet and 2 Red-throated Diver and at Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal was still present with 3 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Common Ringed Plover. There was a single Wheatear at Baiter where there were also 10 Turnstone still and there were c20 more Turnstone near Hamworthy Pier.

Male Osprey 022 touching down in Poole Harbour having just arrived this morning at 09:16

Male Osprey 022 briefly joining a different female Osprey on a harbour nest platform

Male Osprey 022 and female Osprey CJ7 meeting each other on harbour nest platform

Female Osprey ‘Beaky’ taking yet another fish to Middlebere platform

Female White-tailed Eagle G318 in the Wareham Channel – Alison Copland

After yesterdays dreary weather, todays bright sun and return of some warmth made it feel spring like once again. Today we hosted a Bespoke Private Charter in partnership with Castle Cameras which led us up the Wareham Channel and to Brownsea where we were wowed by displaying Marsh Harrier right over the boat, with plenty of calling too, a phenomenon rarely heard in Poole Harbour. Also logged was a Red Kite over the boat and a distant Osprey along with plenty of Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Curlew and c20 Sandwich Tern. If it was Osprey you were after today then Middlebere was the place with what seemed to have been ‘Beaky’ back on the Middlebere pole again and possibly a second bird over the channel. Plus, CJ7 was seen off Hydes Heath this afternoon and this evening she was on harbour nest platform eating a whopping great big Grey Mullet. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were c20 Avocet and 2 Greenshank and on Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal was present this AM and PM too with 2 Spotted Redshank and 2 Little Ringed Plover. There were 8 Spoonbill at Shipstal and female White-tailed Eagle G318 was in the Wareham Channel briefly this morning before moving off towards the Jurassic Coast.

Osprey (Beaky?) – RSPB Arne – Mark Wright