It’s still very cold, and the ENE wind is due to build by the weekend but the sun shone and we were thrilled to have a visit to our BoPH HQ by the Biotope UK team who were visiting in regards to an exciting project we’re helping with at RSPB Arne later in the year. Although we can’t say too much now, it was great to see the Biotope team, and I’m sure the RSPB Dorset team will be releasing more info about this exciting project in the coming weeks/months which is scheduled for Autumn 2019.

Sightings today were limited to CJ7’s standard morning visit to the Middlebere platform where she sat and pondered for a while. Red Kites were logged over Poole Park and Holton Pools. A Little Ringed Plover flew over Morden Bog which is quite an exceptional record, at Lytchett Fields there were just 2 Green Sandpiper and at Baiter there were still 12 Turnstone feeding on the beach.

This cold ENE wind is slowing migration right up, with not much getting through currently other than another small trickle of Osprey with at least three different birds in and around the harbour this AM. As is currently usual, CJ7 spent the early part of the morning on the Middlebere platform, whilst in the Piddle Valley, just north of Wareham, two different Osprey (one male, one female) were seen low heading towards the harbour. At Lytchett Fields there was just a single Little Ringed Plover with 54 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Spotted Redshank but the sites 1^st Common Ringed Plover of the spring was the most noteworthy sighting. A Tree Pipit was heard over Middlebere, singles of Willow Warbler were at Greenlands Farm, Swineham and Hartland and 3 Wheatear were on Hartland Stud with another 2 on Greenlands Farm. A few Swallow and Sand Martin are now arriving back at nesting sites, but there are still plenty more yet to arrive. Blackcap seem to be everywhere already, despite it only being early/mid April. Although we’re sure some have arrived from the south, is it the case that in fact some of our over-wintering birds and now staying as breeding residents?

Swallows – Stoborough 

Today saw the harbours second Yellow Wagtail of the spring, this time passing over Poole Park, where the lagoon has now filled up considerably and only held 14 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Redshank and a few Oystercatcher. Ten tardy Fieldfare were in the Piddle Valley and at Lytchett Fields an Egyptian Goose flew over and on the fields was 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Little Ringed Plover and 2 Green Sandpiper. An Osprey was high over Coombe Heath and another Hobby dashed through, this time at Greenlands Farm where there were also 2 Wheatear, several Chiffchaff and Blackcap and 7 Swallow through overhead.

There’s nothing quite like an April shower with a gentle easterly breeze, as this combination can often result in a downing of passing migrants and there was certainly some evidence of that this afternoon with 3 new Little Ringed Plover on the Sunnyside scrape and another 5 at Lytchett Fields, with 2 Greenshank and 2 Green Sandpiper whilst the springs 1^stYellow Wagtail also flew overhead there and at Swineham GP c150 Sand Martin, c50 Swallow and c20 House Martin all hawked in close proximity low over the water, dodging the rain drops. The springs 1^stHobby of the year was also forced low as it hung around the eastern end of Arne Moors and Marsh Harriers were seen over Giggers Island, Sunnyside and Swineham. Three Peregrine stoops were witnessed with one dropping down onto Black-tailed Godwits at Swineham, a second along the Arne approach road and a third at Sunnyside Farm as the local Lapwing breathed a sigh of relief as the ‘Peg’ only made one half hearted attempt. On the Browsnea Lagoon 2 Spoonbill remain faithful to the site and remaining waders included a few Avocet (hopefully remaining breeders), c20 Bar-tailed Godwit and 4 Greenshank.

The only Osprey news from today came from CJ7 being sat on the Middlebere nest platform for an hour or so, gazing in to the yonder, pondering when her Romeo may turn up. Don’t worry CJ7…there’s an Osprey for for everyone, just be patient!

  Freshly arrived Little Ringed Plover – Sunnyside Scrape

Osprey CJ7 looking into the distance, waiting for ‘her/a man’!!

It was so warm today that heat haze even became a bit of an issue, and whilst we were carrying out an Osprey monitoring session we clocked three different individuals around the Arne penninsuer. One was obviously CJ7 busily touring the Middlebere/Arne area, the second was a left leg blue-ringed female which looked to read AX8 on the ring, which is the now three-year bird that first visited Poole Harbour almost exactly a year ago today, and was originally ringed as a chick near Inverness in 2016. The third Osprey was a migrating fly over individual which cruised high north over Rockley whilst being mobbed by a few gulls. At the Sunnyside scrape, a single Little Ringed Plover was present as were 2 Lapwing and 4 Teal. At Hatch Pond a newly hatched Great Crested Grebe family have been attracting a crowd with the humbug-headed youngsters often coming close enough for good photo opportunities.

Osprey AX8 feeding at Arne

Great Crested Grebe family – Hatch Pond – Phyl England

Despite the nice conditions, birding was fairly slow today with female Osprey CJ7 settling on the Middlebere platform briefly in the morning, catching a fish in Middlebere and then heading off towards the Wareham Channel. A Marsh Harrier flew over Middlebere too along with several Swallows. Up around Hartland Dartford Warbler were enjoying the sun with 23 seen across the area, along with 2 Wheatear a fly over Marsh Harrier and plenty Stonechat back on territory having been mostly absent across the harbour this winter. At Lytchett Fields the 3 Little Ringed Plover were still there as was 1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Spotted Redshank. The Red-necked Grebe was on Swineham GP with 2 Reed Warbler singing along the Frome River walk, c50 Sand Martin over the gravel pit, 2 Bearded Tit were calling down near Swineham Point and a large female Peregrine was hunting Black-tailed Godwit over Bestwall.

A dawn visit to Swineham produced the Red-necked Grebe out in the centre of the gravel pit where c150 Sand Martin and a few Swallow left the reed beds and ‘buzzed/chirruped’ over head, heading north. In the reeds the harbours first Sedge Warbler of the spring was singing along with 3 Reed Warbler and a Willow Warbler was singing. At Arne Moors 7 Cattle Egret flew over heading towards Swineham. At Lytchett Fields 3 Little Ringed Plover were on the fields along with 163 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank and 1 Wheatear. There wasn’t much Osprey activity around the nesting platforms today with CJ76 only making a brief visit to the Middlebere platform but one (and then possibly 2 others) were seen high over Brownsea, heading north and getting mobbed by gulls and another went over Lytchett Bay.

With it being the start of April and the forecast showing a strong SE wind, there was only one choice….sea watching. Well, not for us as we had a School Bird Boat which produced 2 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon along with c30 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank and just 2 Avocet. The sea watch retuned some good species from Branksome Chine including 1 Great Skua, 5 Manx Shearwater, 1 Kittiwake, 3 Arctic Tern, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Eider, 34 Common Scoter, 39 Med Gulls and several Gannet. At Lytchett Fields, up to 5 Little Ringed Plover were logged, along with 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 3 Green Sandpiper, 114 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 tardy Wigeon. At Poole Park the Knot was still present with 1 Greenshank, 324 Black-tailed Godwit, 20+ Redshank and 15 Med Gull and it was nice to hear 2 migrant Willow Warbler in the park too.

Osprey news saw 2 out in the Wareham Channel mid morning, despite the wind and rain, and a female, again, assumed to be CJ7 was on the Middlebere nest platform early doors.

Little Ringed Plover – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Med Gulls – Poole Park – Ian Ballam

 Osprey having a morning stretch – Middlebere

Osprey – Middlebere nest platform

Errrm. Where’s spring gone? Today was reminiscent of the stormy days of winter, not the hoped for glorious spring sunshine. Therefor it was no surprise that sightings were of a limited selection today. After only a few sporadic sightings, female Osprey CJ7 came and landed on the Middlebere nest platform late afternoon/early evening but only for a short period. Also in Middlebere 2 Spoonbill were feeding, 17 Grey Plover and 1 Marsh Harrier. At Lytchett Fields there were 3 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Ruff, 82 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank and 3 Gadwall whilst at Poole Park the Knot was still feeding with c300 Black-tailed Godwit.  

Female Osprey CJ7 was seen around the harbour again today at several sites, and an Osprey was seen at Morden Bog too which could have been her, or possibly a second individual? With the Red-necked Grebe showing well at Swineham, it was good to hear birders visiting the site and reporting other birds of note including a Hobby that dashed through the site and c100 Sand Martin, 4 House Martin and 3 Swallow with 1 Willow Warbler singing there too. At Sunnyside Farm the springs first Tree Pipit was settled and another was reported at Upton Heath singing too. In Poole Park 2 Willow Warbler were singing again, along with 1 Blackcap and out on the lagoon there were c280 Black-tailed Godwit and c20 Redshank.