Wow, what a day. First we’ll go through the bird info, than talk about the several exciting events we hosted over the course of today. Highlights included a fresh juv Cuckoo at Holton Lee where 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank and 2 Lapwing were on Holton Pools. The first 2 migrant juv Willow Warbler were also at Holton Lee with a Marsh Harrier and a light passage Swift went out over south across the Wareham Channel. On Lytchett Fields an adult Little Stint was a turn up for the books with 10 Greenshank, 19 Dunlin, c100 Redshank and 39 Little Egret also present. At Arne and over the Wareham Channel up to 2 Osprey were again on and off during the course of the day.

This evening we were thrilled to host the end of the Chris Packham UK Bioblitz campaign tour at our Birds of Poole Harbour HQ on Poole Quay ending 10 days of intensive wildlife surveys around the UK.

Chris Packham’s BioBlitz campaign aimed to highlight the biodiversity of British wildlife across the nation, visiting 50 wildlife sites across the UK in just 10 days. The results will provide a benchmark with which future surveys can be compared, and see how the populations of different species rise and fall over time. Chris Packham started in the Scottish Highlands on July 14th, criss-crossing the UK and helping the survey effort along the way; from the smallest insect to the largest deer and everything in between. Specialists, amateurs, and enthusiastic naturalists have helped immeasurably along the way, including members of the public who have come along to events to listen and learn about the UK’s fantastic biodiversity.

Arriving at Poole Quay with his BioBlitz crew, Chris Packham boarded a ferry with 50 lucky Poole school children and the Birds of Poole Harbour charity team. Chris and his crew were treated to a cruise around Poole Harbour for a spot of birding, passing the internationally important Brownsea lagoon site and seeing common and sandwich terns in flight. The ferry docked back at the quay at 8pm, returning to an audience 200 strong to hear Chris’ rousing speech about the campaign and the future of British biodiversity. He then crossed the finish line at the HQ of local conservation charity Birds of Poole Harbour, where he then spent an hour meeting and speaking with visitors about wildlife and the environment.

Paul Morton from the Birds of Poole Harbour charity explained

“To have Chris and his team finish his campaign here in Poole Harbour was a real privilege. Over the ten days they visited some areas that were in dire need of environmental change but they were keen to finish here on the south coast because of how rich our biodiversity is and to highlight how some areas are getting it right”

You can get involved with Chris Packham’s campaign by contacting Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and telling him your concerns for the state of british biodiversity and the threats it faces. Chris Packham is also calling for everybody who cares about wildlife to join him in central London on September 22nd 2018 for The People’s Walk for Wildlife as a nature-inspired call to arms.

Check out his website for more information:

https://www.chrispackham.co.uk/

For more information about Birds of Poole Harbour, check out their website:  

https://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/

Common Cuckoo – Photographed during the Holton Lee Bioblitz – Clare Slade

Chris Packham addressing the crowd – Poole Quay – Debbie Parker

Chris Packham addressing the crowd – Poole Quay – Debbie Parker

Chris Packham crossing the finish line – BoPH HQ – Debbie Parker

There were more signs of migration today with the first Pied Flycatcher of the autumn seen on Brownsea, with a male feeding along the lagoon access track. Also on Brownsea an Arctic Tern was on the lagoon briefly and an Osprey passed over the western end. There were also 2 Osprey with sightings on and around Arne for most of the day. There was also the first real pulse of Sedge Warbler migration through the harbour with c10 at Lytchett Fields along with 14 Dunlin, 9 Green Sandpiper, 9 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Common Snipe, c150 Redshank, c40 Lapwing and 14 Little Egret.

Linnet – Lytchett Fields – Paul Morton

The Purple Heron was again seen coming into roost at Littlesea late evening along with only 45 Little Egret tonight.  In Middlebere there was an Osprey on the nesting platform and a Spoonbill was in the Middlebere Channel. 

As summer progresses and autumn powers through the birding seems to get more and more exciting by the day. Today the Purple Heron was seen again at Littlesea Studland where photographer Malcolm Brunt managed to take what’s probably one of the best Purple heron photos ever seen in the UK let alone Dorset…just amazing. Then, this evening 6 Great White Egret flew over and settled on Lytchett Fields again which are likely to be the same flock as the ones seen a few weeks ago…or are they? Are we in fact seeing a steady arrival of this species into the harbour? On the Brownsea Lagoon the 2 Roseate Tern were on the ‘Boomerang’ again. On Holton Pools both Common and Green Sandpiper were using the scrapes and an Osprey was out over the Wareham Channel and at Middlebere for most of the day.

Purple Heron – Littlesea – Malcolm Brunt

Common Sandpiper – Holton Pools – Nick Mudge

Green Sandpiper – Holton Pools – Nick Mudge

The Purple Heron was seen today but earlier in the day around 16:30 flying towards the northern end of Littlesea but despite a prolonged evening watch it didn’t come into the egret roost at dusk sadly. Still, a mass hirundine flock containing c200 birds, consisting of mostly Sand Martin that came in just before dark to feed on the surface of the water was a picture in its self and there were 8 Great Crested Grebe, some with juveniles still in tow. At Middlebere an Osprey was on the post for most of the afternoon and in the channel 1 Spoonbill, 7 Greenshank, 1 sum plum Spotted Redshank and a Whimbrel were present during the afternoon. At Lytchett Fields there were c20 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 9 Dunlin and 1 Greenshank with a particularly showy Water Rail too. In Lytchett Bay Curlew totals rose to 39 and there were 25 Little Egret and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. There were also reports of Osprey over the Wareham Channel and at Morden Bog. A new Marsh Harrier entered the harbour too with a young male over near Swineham early morning.

Water Rail – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Grey Heron and Red-eared Terripins – Poole Park

It’s now at that time of year where we begin (in partnership with the Stour Ringing Group) really ramping up our ringing activities around Poole Harbour. From mid-July to early November a whole variety of birds will be on the move with different species moving at different times. In this early phase of the ‘autumn’ we’ll begin seeing a few warbler species passing through and into early August chats and flycatchers will appear with a few other warbler species. By late August and into September pipits, hirundines, wagtails and a few crests will begin to move and then by October finches, thrushes and more crests will be the main focus. Today really heralded the beginning of passerine autumn migration with a ringing session at Lytchett Heath catching the first 2 juv Grasshopper Warbler and juv Garden and Sedge Warblers of the season, none of which breed locally to that site. Up at Ballard Down a number of juv Common Whitethroat are being ringed too and it will only be a few days until the first lovely lemon yellow Willow Warbler begin turning up. On Brownsea today 2 Roseate Tern were again on the ‘Boomerang’ out in front of the Lower Hide. This evening the Purple Heron came into roost again for the third night in a row and was joined by 55 Little Egret. Thanks Steve Smith for a nice sequence of shots of the Purple Heron coming into roost.

Purple Heron – Littlesea, Studland – Steve Smith.

Twitter – @StudlandBirder  Blog – http://birdingpooleharbourandbeyond.blogspot.com/

The heron purple patch seems to be getting well…purpler! This evening the Purple Heron came back into Littlesea, Studland late evening but was then joined by a Cattle Egret too which means today we had Great White Egret (Middlebere), Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Purple Heron and Grey Heron all in the harbour! It also seemed to be some wader passage took place last night as a newly arrived summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper was on Lytchett Fields with c40 Dunlin, 7 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper and 8 Green Sandpiper there too. A Red Kite also passed over Lytchett Bay and an Osprey was over the Wareham Channel and in Middlebere.

Are we beginning to see a new mid-July trend? On Saturday we had 7 Great White Egret appear on Lytchett Fields, then a Bittern was seen dropping into the Frome Mouth on Sunday evening then tonight a juvenile Purple Heron was found at Littlesea Studland which is actually only the 3^rd ever Poole Harbour record. This is notable as it possibly highlights the early dispersal of either recently fledged young heron species or post breeding birds as they begin to move south. We’ve had returning/passing Great White Egret each July now for the last three years, so will other species passing through this time of year soon become the ‘norm’? Passage waders were still moving around with 23 Green Sandpiper on Lytchett Fields along with 4 Common Sandpiper and 6 Greenshank with 1 Spotted Redshank, 8 Greenshank, 1 Spoonbill and both godwit species on the Brownsea Lagoon plus an Arctic Tern was seen off the SW corner of Brownsea. An Osprey was in Middlebere on and off for most of the day. In Holes Bay NE there were 3 Common Sandpiper, 102 Black-tailed Godwit and 38 Little Egret recently roosted there.

Today was our second summer ‘Up with the lark’ bird boat cruise which didn’t disappoint. It started with an Osprey out hunting in the north of the Wareham Channel which eventually caught a fish and as we crept up towards the mouth of the River Frome c500 Black-tailed Godwit numerous Little Egret, Curlew and 3 Greenshank were in the mouth of the Frome and in the mouth of the Piddle 2 Common Seal were hauled up onto the mud on the low tide. Up to 5 Common Sandpiper were along the riverbanks of the Frome as plenty of freshly fledged Sand Martin and Swallow skimmed low across the water. Strangely a Sedge Warbler was singing briefly (normally well finished by now) and a handful of Reed Warbler could still be heard and Reed Bunting were much in evidence. On Arne Moors 5 Yellow-legged Gull were settled with 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull and a few Herring Gull. Out in central harbour the oddest sighting was of a Common Scoter sat out on its tod! The Brownsea Lagoon was busy and a Roseate Tern was heard then seen leaving the lagoon with 2 summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, 4 Greenshank, 8 Avocet and 1 chick, c30 Bar-tailed Godwit and c100 Oystercatcher also present. Along the northern shore of Brownsea another 5+ Common Sandpiper and a Whimbrel were at Seymers. Later in the evening a Bittern was reported flying over the mouth of the Frome and settling in reed beds. At Arne an Osprey was seen on and off during the day on the Middlebere platform as it fed and there was a Spoonbill in Middlebere again too with 7 Greenshank.

Without doubt, today’s best sighting (albeit brief) was when 7 migrating Great White Egret landed on Lytchett Fields for a few minuets before setting off again and headed off high north. It’s quite something that we’re no longer just seeing single birds in the harbour but now whole flocks! Even as recently as 2014 Great White Egret were still a real rarity in the harbour but between 1-3 have now been regularly over wintering since 2015 and with flocks of seven now appearing, how long will be it be until they’re as common as Little Egret? There was also a Spoonbill on Lytchett Fields. Brownsea was also productive today with 2 Roseate Tern settled all day with 1 Spoonbill and juv Garganey and Little Ringed Plover also logged. In Middlebere there were 2 Spotted Redshank and 5 Greenshank and an Osprey was on the Middlebere platform again.

Great White Egret flock – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Great White Egret flock – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam