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

It was a tad grim to start today, but at least it wasn’t blowing 1000mph! The rain dropped a few migrants around with 2 Willow Warbler in the Piddle Valley, 1 at Arne, 1 at Soldiers Road and another at Greenlands. There were also 3 Wheatear at Greenlands with c10 Swallow. At Middlebere an un-ringed Osprey was on the nest platform pretty much all day and there were 6 Spoonbill in the channel. At Brands Bay the last remaining Pintail were still present with only 13 counted. A White-tailed Eagle was also reported from Hydes Heath out over the Wareham Channel suggesting one had returned. Other Osprey sightings included 1 seen fishing in the Wareham Channel off Giggers Island this morning and another in the Wareham Channel. Finally, the Green-winged Teal showed up again on the fields at Lytchett Fields.

Un-ringed osprey on Middlebere nest platform

The high temperatures and blue skies of last week have been replaced by a strong northerly wind, which has put a bit of a damper on migration. Swallows and Sand Martins can be found in small numbers, but it does feel the season is slightly behind. Welcome news of the first Poole Harbour Sedge Warbler singing away at Swineham appeared this morning and 3 newly arrived Wheatear added a splash of colour to an otherwise quiet visit to Greenland’s Farm, Studland. At least 3 Osprey were recorded in the harbour today, with one individual recorded over Holes Bay and shortly after low through Lytchett Fields around midday. An unringed bird was feeding on the perch opposite Middlebere hide and CJ7 continued her tour of the harbour, also visiting the Middlebere Channel.  Inspired by the strong winds, a seawatch at Middle Beach, Studland produced a single Gannet, 2 Fulmar, 2 Kittiwake, 4 Auk sp. and 3 Sandwich Tern. Lytchett Bay logged another increase of Black-tailed Godwit, with 805 this morning and 1 Spotted Redshank. An evening sea watch from Middle Beach saw the first Manx Shearwaters of the season head SE with 13 seen in total past Old Harry. There were 2 Fieldfare on Hartland.

CJ7 visits Middlebere nest

Wheatear (male) – Greenland’s Farm, Studland – Rob Johnson

Our Spring Safari Cruise departed Poole Quay at 9am and set off into the Wareham Channel where 400 Black-tailed Godwit were feeding at the top end and 3 Marsh Harrier offered close views, interacting over Giggers Island. To everyone’s delight, female Osprey CJ7  put in an appearance, flying across the front of the boat from Ham Common towards RSPB Arne, and was even spotted by visitors over the Arne car park! The boat also logged good numbers of Redshank and Curlew, while several Swallow zipped around Swineham. A walk along the Two Rivers Walk added 3 singing Willow Warbler around the gravel pit and 58 Black-tailed Godwit on Stilt Pools. Middlebere Channel featured singles of Spoonbill, Spotted Redshank, Yellow Wagtail, Swallow, Peregrine and Raven. The Lytchett Bay Green-winged Teal showed through the day, staying faithful to the rear end of Sherford Pools. Middle Beach, Studland offered Great Crested Grebe, 2 Gannet offshore and 3 Sandwich Tern.

CJ7 is behaving just like she did in 2020, touring the harbour upon her arrival, landing on another harbour platform this morning. It took her a number of days in 2020 to return to the nest cam, so keep watching… And with CJ7 now back and exploring the harbour, this is the perfect time to get out birding around the harbour. Our new series of Spring Safari Cruises are running bi-weekly and offer the best way to access, view, and enjoy the Wareham Channel, the harbour’s prime Osprey feeding hotspot! Spring Safari Cruise tickets are available to book here…

The winds calm from tomorrow, making way for what will be a beautiful birding introduction ID course we are delivering in partnership with Careys Secret Garden tomorrow. The event has been rescheduled due to the strong winds, so grab your last minute tickets while they’re still available! Introduction to birding course bookings available here…

CJ7 visiting another harbour platform

CJ7 from our Spring Safari Cruise – John Thorpe

Greenshank & Black-headed Gull – Holton Pools – Kieran Hobbs