Wow, the first of July…where is this year going? Although I feel we’re partly to blame for constantly wishing the summer away, just so we can see some autumn migrants arrive. Well, the June doldrums are now out of the way, and July heralds the true beginning of Autumn and we’re already seeing things begin to turn. We’re really beginning to think its been a good breeding season with plenty of young birds of numerous species being encountered around the harbour. Young Chiffchaff are already joining Long-tailed Tit flocks and it won’t be long before the first lovely lemon yellow Willow Warblers follow suit too. Today at Lytchett Fields there was an increase in waders again for a third day in a row with Green Sandpiper reaching double figures with 10 in totals, also 3 Little Ringed Plover again, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 52 Redshank, 59 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Marsh Harrier. Osprey’s were seen out over the Wareham Channel and it looks like LS7 was out over Morden Bog too. Sadly we also received a phone call that one of the Little Owl’s at Holton Lee was found dead on Saturday evening. We took it for an X-ray today and it thankfully highlighted no foul play, but did show a badly broken wing and it was very emaciated so could have been hit by a female Sparrowhawk or similar. On the Brownsea Lagoon 5 Spoonbill were still feeding at the back from the Mac Hide and at Middlebere the Great White Egret was seen again and there was also 1 Hobby, 30+ Black-tailed Godwit and 50+ Swallow.

Great White Egret – Middlebere – Keith Rawling

Little Owl – Holton Lee 

Some unusual sightings on the Brownsea webcam scans today, a female type Wigeon was briefly seen on the lagoon first thing. Eurasian Wigeon is unusual this time of year so perhaps a candidate for American Wigeon? A single Brent Goose in the afternoon was present. As well as 4 Curlew, 4 Avocet, 12 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 94 Common Tern (43 chicks) and 5 Spoonbill. Lytchett Fields saw 3 Little Ringed Plover on Approach Field, 51 Black-tailed Godwit, 42 Redshank (1 juv), 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Knot, 15 Lapwing, 3 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Common Tern. An Osprey was seen out hunting in the Wareham Channel and another was seen flying over the Stoborough causeway just outside Wareham. Interestingly, an Osprey photographed over the Wareham Channel a couple of days ago wasn’t wearing a leg ring, so potentially a bird in the harbour? Out over Arne Moors a flock of 200 Swallow was good to see considering their short supply this spring, and their presence drew in the attention of a single Hobby and the tatty female Marsh Harrier. 

some early wader passage under way. At Lytchett Fields the first juv Little Ringed Plover of the autumn arrived with two adults, also there was 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 30 Redshank and a decent spread of Black-tailed Godwit. Around the Swineham area there were singles of Marsh Harrier and Hobby with several Bearded Tit near Ridge Wharf Boat yard. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 6 Spoonbill. There was also a report of a Bee-eater that flew over Canford Heath yesterday evening but sadly no other info. Firecrest are having an excellent breeding season in the harbour with pairs now logged at Holme Lane, Upton CP, the Piddle Valley. An Osprey was seen hunting out in the Wareham Channel at midday.

Today, one of our HQ team, Tom Weston carried out a Poole Park Goose ‘Round Up’ which saw a team of 32 volunteers gather up as many Greylag Geese as possible with the aim of colour-ringing them to aid a longer term study, which seeks to learn more about their movements post summer. We’ll obtain the colour-ring details from Tom in due course, which we’ll then provide to the public so you can send in data should you see any of the 82 Greylags they colour-ringed today around the harbour or beyond over the next several months.

Another hot day on the Quay with highs of 27°C and a refreshing 16mph Easterly wind. Holton Pools had 6 Lapwing, 2 Heron sp., and 3 Egret Sp. Reports from Coombe Heath of a Hobby heading towards Middlebere and another 4 soaring over Morden Bog. Also, at Middlebere 1 Great White Egret, 1 Gadwall, c100 Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Curlew, 10 Oystercatcher, 7 Redshank and 14 Little Egret were reported.

Over on Brownsea Lagoon the Sandwich Tern chicks have been practicing their take off, flapping their wings and jumping up and down, it won’t long now before they take flight! It has been a lovely opportunity to watch these chicks from egg to juvenile. 2 Little Egret and 6 Spoonbill and 12 Bar-tailed Godwit have also been seen today.

2 Osprey have been seen fishing in the Wareham Channel this morning, likely to be CJ7 and LS7.

Fantastic photos on twitter by Alison of our LS7 Osprey seen over Arne around 8:30am! No ID of mystery Osprey no. 3.. Although an Osprey was seen over Blandford AM moving east. 

Poole Park saw 185+ Greylags, 30+ Canada Geese, 12+ Mute Swans, Mallard, 7 Tufted Ducks (2 ducklings), Moorhen, and Cormorant. 

Our Brownsea Lagoon webcam count shows 23 Canada Goose, 60 Shelduck (11 ducklings), 2 Moorhen, 14 Oystercatcher (1 chick), 1+ Bar-tailed Godwit, 124+ Black-headed Gull (158+ juveniles), 44 Great Black-backed Gull (10 Juvs – much the size of the adults now but still with downy feathers!), 74 Common Tern (33 chicks), 183 Sandwich Tern (134 chicks), 36 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 5 Spoonbill, as well as the odd Starling, Woodpigeon and Pied Wagtail.

Roseate Tern (27/6 Abbotsbury Swannery) and White-winged Black Tern (yesterday 26/6 Lodmoor) have been seen in west Dorset, keep an eye out for any rare tern species that may ‘tern’ up in the harbour and keep us posted! 

A scorcher out in the harbour today with temperatures reaching 26°C with a relieving NE breeze of about 15mph. 3 Osprey have been seen this morning around the harbour, 2 out in the Wareham Channel fishing and another see flying North towards Wareham Forest. Could this be another 2017 LS ringed Poole Harbour bird?!

Reported from Wareham Forest was a Yellowhammer and a Whitethroat. A female Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard were seen in hunting mode at Holton Lee. Middlebere had an interesting list with c80 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Little Egret, Redshank, 4 Curlew, 8 Swift and a number of Swallows once the sun came out.

The webcam count of Brownsea Lagoon earlier today saw 24 Canada Geese with 2 Goslings, 76 Shelduck (4 ducklings), 2 Moorhen, 1 Avocet, 98 Oystercatcher, 18 Bar-tailed Godwit, 153+ Black-headed Gull and 130+ juveniles (on the islands in view of cam, certainly more spread around the lagoon!), few Herring Gull, 50 Great Black-backed Gull with 12 juvs getting much larger now, Common Tern not counted, 223 Sandwich Tern on the island with 146 chicks – in which the first was hatched around the 26^th May making today a month since the oldest hatched! – 34 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 5 Spoonbill, as well as Crows, Woodpigeon, Pied Wag and Starlings kicking about.

~ Happy monthaversary to our oldest Sandwich Tern chicks!

The harbour didn’t quite reach the predicted warmer temperatures with overcast conditions and a light SW wind. The Spotted Redshank in spectacular summer plumage was seen again over at Lytchett Fields along with a Common Redshank. A Great White Egret also flew in at Lytchett Bay which is the first in the harbour for quite some time now.

Over at Brownsea Lagoon the 6 Spoonbill seen yesterday have stuck along with 16 Bar-tailed Godwit. The Tern chicks continue to flourish and grow in confidence. The Holten Lee Webcam captured a lovely Siskin and a variety of other finches.

The predicted thunderstorms never materialised today, well not yet anyway. In Corfe Village the welcome sound our c20 Common Swift welcomed us as we collected in our sound recording equipment from Corfe Castle. The recording session its self was not very productive with only 1 Moorhen and 1 Lapwing sound recorded passing through the gap during the night. On Hartland newly fledged Reed Bunting were bounding along the heather and 2 Hobby were at the east end of Slepe Heath. At Lytchett Fields a single Little Ringed Plover was logged but there was no sign of yesterdays Spotted Redshank. On the Brownsea Lagoon the Spoonbill number is rising already with 6 today out from the Mac Hide. An Osprey was seen out hunting over the Wareham Channel before heading back towards Wareham Forest.

An overcast day in the harbour has made for muggy conditions but sadly no Osprey sightings. The Sandwich Tern chicks are looking big and strong and almost ready to fledge. A chick has finally appeared from under the pair of Oystercatcher, nesting alongside the Common Terns and Black-headed Gull. 4 Spoonbill, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Little Egret were also seen.

An exciting development over at Lytchett Fields with the first Southward bound Spotted Redshank dropping in at the back of Sherford Pools. Also there 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Green Sandpiper,  19 Redshank, 30 Lapwing and 12 Teal were also seen in post breeding movement along with 48 Black-tailed Godwit.

Holten Lee Webcam captured a lovely Dunnock (not regular on the webcam) along with the usual Great-spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Robin.

Despite the cold night, warmer temperatures up to 19C today and a gentle easterlies breeze most the day. Poole Park sees over 210 Greylag moulting on the main lagoon, 9 Canada Geese (9 goslings), 12 Mute Swan, 20+ Mallard, Moorhen and singing male Blackcap. Brownsea lagoon webcam count today includes the usual wildfowl, waders, gulls and terns. 22 Canada Geese (6 goslings), 143 Shelduck (12 ducklings), 2 Moorhen (2 chicks), 1 Avocet, 107 Oystercatcher, 15 Bar-tailed Godwit, 178 Black-headed Gull (173 juvs), 39 Great Black-backed Gull (12 juv), 74 Common Tern (31 juv), 201 Sandwich Tern (131 chicks), 32 Cormorant, and 4 Spoonbill. At Slepe Heath 1 Hobby was seen over the heath and  single Spotted Flycatcherwas seen in Slepe Copse. Tonight we also hosted our last Puffin Cruise of the summer with an excellent 11 Puffin counted. Also logged were 4 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon, c200 Guillemot and 5+ Razorbill, c15 Kittiwake, 2 Peregrine and 3 Gannet.

Puffin – Dancing Ledge – Paul Morton