A cool breezy day has produced some interesting species. Brownsea Lagoon is filling up with nesting Sandwich Terns with an estimated count of over 200 individuals. 30 Black-tailed Godwit, 80 Dunlin, 6 Common Tern, 1 Little Tern, 5 Avocet, 2 Knot, 20 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Oystercatcher, and 4 Redshank. Canada Geese have hatched Goslings on the lagoon today. 1 lonely Spoonbill is still hanging on. Lytchett Bay has seen 6 Greenshank, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Whimbrel, 3 Dunlin, and 2 Ringed Plover. 11 Cattle Egret have been hanging out at Bog Lane/River Frome flood Fields. Down at Holten Lee a Great Spotted Woodpecker visited the bird feeder for a quick snack as well as a few Chaffinch still and several Goldfinch. At Swineham GP this AM c200 Sand Martin and c50 Swift were hawking above it this AM and a Cuckoo calling whilst a short sea watch at Branksome produced 9 Gannet, 1 Fulmar, 1 Common Scoter and plenty of Sandwich and Common Terns. At Holton Lee a Whinchat was out on the heathland as was a single Woodlark.

Today we hosted a boat trip for several council representatives and local businesses with the aim of discussing possible future opportunities in promoting Poole Harbour and its birdlife. This is always made easier of course when an Osprey decides to sit in a tree close to the shoreline, filling up on a fairly large fish, before then lazily lifting off and circling right above the boat, which then drew in the attention of a Hobby which then mobbed it several minutes! We were also fortunate to pass/visit the Brownsea lagoon which yet again proved that an arrival of waders had entered the harbour last night including c80 Dunlin, 2 Knot, 3 Sanderling, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Turnstone, 8 Avocet, 9 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank and 1 Spoonbill plus 3 Little Tern arrived later in the day. Up the River Frome both Reed and Sedge Warbler seemed quitter compared to recent mornings, but seeing as the trip was later in the day compared to our recent excursions could explain the reduction in song. Later in the day big numbers of Swift had arrived with the building storm but no Black Tern Sadly, also 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Marsh Harrier. In Lytchett Bay there were 6 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Whimbrel, 25 Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plover and 1 Greenshank with a Cuckoo and 1 Spotted Flycatcher around Lytchett Fields. 

A fine day finished off the bank holiday weekend and was exceptionally mild compared to the icy start the welcomed us on Saturday morning. With the fine weather came a nice run of migrants including 3 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 1 Lapwing at Sunnyside Farm. At Lytchett Fields there were 8 Ringed Plover, 6 Dunlin, 6 Whimbrel, 84 Lapwing, 15 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Wheatear. At Holton Pools there were 5 Reed Warbler around the edge of the scrape and 2 Greenshank on the pool. Kings Wood, along the top of the Corfe Ridge saw 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Cuckoo, 3 Whinchat (near Purbeck Golf Club), 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 1 Yellowhammer. At the Wareham by pass a single Cattle Egret was on the back of a cow and a Garden Warbler was singing in scrub near the edge of the road. At Swineham an Osprey was viewed circling out over the Wareham Channel. A few Swift were over the main pit and an obliging Bearded Tit was food carrying at the end of the footpath at Swineham Point.

The wind had calmed down this morning and our second ‘Up with the Lark’ public bird boat enjoyed calm and settled conditions as we made our way up the River Frome. Without doubt the highlight was Osprey CJ7 hunting and catching a fish close to our vessel, before moving across low over the water and heading towards Arne. At Swineham Swifts, Swallows and Sand Martins welcomed us over the gravel pit and numerous Reed (57) and Sedge Warbler (10) were singing away in the reedbed and 20 Cetti’s Warbler  were logged from local birder Peter Moore with a Marsh Harrier and Bearded Tit also present. Also at Swineham were 2 Cuckoo and 6 Reed Bunting. The first signs of wader passage the night before came in the shape of 26 Whimbrel feed out at Bestwall. Around Greenlands Farm there was 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Cuckoo, 5 Crossbill over and 1 Willow Warbler whilst at Middlebere there were another 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Cuckoo, 3 Willow Warbler and 1 Whinchat. There was more signs of wader passage on Brownsea with c30 freshly arrived Dunlin, 1 Greenshank, c30 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Whimbrel and the Spoonbill and a Wheatear were also on the lagoon. Sandwich Tern and Common Tern were back and fourth from the lagoon and a few Med Gulls were also dropping in. Next to the Wareham bypass 7 Cattle Egret were with the cattle again and from Slepe Heath 2 Hobby were logged.

An icy blast met our public bird boat this AM, but despite the cold wind a good selection of birds were logged. The Gull Islands were busy with thousands of Black-headed Gulls and several Med Gulls. 3 Hobby were zipping along the top of Arne Hill and in the mouth of the Frome, a Peregrine harassed a Lapwing for a good 5 minutes as 2 Marsh Harrier watched on, seemingly enjoying the Lapwings struggle. Over Swineham GP c10 Swift, c40 Sand Martin and a handful of House Martin and Swallow were feeding and in the reed beds both Reed and Sedge Warbler were singing. On the floodplain a couple of Whimbrel were up near Wareham. On the Brownsea Lagoon wader numbers were low but a single Spoonbill was present with c15 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Avocet, 2 Common Redshank and c30 Black-tailed Godwit. At Arne today 7 Brent Geese were still present and Osprey CJ7 was seen in Middlebere having been keeping a low profile recently, but with ‘Beaky’ now gone will she return to nest building? Cuckoo’s were at Middlebere, Hartland and Slepe Heath and 3 Swift were seen over Poole Old Town. At Lytchett Fields singles of Hobby and Swift were logged along with 2 Sedge Warbler, 1 Ringed Plover and 1 Greenshank.

Things are set to get cold tomorrow but with the Bank Holiday now underway we’re hoping people will still get out and about and get some birding done. Sadly, it seems there will be one noticeable absence over the weekend and that’s Osprey ‘Beaky’! Having filled up on fish early doors, she lifted off the Middlebere nest platform, only to be seen drifting off high SW never to be seen again….well, for the rest of the day at least…will she come back tomorrow?  Sightings from today included 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Lapwing and 2 Greenshank at Lytchett Fields. At Swineham 2 Cuckoo were calling and 3 Swift were over the main gravel pit.

Well, April didn’t produce any of our Osprey youngsters from 2017, but will we see any during May? Both the (currently) resident females are hoping so as they stay faithful to the two nesting platforms with the un-ringed bird (Beaky) only ever leaving the Middlebere platform to catch a fish before always quickly returning and then CJ7 making random visits to another harbour platform to just check in and see what’s going on? Along Bog Lane, 7 Cattle Egret were again in fields to the north. Passerines on migration have been relatively thin on the ground this spring so it was good to see a few warblers at Lytchett Fields including 1 Garden Warbler, both Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Sedge and Reed Warbler and 1 Common Whitethroat. There was also a mixed flock of 9 Ringed Plover and Dunlin, also 1 Greenshank and 1 Whimbrel. Holton Pools held 1 Greenshank, 2 Greenshank, 2 Redshank and 3 Shelduck. On the Brownsea Lagoon the Sandwich Terns are now moved on to the breeding islands and have begun nest scraping but the Common Tern that have arrived are still mostly flying about and prospecting. Also on the Brownsea Lagoon is 1 Spoonbill still, 2 Greenshank, 17 Bar-tailed Godwit and 5 Grey Plover.

Fairly quiet today with just a scattering of the usual’s including the un-ringed Osprey on the Middlebere platform for most of the day and 2 Cuckoo, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Wheatear and a pulse of Swallow through  Middlebere throughout the day. At Wareham Water Meadows a male Common Redstart and another Cuckoo were logged and 3 Swift were over Swineham GP.

There seemed to be a nice scattering of downed migrants across the harbour today with 5 Wheatear, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Cuckoo and a small passage of Swallow across Greenland’s Farm. At Lytchett Fields there were 4 Little Ringed Plover again, also 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap and 1 Greenshank. At Holton Pools there were 2 Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Shelduck. Osprey activity seemed to ramp up a bit, although it may have just involved our two (currently resident) females ‘CJ7′ and ‘Beaky’. At dawn CJ7 was on a nest platform in the west of the harbour and Beaky was on the Middlebere platform for most of the day. Then at around midday 2 were seen circling high together over Round Island whilst another was seen out over the Wareham Channel. At Lytchett Fields, Stonechat fledged young for the first time in several years and the first fledged Robins are beginning to be seen at various sites too. In the Middlebere channel a single Spoonbill was feeding and Hobby were over Godlingston and Slepe Heath. In the Frome Valley only 6 Cattle Egret were counted. The summers first Nightjar of the summer was heard singing half-heartedly from a south harbour heathland and some night migration  recording in the Piddle Valley logged a drumming Common Snipe and a few small parties of Whimbrel moving through.

Hoorah! Today we saw a return of Osprey CJ7 as she had gone missing for a couple of days. She didn’t return to her favoured Middlebere platform, but instead opted for another vacant nest near Arne. It could have been because the large un-ringed female Osprey that’s now been around for a week or so was still taking up residence on the Middlebere platform, eating large Mullet. 

There was plenty more on offer today too with 3 Hobby hawking up and down the Arne road and on the edge of Slepe Heath. At Swineham/River Frome a count of 44 Reed Warbler, 6 Sedge Warbler, 19 Cetti’s Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Cuckoo, Whimbrel, 1 Swift and 50 Sand/House Martin were over the gravel pit. At Middlebere there were 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler, 5 Reed Warbler, 1 Cuckoo and c10 Swallow. At Holton Lee a Cuckoo flew over Holton Pools and there were 4 Reed Warbler and 1 Whimbrel was in the bay. Away from nest platforms, Osprey were also reported over the Wareham Channel and near Ower Bay, but these relate to the 2 females that are present and a Marsh Harrier was in the mouth of the Frome. On the Brownsea Lagoon the Sandwich Terns have now begun moving onto the breeding islands and can be watched live HERE via our Brownsea webcam which was installed back in 2013 in partnership with Dorset Wildlife Trust and National Trust. On Baiter a decent small flock of waders consisting of 1 Dunlin, 1 Ringed Plover and 12 Turnstone were feeding along the low tide line.

Ringed Plover – Baiter Beach – Ian Ballam

Turnstone – Baiter Beach – Ian Ballam

Dunlin – Baiter Beach – Ian Ballam