Ergh! What a day. It was so dire we had to cancel todays Osprey cruise which was just as well really as the forecast was spot on. A wader count at Lytchett Fields pre the wind and rain saw 10+ Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, c10 Greenshank and 1 Spotted Redshank with 2 Osprey low over the approach field and 6 Yellow Wagtail on the fields. The Purple Heron was again at the Littlesea roost. The young male Hen Harrier was in the west of the harbour again between Swineham and Arne Moors and a Whinchat was along the cycle path at Holes Bay. Young Kingfisher are now dispersing around the harbour so look out on the Brownsea Lagoon, Holton Pools, Poole Park and Holes Bay NE for a dash of blue over the coming weeks.

Whinchat – Holes Bay – Rene Goad

Kingfisher – Lytchett Bay – Ian Ballam

Today was our fourth Osprey cruise of the week and the target species didn’t disappoint. We had two hunting/fishing in the Wareham Channel both of which headed off north with a fish, with another already well placed with breakfast in talons perched up on a favourite perching branch on the Arne shoreline. Then, out of the blue one of our translocated chicks (008) came into the Wareahm Channel and spent 20 minutes practice fishing which was a sight to behold and and a very proud moment. We then also had anoth two of our translocated juveniles soaring over the mouth of Wytch Lake giving a great flight display…pure bliss. Then a real early autumn bonus popped up as a juvenile Hen Harrier hunted actively along the Keysworth shoreline wowing the crowd with a Marsh Harrier showing briefly a bit later too. Too add to the species list we had 11 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon along with 2 Sanderling, c20 Ringed Plover, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, c300 Black-tailed Godwit, c500 Oystercatcher, 25 Avocet and c60 Dunlin. Later in the day a more accurate set of counts were made which added 2 Curlew Sandpiper to the list along with 12 Greenshank, 78 Redshank, 2 Med Gulls and 204 Cormorants. There were also 2 Pied Flycatcher and 3 Spotted Flycatcher in a tit flock containing 15+ Coal Tit. It certainly seems a few more migrants are coming through now and up on Ballard 15 Willow Warbler, 27 Sedge Warbler, 9 Grasshopper Warbler, 36 Blackcap, 4 Garden Warbler, 20 Common Whitethroat, 1 Redstart and 1 Whinchat moved through. The high water levels on the Brownsea Lagoon seem to be pushing birds towards Lytchett Fields which saw 128 Redshank, 18 Dunlin, 14 Green Sandpiper, 10 Greenshank, 7 Ringed Plover, 1 Spotted Redshank and 3 Common Sandpiper along with 10+ Yellow Wagtail, 6 Sedge Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler and 1 Tree Pipit also logged. In Holes Bay north things are shaping up nicely for the winter with 300+ Black-tailed Godwit, 129 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Whimbrel, 14 Curlew and 2 Common Sandpiper on the low tide. At Greenlands Farm there were 25 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Common Redstart, 4 Wheatear, 5 Common Whitethroat, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 10 Willow Warbler and Whimbrel calling in Brands Bay. At Arne it seemed busy with migrants too with 1 Whinchat on Coombe Heath, 1 Whinchat and 1 Redstart on Arne Farm and a good general number of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler around the area.

Shelduck – Brownsea Lagoon – Nick Gadeene

Swallow – Brownsea Lagoon – Nick Gadeene

Translocated Osprey chick 008 – Alison Copland

It really is beginning to feel like autumn now. We hosted our third Osprey boat cruise this morning which saw woolly hats and even gloves being worn which highlights the real change in weather systems we’ve encountered in the last few days. Still, despite the cold and the wind the trip was as lovely as ever with 1 migrant Osprey seen in the Wareham Channel feeding on a fish on the Arne shoreline and 4 of the translocated juveniles seen in the SW of the harbour. Also seen were 11 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon (2 up from yesterday), c20 Avocet, 2 Sanderling, c20 Ringed Plover, 2 Turnstone, c40 Black-tailed Godwit and c200 Oystercatcher. The sound of young Common and Sandwich Tern around the fringes of the harbour is a welcome sound as small pulses of Swallow and Sand Martin skimmed low over the water as they begin heading south. At Lytchett Fields there were 20 Yellow Wagtail, 16 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 12 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Dunlin, 4 Tree Pipit and 1 Common Redstart.

Today was our second Osprey cruise out of eight with both migrant and translocated Ospreys seen in the Wareham Channel and in the south west of the harbour. One bird was up on the north Arne shoreline eating a fish and then later flew towards Ridge with another seen actively flying up and down Shipstal Beach and Middlebere. Also seen were 9 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon and a Hobby was chasing down a Peregrine over the western end of Brownsea. In Middlebere there were 9 Greenshank, 9 Grey Plover, 4 Ringed Plover and 2 Common Sandpiper along with an un-ringed adult Osprey and a Marsh Harrier. At Littlesea the Purple Heron came into roost yet again. At Lytchett Fields there was a Ruff on Sherford Pools along with a Marsh Harrier, 2 Yellow Wagtail and 1 Spotted Redshank.  

Greenshnak – Brownsea Lagoon – Nick Gadenne

Ballard Down and Old Harry – 1 Pied Flycatcher, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Common Redstart, 14 Common Whitethroat, 50+ House Martins, several Sand Martin and Swallow, 10+ Chiffchaff.

Brands Bay – 18 Great Crested Grebe, 138 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, 3 Dunlin.

Middlebere – 5 Grey Plover, 1 Osprey, 1 Green Sandpiper.

Wytch Channel – 3 Greenshank, 4 Spotted Redshank, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 (juv) Osprey, 1 Marsh Harrier

Wareham Channel – 2 Osprey, 1 Marsh Harrier, lots of juv Sandwich and Common Tern

Brownsea Lagoon – 9 Spoonbill, c100 Dunlin, c25 Ringed Plover, c20 Avocet, 1 Greenshank

Lytchett Fields – Aquatic Warbler (reported), 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Ruff, 2 Yellow Wagtail

Lytchett Heath – 1 Common Redstart, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 20 Sedge Warbler, 13 Reed Warbler, 15 Willow Warbler.

Hartland Moor – 2 Whinchat, 1 Wheatear, 7 Yellow Wagtail.

There were 8 Spoonbill on Brownsea. 9 Grey Plover, 1 Marsh Harrier, 90 Black-tailed Godwit and 3 Osprey in Middlebere. 5 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper and 2 Green Sandpiper on Lytchett Fields. 1 ringtail Hen Harrier over Swineham.

The Great White Egret infux continues with 2 in Holes Bay NW today. There was also a Wood Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Hobby and a Pied Flycatcher at the Sunnyside Scrape. In Middlebere 2 Spoonbill, 2 Osprey. On Lytchett Fields 1 juvenile Spotted Redshank.

Great White Egrets – Holes Bay – John Pick

It was Osprey central again with 2 in Middlebere and 3 in the Wareham Channel.  On Lytchett Fields there 14 Green Sandpiper and 6 Greenshank. On the Sunnyside Scrape there was 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Wheatear.

It was quite the day for Osprey sightings today! There were 3 sightings in the Wareham Channel, a favoured hunting spot, a juvenile on Coombe Heath at RSPB Arne and two sightings in the Middlebere Channel. They’re obviously being very active! The Purple Heron roosted on Little Sea, Studland again and 10 Spoonbill were sighted in Brownsea Lagoon, in addition to 9 flying past RSPB Arne.

It was a good day for raptor sightings on Coombe Heath at RSPB Arne, with 1 Osprey, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine and 1 buzzard. The Purple Heron came to roost on Little Sea, Studland again and 2 Wheatear were seen at Baiter Park.