It was another great day to be out, as although it was overcast there was zero wind making looking and listening for birds a sheer delight and much easier. We were keeping an eye on the Brownsea Lagoon all day as it felt like the kind of day when birds could just ‘drop in’ and sure enough early morning saw a mixed flock of 30 Dunlin, 1 Sanderling and 1 Ringed Plover settle on the ‘boomerang’ all day before heading out to feed on the afternoons low tide. By mid afternoon it was worrying to see that no Common Tern were settled on the main breeding island on the lagoon although several were there in the morning. Its possible they only went out to feed and breeding evidence may evolve over the coming week but several Canada Geese and Graylags are also making the islands a regular dinner and supper spot it seems so are we seeing a level of disturbance that’s preventing the terns from settling? At Lytchett Fields there were just shy of 100 Black-tailed Godwit (98) feeding all bar three were still in winter plumage, also 3 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin and 2 Whimbrel there.

Oystercatcher – Baiter – John Pick

Pretty quiet today but last night our surveyor Nick Hopper was out doing some night-time wanderings having a listen for any night singers that could well be going un-noticed. Surveying at night opens up a whole new world and you often experience things you wouldn’t see or hear during the day. Last night Nick managed to sound record a migrant Dunlin that actually began giving sections of song out on Arne Moors. Now Dunlin definitely don’t breed in Poole Harbour but you’ll often get birds that give bursts of song whilst on migration practicing and warming up for when they arrive on territory much further north. At Lytchett Fields today a single winter-plumaged Grey Plover was on French’s Pools along with c150 Black-tailed Godwit before a Peregrine flushed them off. On Upton Heath a Whinchat was photographed and on Slepe Heath 3 Hobby were overhead.

Dunlin singing – Arne Moors – Nick Hopper

Grey Plover – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

With a bit of a chill in the air, birds were keeping their heads a little lower than of late and as the wind built over the course of the day it was certainly reminiscent of the good old days i.e the spring so far! Still, there were Cuckoo calling at Holmebridge, Slepe heath, Swineham and Godlingston. An Osprey was fishing mid-morning in the Wareham Channel but wasn’t seen later in the day at any of the usual hang-out spots. Small parties of Swift were still very active above Swineham GP and small flocks of Sand Martin were feeding in amongst them. A single Red Kite was over Bourne Valley nature reserve in Poole. Despite the cold it seems there’s been a great increase in the number of displaying Tree Pipit and Woodlark with plenty of new and suitable habitat having been created on the southern shores of the harbour in recent years. As both are red data list species we can’t say exactly where they are but by learning their song you can teach your self how to locate these tuneful songsters with Tree Pipit offering a lovely varied and mixed set of notes in an excited and rather chaotic manner whilst Woodlark offer a slightly more melodic, descending set of notes…just perfect for listening to when out on a Poole Harbour heathland this spring and summer.

Tree Pipit – Poole harbour southern shores 

 Tree Pipit song – 13/05/14 – Poole Harbour, southern shores.

 Woodlark, Meadow Pipit And Great Spotted Woodpecker – May 2014 – Near Arne, Poole Harbour

Today was another fine spring morning, despite the forecast of degrading conditions. Swifts and Swallow were swooping low over Swineham and a Little Ringed Plover was on the flooded pools there. An Osprey was circling high above Arne by mid morning and was later seen in the Wareham Channel with another (or the same) resting up at Morden Bog for most of the afternoon. In the Corfe River Valley near Wytch Farm 2 Cuckoo were calling and there were plenty of common spring migrants such as Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing. Dartford Warbler and Stonechat were in fine voice on Slepe Heath and on Godlingston a single Wheatear and 2 Cuckoo. Near the chain ferry at South Haven a single White Wagtail was logged. On the Brownsea Lagoon a full high tide count was conducted and it seems there has finally been a big clear out of waders with only 6 Avocet, 1 Greenshank, 2 Common Redshanks, 105 Dunlin, 6 Ringed Plover, 2 Turnstone, 1 Whimbrel, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, 50 Oystercatcher and 1 Common Sandpiper however Tern numbers had built with 145+ Sandwich Tern and 82+ Common Tern. The terns are however late back on to their breeding islands and although some have settled we’d thought more would be nest building/on eggs by now.

Chaffinch – Holton Lee – John Pick

Little Egret – Whitecliff- John Pick

Oystercatcher – Whitecliff – John Pick

The day got off to a cracking start when a drake Garganey was first found on the small pools just south of Swineham GP where the Glossy Ibis then also suddenly appeared for a brief preen before moving off NE towards the gravel pits. Also at Swineham were 2 singing Cuckoo’s, 4 Reed Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, c10 Swift, 1, 1 Red Kite and 6 Gadwall. At Arne there was another Cuckoo, 2 Osprey and 4 Whimbrel. At Lytchett Fields there were just singles of Spoonbill, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel and Dunlin. There were 2 Hobby active again above HartlandThere was also a report of a Black Kite over Hartland Moor kid afternoon, if anyone has any info or photos that relate to this bird we’d be really interested in hearing about it.

Today provided another day in paradise as Bank Holiday record-breaking temperatures hit the headlines. The birds, well, they didn’t mind at all and with lots of insect life now on the wing species such as Hobby took full advantage as dragonflies began emerging from heathland ponds. There were 3 Hobby over Hartland, 1 over Middlebere and another over Wareham water meadows near the bypass bridge. Red Kite were again on the move with 3 over Wareham Common, 5 over Lytchett Matravers, 1 over Sandford and 1 over Studland. Its no surprise that with these stunning summer sunsets over the Bank Holiday weekend that Nightjars suddenly began to sing at dusk with birds back at Arne and on Brownsea. There was also the first spring arrival of Ruff with a single at Lytchett Fields and 3 on the Brownsea Lagoon. An Osprey was seen fishing in the Wareham Channel and then 2 were seen early evening at Morden Bog. On Brownsea Sandwich Tern numbers are building very slowly with only one of the islands in front of the Mac Hide being used and its worrying to see that next to no Common Terns have settled yet on the other islands…are the Canada Geese imposing too much?

Sandwich Tern – Brownsea Lagoon – Rene Goad

Mute Swan – Poole Park – Johm Pick Grendon

What a bank holiday weekend it’s turning out to be! Absolute scorchio. This big area of high pressure certainly prompted birds of prey to move with Red Kites being the most notable. Across the whole county many were seen drifting over with 1 over Baiter, 3 over Arne, 8 over Lytchett Matravers, 2 over Slepe Heath and 1 over Studland.  The Glossy Ibis that was seen earlier in the week (and presumed gone) reappeared heading low east over Swineham GP this morning but couldn’t be relocated, however its good to know its still around and will be well worth checking the pools and fields in that area. The River Frome walk produced an excellent total of warblers including 21 Cetti’s Warbler, 46 Reed Warbler, 3 Sedge Warbler (well down on last year), 4 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff and 1 Common Whitethroat along with 2 Bearded Tit, 10 Reed Bunting and 2 Raven.  At Lytchett Fields/Bay there was just a single passage Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, c30 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Egyptian Geese and 2 Common Whitethroat. At Arne the Osprey was again in Middlebere with 20 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Curlew, 5 Ringed Plover and 2 Dunlin in the channel and 2 Wheatear were on Coombe Heath. 

Red Kite – Slepe Heath 

This morning we hosted our dawn chorus walk at Challow Hill, Corfe. Although a bit cold to begin with, as soon as the sun peaked above the crest of the hill we were treated to a perfect early May day. On the edge of Challow Hill, 8 Common Whitethroat, c10 Yellowhammer, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Stonechat, 1 Dartford Warbler and c5 Linnet were logged and on top of the hill several Skylark were in full song and a Cuckoo flew along the ridge. Elsewhere around the harbour, over Slepe heath/Arne Moors 6 Hobby were actively feeding together, a Red Kite over Ridge, a Marsh Harrier was in the Wareham Channel and an Osprey was in Middlebere. On Slepe Heath there was a single Tree Pipit, several Dartford Warbler and We also found a singing male Common Redstart on the eastern edge of Hartland Moor which gave us a good opportunity to sound record its song. Common Redstart are excellent mimics and we’ve cut some sections of this birds song allowing you to hear the its amazing mimicry. Each strophe starts the same with a single call, then four ‘buzzier’ calls then the final section is the imitation, apart from the final example we’ve provided where the bird gives up totally on its own song and completely steals another’s! 

Common Redstart mimicking Green Sandpiper – East Hartland – 05/05/18

Common Redstart mimicking Chaffinch – East Hartland – 05/05/18

 Common Redstart mimicking Siskin – East Hartland – 05/05/18

Common Redstart mimicking Blackbird – East Hartland – 05/05/18

Dawn Chorus Walk – Challow Hill – Barbara Bisset

This was exactly how a May bank holiday should begin, with warm sunshine, clear sky and a gentle easterly breeze full of eastern promise. It was great conditions for finding and seeing birds today and lots of sightings were reported from around the harbour. At dawn, Cuckoo’s were calling along the Arne Road, Soldiers Road and at Swineham. Later in the day there were numerous Hobby around Slepe Heath and Hartland area with one perching up regularly on the northern boundary of Slepe Heath. There was a single Spoonbill on Giggers Island in the Wareham Channel and in the river Frome 3 Common Sandpiper were on the exposed mud with another 2 on the Brownsea shoreline. Whimbrel were much in evidence around the harbour in numerous fields and wet pastures. At Sunnyside Farm 8 Wheatear and a male Yellow Wagtail were on the open fields. Highlights of the day though go to a Wood Warbler that was in the Arne car park briefly and a male Goshawk that drifted up over the Wareham Channel whilst an almost equally good sighting was a Marsh Harrier in the mouth of the Frome (a rare sight in May now). At Lytchett Fields there was a Lesser Whitethroat, 1 ad Yellow-legged Gull and 6 Whimbrel.

Hobby – Slepe Heath 

Stonechat – Slepe Heath 

A chance encounter at 7:50am of an Osprey flying over the Sherford Bridge road heading towards the harbour allowed us to track it all the way to the Wareham Channel and then finally to Arne where a good enough view was obtained to see it was un-ringed. There was also a gathering of 6 Hobby over the Arne Road, Slepe Heath area at midday. At Swineham there were 23 Whimbrel in the fields behind ‘Curlews cottage’ and a Cuckoo was calling next to the B&B. At Lytchett Bay a Grasshopper Warbler was singing behind the waterworks at the end of Slough Lane and 5 Whimbrel were on Lytchett Fields. On the Brownsea Lagoon the Common Terns have finally taken to the breeding islands in front of the hides giving us a great opportunity to stream live footage in to our Birds of Poole Harbour HQ on Poole Quay.

Common Terns displaying on the Brownsea Lagoon via our BoPH HQ webcam on Poole Quay