So close, yet so far! The rarity roll almost continued this evening when a likely Caspian Tern was seen heading east over Bestwall toward the harbour. This large, bulky tern with a carrot for a beak is normally of south-east European origin with breeding also occurring up and around the Baltics. Sadly the bird was flying away from the finder and it couldn’t be clinched It was possible that being seen so late in the evening it could of headed to Brownsea to roost with all the Sandwich and Common Terns, but despite much searching with the lagoon webcams it wasn’t found. The good news was that the Marsh Warbler was present again for its 4^th day, singing well at dawn and showing intermittently. On the Brownsea Lagoon 1 Spoonbill was present this evening as were 7+ Avocet which will hopefully result in more nesting attempts. It seems both Sandwich and Common Tern are having a great nesting season with big numbers on all the breeding islands.

Oystercatcher – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

It’s nice to end the month with a rarity , especially one that now been around for three days meaning everyone got to enjoy it over the weekend. We’re of course talking about the Marsh Warbler which was still singing (and showing briefly) at Bestwall this morning. The surprise of the day however was a Short-eared Owl that seen at Swineham Point. Traditionally a winter bird here in the harbour, recent BTO tracking data has highlighted that non-breeding individuals and also breeding individuals that have just raised their first brood often go on large migrations around the UK before re-settling to raise a second brood, or even traveling to new countries to try and find a new mate. Today’s bird settled on the saltmarsh at Swineham briefly before being seen off by the local Redshank family that have 3 newly hatched chicks. Also around Swineham were 2 Cuckoo, including a lovely ‘hepatic’ (rufous morph) female that’s been around for several weeks now. On the Swineham Scrapes a single Little Ringed Plover was still present and c20 Swift were over the gravel pit. At Lytchett Fields yesterdays Green Sandpiper was still present along with 15 Lapwing. Up around Slepe Heath 4 different Cuckoo’s were still going for it and out over the Wareham Channel 2 Hobby, 1 Osprey (assumed to be CJ7) and 1 Marsh Harrier were logged.

Short-eared Owl – Swineham – Peter Moore

Marsh Warbler – Bestwall – Peter Moore

Sedge Warbler – Swineham – Peter Moore

Redshank chicks – Swineham – Peter Moore

Today was another scorcher, but started off cool with a 4:30am visit back to Bestwall to see if the Marsh Warbler was still there and singing. Thankfully it was, and this time showing really well too. It’s song and mimicry in the still morning air was just breath-taking as it swapped with ease from calls of Blackbird, Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Magpie, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Song Thrush, Whitethroat, Wren, Chiffchaff! Even when it was preening! It was accompanied by 2 Cuckoo which spent the early part of the morning chasing each other around the Marsh Warbler.

Elsewhere, there were signs that confirmed many peoples worst fears. Yep, autumn is well and truly here with the first Green Sandpiper already arriving at Lytchett Fields. This is rather early (only by several days) with the first Green Sands usually arriving on site in early June with numbers building through the month and then peaking in July. It was likely a failed/non-breeder but it still heralds the first southward movement. Don’t worry though, there’s still plenty of great birds to experience yet this summer before autumn passage really kicks back in in late July/early August. Also at Lytchett Fields were 3 Ringed Plover (heading north), 17 Lapwing (potential local failed breeders), 2 Redshank, 9 Gadwall and a Yellow-legged Gull. Red Kite were on the move again, this time heading north and east with birds over Studland, Upton, Ridge, Swanage, Lytchett and Poole. At East Holme a pair of Spotted Flycatcher were found in the woods. There was good news too at Swineham with Common Redshank chicks photographed off Swineham Point.

Marsh Warbler – Bestwall – Peter Moore

Where on earth did May go????? It seems like only yesterday that CJ7 arrived, and now its almost June, we can begin to start thinking about a birders favourite time of year….autumn!

We say it, year after year, and never get bored of saying it, but the birding autumn actually begins in mid June as the first Green Sandpipers begin to move south, soon followed by Little Ringed Plovers. Then, the glory of autumn migration continues right the way through to mid-November….bliss!

In all honesty, there was some weird sightings today that could suggest failed breeding has already become a factor and birds are on the move ‘south’ already. A Little Ringed Plover at Bramble Bush Bay is an exceptional late May record and surely constitutes a departing bird? Also, 4 Lapwing were on Lytchett Fields already suggesting local failed breeders are already looking for places to spend the rest of the summer. Strangest of all were 35 Barnacle Geese which flew over Brownsea and towards Brands Bay…..where the hell did they come from????? Suggesting it’s almost autumn is one thing, but nearly mid-winter???!! 🙂

Also in Brands Bay was a fishing Osprey which is site we don’t believe CJ7 visits so it could have been a migrant. Other interesting birds of prey consisted of Red Kites over Ballard and Ridge with 2 Hobby and 1 Peregrine also over Ridge. The male and female Peregrine were on the Asda building still and Firecrest were heard singing at Sherford Bridge.

Terrapins – Hatch Pond – Ian Ballam

It was a quiet Bank Holiday for bird news with the White Stork at Wool being the most notable sighting. We haven’t seen this bird ourselves yet, so are not sure of its origin or whether it has any rings on, but that really doesn’t matter and we hope that White Stork soon become a regular spring visitor to these areas now, especially as 2 pairs are now breeding a bit further up the coast, east at the Knepp Estate. At Lytchett fields there were 3 Ringed Plover, 2 Whimbrel and 1 Cuckoo. Hobby now seem more dispersed with 2 over Hartland, 2 over the Frome Valley and singles seen over Swineham and Stoborough Heath. An Osprey was seen over Stoborough but it’s unclear as to whether it was CJ7 or a newly arrived migrant. The two Roseate Terns were still on the Brownsea Lagoon moving about to different areas and more Sandwich Tern chicks have hatched.

Swallow – Stoborough

A quieter day today after all the Osprey excitement of yesterday. There was a selection of waders on Lytchett Fields including 1 Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover, 2 Greenshank, 2 Whimbrel, 1 Lapwing, 3 Curlew and 3 Oystercatcher. On the Brownsea Lagoon some of the Sandwich Tern chicks have already begun to hatch, and can be watched live on our Brownsea Lagoon webcams. Red Kites were logged over Lytchett Minster, Upton and Hamworthy. There were 6 Hobby back over Arne Moors and the Marsh Harrier was seen again out over the Wareham Channel.

Common Whitethroat – Ballard