The Melodious Warbler has continued to show well on the Middlebere track today in the same spot as yesterday, located on the knoll near the Old Shepherd’s hut around halfway down the track.

This afternoon has been packed with Osprey activity at the nest site, with 022 diligently delivering a fish to CJ7 before bringing in extremely large pieces of nesting material, largely in vain as some fell off the nest. Nevertheless, his changes in behaviour in the last week have shown his dedication to CJ7 and the nest site, as well as his maturity which should mean that he will be primed for breeding next year and raising chicks successfully. Interestingly, another Osprey was sighted over Sherborne Lake yesterday evening, which was unlikely to be one of our pair as they have been more active around the nest this week. This newcomer is likely to be another 2-year-old exploring the area – it would be great it if made it’s way in our direction…

Our Nightjar walk on Slepe Heath yesterday evening produced some excellent views of displaying Nightjars across the heath, as well as 2 Cuckoos and a Hobby hunting at dusk.

Melodious Warbler – Middlebere – Mark Wright

022 Making a Stick Delivery

A great start to the day with a Melodious Warbler singing near Middlebere at dawn, re-located on the knoll near the Old Shepherd’s hut (Harrier Hide) halfway along the Middlebere track, having first been seen and heard by a local birder on the 15th. It was reported as an unidentified warbler, possibly a hippolais, so an investigative early morning visit allowed for a still morning to try and listen to the birds song. The Sound Approach recently published an excellent article on how to ID four rare species of warbler that have similar song (Marsh Warbler, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Melodious Warbler and Icterine Warbler), and it was this article that helped clinch the ID of the mystery warbler this morning as the bird refused to show initially. After singing continuously it finally popped out in full view and didn’t stop singing pretty much all day! This is only the 10th Poole Harbour record.

Elsewhere around the harbour male Osprey 022 caught a fish just off Giggers Island, which saw one of the local nesting Marsh Harrier react and chase it away. This time 022 managed to keep hold of his Flounder unlike the other day when the Marsh Harrier forces him to drop it! Also in the Wareham Channel were 66 Shelduck, 1 Spoonbill, a pair of Egyptian Geese with 3 young, 250+ Canada Geese and good numbers of Sandwich Tern, more of which seem to be nesting on the gull islands. At Swineham Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting and Cetti’s Warbler were all still in fine voice and another Egyptian Goose was on the scrape. A Cuckoo flew over the Stoborough Causeway and on the Brownsea Lagoon its good to see Sandwich Tern numbers picking up with 30+ pairs now settled. Also on the lagoon were 14 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Redshank, 1 Avocet and 200+ Common Tern. 

 

The 1st newly fledged juvenile Black-headed Gull of the summer was on Lytchett Fields this morning which is interesting because there are still quite a number of newly hatched/young gulls on the gull islands. The age range between numerous juveniles of the same species is quite amazing, probably spanning over a month. There were also 3 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Curlew.

There were more developments between male and female Osprey 022 and CJ7. With virtually no sharing of fish around a week ago, 022 gave CJ7 not one, but two fish today which is just fantastic. Both birds were on and off the nest cam quite a bit today, interacting and generally getting on!

It’s good to hear that several Yellowhammer are still singing along Challow Hill and at Ballard with 5 Common Whitethroat also logged in the area.

Yellowhammer – Ballard 

Once the rain had cleared this morning it certainly felt like the kind of day where a few birds would appear or start moving. Ringed Plover, which haven’t been logged in the harbour a good couple of weeks were seen at Lytchett Fields (4) and Brands Bay (2), but are they late arrivers or early departures? Also in Brands Bay was one of the over-summering dark-bellied Brent Geese plus 37 Common Tern off Jerry’s Point and 75+ Swift over. An Osprey was also seen over Littlesea, Studland, which seems an unusual place for for 022 or CJ7 to venture to, so it could well have been a new bird passing by. Female Osprey CJ7 was out in the Wareham Channel fishing at 9:30am and caught a fish, only to then be beaten up by one of the local Marsh Harrier, resulting in CJ7 dropping her fish and disappearing off quick sharp. Luckily, later on whilst food begging on the nest cam, male Osprey 022 finally realised what he needed to do, and delivered (albeit slightly reluctantly) CJ7 a lovely half a Flounder. Good on him, as this will strengthen the bond even more and it will be good practice for next spring (hopefully). A Red Kite drifted over Upton mid-morning and at Lytchett Fields there were also 3 Little Ringed Plover and 18 Lapwing. The young Peregrines managed to stay out of trouble for at least 24 hours, with both present on one of the Barclays balconies this morning. Another check on the gull islands found that there are in fact about 8 Sandwich Tern nesting on there not the 3 or 4 we originally thought.

Male osprey 022 finally learns he’s supposed to share his fish with CJ7!

Adder – Hartland – Nick Williams

Another wet and mild day which was largely uneventful until late afternoon when we received a call from local birder Rene Goad informing us that one of the juvenile Poole Peregrine Falcons was stuck behind a glass balcony close to the Barclays building. We left the bird alone for quite a while to see if it could make it’s own way out, but after several hours it became obvious that the chick was well and truly flummoxed by the glass balcony and therefore had to carried out. Barclays Bank kindly let us enter the building to head up to the top floor and put the chick back up on the nest ledge, where it promptly flew off then back again and was immediately joined by it’s sibling. Hopefully the two youngsters are beginning to work out what dangers lurk around the town, and learn to avoid them over the coming weeks.

Secondly, having not been on the nest all day, Ospreys 022 and CJ7 arrived and had a proper lovers spat over a half eaten bit of fish. CJ7 was determined to have some of his lunch with 022 adamant it was all going to be his, in what then played out to be a funny tussle between the pair being broadcast live to the world! We hope they get on better next year.

There were good numbers of Swift around again today, certainly over the Old Town with 30+ at one point and 20-30 over Lower Hamworthy. Some late news, a Red Kite was sat in a tree up on Hartland at the weekend, a rare occurrence in the harbour with 99.9% of Red Kite sightings being of fly overs. There are also 3 pairs of Sandwich Tern incubating on the gull islands in the Wareham Channel, something we’ve never seen before away from the Brownsea Lagoon.

Elsewhere the first returning waders were logged today with Common Sandpiper at Longham. It was over this period last summer June that the first Spotted Redshank of the autumn appeared at Lytchett Fields, and with the days getting shorter as of tomorrow, let the autumn migration floodgates swing open and fully begin.

Paul Morton

CJ7 and 022 Fish fight on nest cam

Red Kite – Hartland – Nick Williams

This morning’s Poole Harbour Osprey Project Tour boat trip departed Poole Quay into an ominous mist at 9AM, with Brownsea Island shrouded from view and the recent rainfall having only eased in the last 30 minutes. As the conurbation disappeared into the murky, visibility began to improve to the west and it wasn’t long until the active Marsh Harriers put on a show, quartering over Gigger’s Island and the Keysworth shoreline for the duration of the trip, regularly flushing the breeding Lapwing and Redshank. A Hobby flew right over the top of the boat towards the Arne peninsula, Sandwich Terns offered wonderfully close views from all angles of the boat, and a slow meander up the River Frome produced a small flurry of Swallow set to a backdrop of constant Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting and Skylark song. By the return journey, the sun was beginning to fight through the cloud cover, the mist had well and truly lifted and the ideal conditions quickly welcomed the appearance of an Osprey, likely CJ7! First appearing at close range from the Arne peninsula, the bird tracked west very quickly and was soon distant over the mouth of the River Frome and Piddle, swooping down but pulling out last minute on several fishing attempts en route.

Poole Peregrine update – Unfortunately, it is with great sadness we have to report that one of the juvenile Poole Peregrines was found dead yesterday morning having had a collision with a building. A great shame. Hopefully the remaining two will survive.

~ Joe

Marsh Harrier – Keysworth Shoreline (photographed from Osprey Project Tour) – Alison Copland

A minimum of 35 Swift were logged over Barclays while observing the recently fledged Peregrines. The juvenile Peregrines continue to explore with more confidence, with one brave bird even perching alongside the car park ramp today! Be sure to always keep a sensible distance away from the birds as the continue to scout out the wider area. From Coombe Heath, a Cuckoo offered great views while perched, a Common Tern fished in the channel while Hobby hawked over the marsh and two families of Shelduck navigated the channel with young. Scoping Furzey Island from Redhorn rewarded one observer with distant views of a male and 2 female Golden Pheasant, as well as a Red Squirrel! Young Crossbills showed well at Rempstone Forest this morning. Several visits were made by 022 and CJ7 to the livestream webcam today, with added variety from Greenfinch and flyby Kestrel.

~ Joe

Juvenile Crossbill – Rempstone Forest – @BirderOtbt (twitter account)

The rain arrived today, but luckily held off for our Nightjar walk last night, which ended up being quite exceptional. What initially looked set to be a wet, soggy stomp around Slepe Heath ended up being one of the best Nightjar walks we’ve ever hosted. You know a walks going to be good when you find not one, but two burrowing Sand Lizard right next to the footpath, allowing our group to stand and watch this incredibly rare event. Female Sand Lizards wait for mild, muggy evenings in June to egg lay, and when burrowing, tend to do it during the cover of darkness as they enter a trance like state, fully focused on getting the burrow dug and the eggs laid. As we stood and watched one of the lizards burrowing we were surrounded by Dartford Warbler calls and a distant Cuckoo. Then, at 21:45 the Nightjar put on an incredible display with no less 8 seen bombing around us, producing a whole range of vocalisations at close range, allowing everyone to hear clearly the different call types. Then, the night was finished off with the first Glow Worm of the season. Just magical.

Also today, after a three day absence both Ospreys 022 and CJ7 made a couple of brief appearance on the nest cam, 022 still finding it difficult to share any bit of fish with CJ7, in fact having had three days apart he looked positively terrified of her! Still, it was good to see him/them back and with some nest tidying going on with CJ7 even bringing back some nest material too. With all this hot weather recently, they’ve probably enjoyed a bit of cooling in the rain today.

The Barclays Peregrines were pretty quiet today, although are now mixing it up a little bit and settling on different balcony ledges with one now able to fly, do a circuit then land again (not on the floor)!

The Great White Egret was in Middlebere again and the Marsh Harrier pair were active at dawn despite the rain, provisioning the young  of which we still don’t know how many there are? Can’t wait to see the first heads bob up and test flights take place.

Male Osprey 022 back on the nest after a 3 day absence 

Female Sand Lizard nest burrowing – Slepe Heath

All 5 members of the Peregrine family were just visible through the mist shrouding the Barclay’s building in Poole this morning. The poor visibility may have contributed to their inactivity early on, potentially limiting their ability to hunt by making it more difficult for them to pick out and target distant prey. On the other hand such conditions could also give them an advantage if their prey can’t see them coming! Either way, all three chicks look to be in very good condition and growing well, indicating that they continue to be fed well by the parents.

Just across the road in Holes Bay a very different style of parenting was being demonstrated by the Oystercatchers, who were also out and about with their young, feeding on the mudflats. Oystercatcher chicks – like most waders – are ‘precocial’, meaning they are mobile and able to feed themselves from the moment they hatch. This more relaxed parenting approach requires much less food provisioning effort on the part of the adults, but greatly increases the vulnerability of the chicks to predators… such as peregrines for example!

Further raptor activity elsewhere in the harbour included both Kestrel and Hobby seen at Hotlon Lee, and an Osprey drifting over Coombe and then Hyde’s Heaths at Arne just after midday. Also around the Middlebere area, the Great White Egret was seen once again.

Muggy conditions like those we’ve had recently are perfect for getting out onto the local heaths in the evenings to look for Nightjars and Glow Worms. We have a limited number of spaces available on our guided Nightjar Experience tomorrow at 8pm on Slepe Heath, which you can book onto here.

Brittany Maxted

Oystercatcher chicks – Holes Bay – Holes Bay Nature (Twitter)