A bit of sunshine on our Spring Safari Cruise this morning and some great birds seen too. We were delighted to see the nesting pair of Marsh Harrier perform a food pass over Giggers Island. It looked like the prey of choice was a Bank Vole. There was 1 Little Ringed Plover again on Stilt Pools, Swineham. Over on Brownsea Lagoon, there were 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, with another feeding along the northern Shoreline. We had some stunning fly-bys of Common Tern and Sandwich Tern, alongside a smart adult pair of Mediterranean Gull on the lagoon. First seen feeding in a tern flock in the central harbour, were 4 Little Tern which we later then spotted sat in amongst a flock of Sandwich Tern on Brownsea Lagoon. We don’t often see Little Tern in the harbour, with the closest nesting birds being at Chesil Beach in West Dorset. 2 Whimbrel were seen, one on the Arne shoreline and another on the northern shoreline of Brownsea Island. 3 Dartford Warbler were seen at Ham Common Viewpoint and 3 pairs of Teal were seen at Sherford Pools at RSPB Lytchett Fields. Later this afternoon, a Little Gull was sat on the Boomerang on Brownsea Lagoon. In other exciting news, the fourth and final Osprey chick has hatched on the Carey nest in the early hours of this morning! It’s fantastic to see the whole family doing well, and CJ7 and 022 carefully distributing the fish to ensure every chick is well-fed.

Dartford Warbler – Ham Common Viewpoint – @dpnotts.bsky.social

Four Osprey chicks on the nest!

Another rainy and blustery day in the harbour today. We are eagerly awaiting the hatching of the fourth egg on the Carey Osprey nest, which should be in the next 24 hours. You can just about see a pip on the fourth egg. Not long now! Elsewhere in the harbour, summering wildfowl numbers have been increasing in Lytchett Bay, with a count of 79 Mallard, 24 Shelduck, and 40+ Canada Geese. Also, in the arable field there were 2 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, and 1 Oystercatcher. At RSPB Lytchett Fields, there were 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Great White Egret, and 20+ Swift overhead. At Stilt Pools, Swineham, there were 2 Little Ringed Plover.

3 Osprey chicks, one egg left to hatch!

We had another intruding Osprey at the Carey nest today who landed on the nest while 022 and CJ7 were also sat there. She turned out to be Rutland female 3H9 back again, when she appeared on another nest platform in the harbour with 022. She’s been seen at a few other spots around the south coast over the last few weeks, so hopefully, she will stick around and could be a future local breeder! 1 Hobby and 1 Red Kite were over Wareham Forest today. Another Hobby was seen flying over Swineham gravel pit. At Holton Heath there was the, sadly rare within Poole Harbour, sighting of 1 Marsh Tit calling. Also present were 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Tree Pipit and 2 Woodlark.

022 (left) with 3H9 (right) on another nest platform in the harbour

A more blustery day in the harbour today with some fantastic interactions between birds of prey from our Spring Safari Cruise this morning. In the Wareham Channel we had local male Osprey 022 catch a fish and then be harassed by a Buzzard. Soon after, 022 began skydancing, while carrying the fish, to see off an intruder Osprey in proximity to a Red Kite! This intruding Osprey was driven off towards Middlebere and was later photographed as 1AO, a Scottish ringed male who we are still waiting to hear back on info, in terms of his life history. We then had a food pass between the Marsh Harrier pair in the Wareham Channel, and most amazingly of all, a late female Merlin caught a Dunlin on the Brownsea Lagoon as pictured below! c40 Dunlin were on the Brownsea Lagoon along with 5 Bar-tailed Godwit and the usual Common Tern and Sandwich Tern, busy caring for eggs and chicks. There was no sign of the Roseate Tern today. 1 Hobby flew over the Wareham Channel and 2 Bearded Tit were in the mouth of the River Frome. 1 Spoonbill was in the Middlebere Channel.

We also had the exciting news this morning that the third Osprey chick on the Careys Secret Garden nest had hatched overnight! Hopefully the final one will be out in the next 48 hours or so!

Female Merlin with Dunlin prey from our Spring Safari – Brownsea Lagoon – dpnotts.bsky.social

Scottish ringed Osprey – 1AO – Middlebere Channel – ‪dizzygirl66.bsky.social‬

3 Osprey Chicks on the Nest Webcams first thing this morning

Marsh Harrier food pass in the Wareham Channel from our Spring Safari – ‪dpnotts.bsky.social‬

A more blustery day in the harbour, but that brought with it a Roseate Tern on the Brownsea Lagoon. It was first seen on the boomerang island before later being seen briefly by the South Haven houseboats in the afternoon. 1 Red Kite was over Coombe Heath, RSPB Arne and 1 Cattle Egret was at Middlebere. 1 Whimbrel was at the Turlin Moor viewpoint in Lytchett Bay. At Swineham, first thing this morning there was 1 Cattle Egret, 1 Cuckoo, 5 Ringed Plover and 3 Bearded Tit.

Red Kite – Coombe Heath, RSPB Arne – Mark Wright

The Holes Bay Asda Peregrine chicks were ringed this AM. A great recovery and result after the previous adults both died of presumed bird flu in 2023. A new pair established in late 2023 and set up the territory during 2024. Now 4 chicks! The Common Tern chicks on the Brownsea Lagoon have also now begun hatching. There were 2 Little Gull in-between North Haven and Brownsea Lagoon.

The report of the Wryneck from yesterday was confirmed as seen yesterday at Morden Bog but not seen today. It could still be around so worth a look but only vocal Hobby were seen/heard today. 1 White-tailed Eagle was seen soaring over Corfe Castle.

Common Terns on nests – Brownsea Lagoon – Nicki Tutton

Finally some rain!!! A full day of on and off showers, after what seems like weeks of dry weather, finally brought down some migrants into the harbour. 2 Common Scoter dropped into central harbour from our Spring Safari Cruise this morning, before flying off high and then coming down to resettle again. 1 stunning summer plumage Knot was on the Brownsea Lagoon along with 11 Sanderling, 19 Dunlin, 1 Greenshank and 1 Avocet. The first Sandwich Tern chicks have hatched today on the Brownsea Lagoon. 4 Bar-tailed Godwit were feeding on the south shore of Furzey Island and c80 Black-tailed Godwit were still in the Wareham Channel. Interestingly c15 passage Ringed Plover and 5 Dunlin were also feeding in the Wareham Channel on the north shore of Arne. There was a family party of c10 Bearded Tit flying in the mouth of the River Frome showing successful fledging, as well as separately 2 males and 1 female. 2 Great White Egret were in the mouth of the River Piddle, including 1 in adult breeding plumage.

In other exciting news it looks like hatching on the Careys Secret Garden Osprey Nest is starting! Thanks to the eagle-eyed viewers on our YouTube chat who spotted it this evening. It will likely still be several hours before hatching so this could come overnight.

First egg showing a pip on the Osprey Webcams this evening

Sandwich Tern with freshly hatched chick – Brownsea Lagoon – Nicki Tutton

As we move into the final third of May, it approaches the time when our first Osprey egg could hatch at any moment. We assume/hope it’s going to be within the next 24 hours, with the rest following suit over the next week. Our Spring Safari this morning was nice and busy and saw the Wareham Channel Marsh Harriers perform a smart food pass, 1 White-tailed Eagle flew across the Wareham Channel, 4-5 Bearded Tit, 4 Reed Bunting and 8+ Reed Warbler were really active in the reedbeds around Swineham Point, 2 Red Kite flew over Central Harbour, 4 Common Seal were also in the Wareham channel along with c200 Black-tailed Godwit and the Brownsea Lagoon was busy with the standard back and fourth of Sandwich and Common Tern. Later in the day a further 3 White-tailed Eagle tracked through the harbour, over Sandbanks and across to the Wareham Channel and then over into Purbeck. A Little Gull was off the Brownsea shoreline this morning.

Sandwich Tern – Brownsea shoreline – @dizzygirl66.bsky.social – Bluesky