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

Storm Hannah came and went last night and left a bright but breezy day ahead. Sadly there wee no signs of any Osprey on our nest platforms today which is the first time since April 1^st. With the arrival of the un-ringed female a couple of days ago it could just be that CJ7 is off exploring currently, so lets hope she re-appears again soon. Sightings today were limited with 6 Reed Warbler in the Holton reedbed along with a Peregrine over and plenty of Med Gulls over head. In the Frome Valley 4 Cattle Egret and 10 Little Egret were feeding with the cows and a Hobby was seen flying along Poole Park lake which is a good central town record. There’s still a distinct lack of any hirundines coming through with only a handful of Swallow, Sand Martin and House Martin logged across the harbour. At Lytchett Fields there was a single Marsh Harrier and at Baiter there were 8 Turnstone, 1 Ringed Plover and 59 Oystercatcher including a colour-ringed individual from the Axe Estuary.

There was no sign of CJ7 today, but the un-ringed Osprey arrived really on the Middlebere nest (3:57am) and then spent most of the morning sat motionless before heading out to catch a fish, and then proceeded to devour it on the nest platform. The Cattle Egret group of 12 birds were again in the Frome Valley, just west of the Wareham bypass. At Arne, 5 late Brent Geese were off Shipstal and at Swineham GP the harbours first 2 Swift of the year were over the lake along with a handful of Swallow and Sand Martin, and the Red-necked Grebe was hiding away, tucked up at the western end of the pit.

A quick over-view today with 14 Cattle Egret seen heading up the Frome Valley at dawn, an Osprey was over the Wareham Channel mid-morning, 2 Spoonbill also flew west at dawn up the Wareham Channel and a lone Marsh Harrier was seen near Swineham. No sign of CJ7 today but an un-ringed female landed on the nest and ate a fish mid-morning. At Lytchett Bay 10 Whimbrel were out on the mud, a Peregrine passed over at dawn and a single Greenshank was logged.

There were 2 different Osprey on the Middlebere nest platform today with CJ7 doing her usual morning visit at dawn, with a bit of house keeping at sun-rise before moving off, then later in the afternoon a new un-ringed female arrived with a huge great big bill and long legs, giving her a very distinctive look. There was also a nice find of 12 Cattle Egret pre-roosting at Swineham GP with a single Great White Egret over too good numbers of Sand Martin, House Martin and  Swallow over the lake with a single Cuckoo too. Lytchett Fields was busy with waders today and included yesterdays Curlew Sandpiper, 6 Grey Plover, 4 Ringed Plover, 5 Whimbrel, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank plus the usual Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Oystercatcher etc. A short sea watch from Branksome produced 3 Fulmar, 1 Common Scoter and 1 Brent Goose.

With a bit of rain today it was nice to see a new wader arrive in the shape of a spring Curlew Sandpiper on Lytchett Fields. Although present in autumn, these are very scarce in Dorset/Poole Harbour during the spring. At Swineham GP the Red-necked Grebe was still present on the lake with a Cuckoo there too and in the Frome Valley 9 Cattle Egret were feeding again to the west of the bypass. Osprey CJ7 was (as usual) on the Middlebere platform this AM.