Very slow going today, with strong winds still battering the landscape. These constant weather systems are effectively acting as a barrier for any migrant birds to push up through from the south. It all looks set to change early next week though with winds easing off during Monday and settling right down through the week. Hopefully unblocking the hole! A night lamping/ringing session carried out by Stour Ringing Group saw 3 Jack Snipe, 1 Common Snipe and 1 Woodcock logged around the Sunnyside farm area. Despite the wind and rain showers, its seems some Common Chiffchaff are getting through with numerous individuals singings at non over-wintering sites. The Holton Lee Little Owl were seen to be scaring off a Stock Dove from around its nesting box which is a positive sign, although the last check of the camera trap (2 weeks ago) showed no footage of them using or inspecting it. We’re keeping our fingers crossed! 5 Sand Martin were again over Swineham GP and in Middlebere 3 Spoonbill, 1 Spotted Redshank and 3 Grey Plover were on the mud.

The exciting news didn’t come from the harbour today, but in fact from Rutland Water where the regular breeding female Osprey, Maya, returned safe and well to her nest. Although this bird is nothing to do with our project, it’s good to see that breeding birds are now arriving back, and with next week’s fine(er) weather due to set in we’re hoping for a few more transit Osprey to grace the harbours shores. We’ll be writing a full blog post in due course about what we’re up to this spring and what we’re hoping to see, but in the meantime, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for some sightings of Osprey over the coming weeks. The strong wind is really keeping the birding enthusiasm low at the moment, but a few outings today saw 6 Sand Martin reported to us over Swineham GP, the Great White Egret was at Little Sea, Studland. A single summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe was in Studland Bay and 3 Cattle Egret were in fields along the Wareham/Stoborough causeway. The big female Peregrine was settled on the Asda building again, and then was later seen mayhem in Holes Bay NE later in the day. A Kingfisher was also still in the PC World drain channel and at Hatch Pond 2 Cetti’s Warber were heard singing.

Two exciting bits of news today and two potential ‘spring firsts’. Firstly the harbour’s first Wheatear of the spring made its way through grotty weather and made landfall at Sunnyside Farm. A cracking adult male was feeding in the approach field down towards the Sunnyside Scrape. This coincided with a mini arrival of Wheatear into Dorset today with 6 at Maiden Castle and a few along the Dorset coastline. Secondly, it was reported that an Osprey was seen flying over Stoborough Heath, heading towards Middlebere. Sadly there were no further sightings over the course of the day, so it could have just been a bird passing through the area. Either way, it’s certainly about now when adults from sites like Rutland should be arriving back to their nest sites so it wouldn’t be unrealistic to see our first ‘viewable’ Osprey of the spring in the coming days/weeks. The wind is really putting off peoples efforts to get out and explore during this early part of the spring, but looking at the forecast by Monday next week the wind and rain ease away and are replaced by lighter southerly winds and sun…hoorah!

Black-tailed Godwit – Poole Park – Ian Ballam

With the wind starting off southerly this AM it gave a good opportunity for some sea watching at Branksome and for only a 30 minute watch it was quite productive. Totals included 14 Fulmar, 8 Gannet, 5 Kittiwake, 1 Med Gull, 1 Common Scoter, 2 Shelduck, 1 Curlew, 1 Sandwich Tern and 1 duck species that we couldn’t clinch as it passed out in the murk, but it was small and seemed to show a pale forewing, giving the impression of a Garganey. The wind didn’t ease up all day rain came lashing down by midday and a decent gathering of birds hunkered up on Baiter with 199 Brent Geese, 189 Black-tailed Godwit and 14 Turnstone.

It wasn’t quite the calm before the storm, as the winds were still bellowing at 25mph, but the rest of the week is due to deteriorate at some pace and at least we had sunshine today. A school bird boat headed out and highlights were 8 Spoonbill on Shipstal, a single summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe off Goathorn, c50 Red-breasted Merganser still and c20 Great Crested Grebe. A Great White Egret was reported at Lytchett Fields and still, the 1^st winter White-fronted Goose was at Bestwall. At Bog Lane, 8 Cattle Egret were still in the field and at Holton Pools 1 Green Sandpiper and plenty of Siskin were on the feeders. 

It’s amazing at how consistent this wind has been. Despite the bright conditions 20-30mph winds have stayed in place all week and look to build even more next week, which would act as a real blocker for any would be migrants trying to get into the UK currently. A Red Kite was seen over Hartland Moor and possibly the same was seen again over Hamworthy a short while later. The White-fronted Goose was still at Bestwall, this time quite close to the footpath. In Middlebere 3 Spotted Redshank were feeding, as was a single Spoonbill. The Poole Park Black-tailed Godwit flock had reduced down to a couple of hundred but some are in near full breeding plumage. 

There were c900 Black-tailed Godwit (possibly including some of the Poole Park birds) at Middlebere. Off Baiter a drake Goldeneye remained with 3 Great Crested Grebe. On Pilots point there were 25 Sanderling, 3 summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe and c50 Brent Geese headed off out to sea east. At Bestwall the 1^st winter White-fronted Goose was still on the fields, several Cetti’s Warbler were singing as were 2 Chiffchaff. At Lytchett Fields there were singles of Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Spotted Redshank and Green Sandpiper and at Baiter a single Sandwich Tern was hunkered down. 

The foul weather is due to stay set in until well into next week which won’t make it easy for any early returning migrants. It seems we’re in that lull period as many birds seem to have moved out but not much has returned. A survey of the harbour saw 80 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 different Peregrine, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 ringtail Hen Harrier, 10 Spoonbill on Shipstal and 5 Black-necked Grebe in Shell Bay. A single Sand Martin was bombing around Brands Bay where there were still 235 Wigeon and 55 Pintail. The female Eider was still off Shell Bay with 2 Sandwich Tern. The White-fronted Goose was still at Bestwall. In Poole park a whopping 598 Black-tailed Godwit were feeding.

This wind could do with disappearing soon…its making birding a tad tricky. We hosted a school bird boat and viewing was neigh impossible as a constant carpet of mini-white horses stampeded across the harbour. In total only about 10 Red-breasted Merganser were seen and the 9 Spoonbill were on Shipstal. On Holton Pools there were 3 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Redshank, 1 Med Gull, 2 Shelduck and 1 Marsh Harrier with another Marsh Harrier drifting low along the A31 near Lytchett Fields. 

It continues to blow a hoolie, and doesn’t seem as if there’s much rest-bite in the near future. Not surprisingly, checking out the sheltered bays proved most productive with 2 Slavonian Grebe and 4 Black-necked Grebe were in Studland Bay with 8 Spoonbill sheltering on Shipstal Point in Arne Bay. At Lytchett Fields there was a single Spotted Redshank and on Holton Pools singles of Greenshank, Green Sandpiper and a passing Marsh Harrier. On the feeders what looked like a possible Continental Coal Tit was seen on the feeders briefly. 

Possible Continental Coal Tit – Holton Lee – Tony Furnell