Much of the same today with an Osprey over Arne and the Wareham Channel, 4 Hobby over Arne and 2 over Hartland, 1 Spoonbill in Middlebere, 6 Wheatear at Sunnyside and 2 at Middlebere.  

What a great start to the month! After a pretty dire April, May began with a bang as a hat-trick of great birds were found in the harbour today. It started off with a White Stork that was first seen heading SW over Canford Heath before then being spotted several minuets later over Stoborough heading west up the Frome Valley, making this only the 11^th Poole Harbour record. Then, about 30 minuets later Richard Howe’s found Poole Harbours twentieth Glossy Ibis, although out of those twenty only five have been in recorded in the last ten years and the other fifteen dating pre-1877 making Glossy Ibis a very rare bird within the harbour. Then, around midday a summer plumaged Cattle Egret was found at Swineham in amongst cattle on the north side of the River Frome. Sadly it upped and left west into the Frome Valley but there’s a good chance its still around with plenty of good habitat locally with grazing cattle. There was also a great supporting cast with a Spoonbill in Middlebere, 19 Whimbrel and 12 Wheatear at Greenlands Farm and a single Yellowhammer at South Haven (very scarce here). Hobby were seen over the Lytchett Fields, Wareham bypass and Greenland’s Farm with Cuckoo also at Greenland’s and another at Swineham. In Poole Harbour mouth 60 Common Tern were feeding in the tidal race on the morning tidal run and a Spotted Flycatcher was on Brownsea. At Lytchett Fields there were 196 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Greenshank, 4 Whimbrel, 1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Little Ringed Plover. In Holes Bay NE there were also 4 Whimbrel. In the PCW Drain a single Willow Warbler was singing and there were 3 Blackcap and 1 Whitethroat. An Osprey was hunting in the Wareham Channel mid afternoon and early evening and a passage Marsh Harrier passed through the west of the harbour. 

Glossy Ibis – Lytchett Fields – Richard Howe’s

Well, that’s April over and done with. Sadly it didn’t end on a warm or even remotely mild high. In fact we had to have the heating on in our office it was that cold. Still, May is on its way and things can only get better…right? It seemed today that there were a few hangers on (new arrivals)? From yesteday’s migrant fest with 2 Whinchat and 10 Wheatear at Sunnyside Farm, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Wheatear, 1 Garden Warbler and a Red Kite at Lytchett Bay and another (or the same) Red Kite over the Bakers Arms early Morning and 2 over Studland Bay. On the Asda building in Poole Holes Bay, the 1^st year male Peregrine was again resting on the eastern side. 

Spotted Flycatcher – Lytchett Bay – Ian Ballam

Peregrine Falcon – Asda, Holes Bay

Today we hosted our second spring bird boat of the weekend and it wouldn’t be inaccurate to state that it was actually colder on todays trip than some/all of our winter tours during December and January! Still, despite the cold, good spirits were held high and chattering teeth grinned and bared it as we were treated to a Little Tern off Shipstal beach a (distant) Osprey on the Arne shoreline, singing Reed, Sedge and Cetti’s Warbler up the River Frome, 3 Whimbrel, 1 Kingfisher, numerous Common and Sandwich Tern, 5 Swift, c50 Sand Martin and 2 Wheatear. There was an almighty fall of spring migrants at Portland today too, suggesting that a major fall had occurred across the southern Britain and signs of this rang true in the harbour with 11 Common Whitethroat, 1 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Redstart and 1 Spotted Flycatcher at Lytchett Bay, at Swineham there was another Redstart, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat and a Wheatear. Up on Ballard a Spotted Flycatcher was in the scrub at the end of the headland with c 20 Willow Warbler and 6 Wheatear were along the Ballard coastal path. In Middlebere there was a single Spoonbill, 5 Grey Plover (one in summer plumage), 1 Spotted Redshank, 6 Whimbrel and an Osprey flew over Coombe late afternoon with a Red Kite over Coombe mid morning. In Poole Park a pair of Common Tern were resting on the concrete bridge for their second day…maybe there should be some tern rafts installed on the lake? Along Baiter Beach/cycle way there were 5 Wheatear.

Whinchat and Wheatear – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Lesser Whitethroat – Swineham – Peter Moore

Our spring bird boat – Swineham – Peter Moore

Today was our first of two spring bird boat trips this weekend and they got off to a great start with Swallow and Swift passing over the Quay before we’d even left, suggesting that birds were on the move. A party of 5 Common Terns heading off north high over Hamworthy Park was a great example of true migration in action. As we made our way into the Frome Valley an Osprey came in and circled above us before having a minor ding-dong with a Raven. It was then left in peace to hunt over the channel for a further 20 mins before carrying on east up the Wareham Channel and then subsequently being seen off Poole Quay over Brownsea from our new HQ on Poole Quay. Up the River Frome 2 Common Sandpiper on the riverbank, both Reed and Sedge Warbler were singing as were plenty of Cetti’s. Swifts were definitely on the move with several small parties traveling over Swineham and Swallows were constantly streaming low over the water heading north. On the Spartina on Shipstal Beach Black-tailed Godwit were resting, 3 migrant Bar-tailed Godwit passed over us and a small party of Whimbrel were calling. At Lytchett Fields a flock of 20 Whimbrel were on French’s Pools with 137 summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank and 1 Little Ringed Plover and a single Wheatear. At Swineham and along the River Frome walk 1 Cuckoo, 2 Blackcap, 14 Cetti’s Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 24 Reed Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Whitethroat and 7 Reed Bunting were logged. Along Baiter Beach/cycle way there was 1 Wheatear and inPoole Park 2 Common Tern.

Whimbrel flock – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

We’re really looking forward to our two boat trips this weekend…hopefully spring migrants will be on the move. Lytchett Fields had been a bit too dry over the last few days to attract birds but with tide submerging much of the site today it attracted in an incredible 710 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Whimbrel, and a small passage of Swallow and House Martin. In Middlebere there was a good spring record of 2 Golden Plover with 11 Grey Plover along with 2 Wheatear, 1 Tree Pipit and passage Swallows along the main track. At Holton Lee there was a Wheatear in the southern fields and several Siskin feeding in front of the feeder hide. 

A first spring visit to Challow Hill, Corfe this year was pleasant if not a little chilly still. But last nights ‘mizzle’ had departed and we were once again basked in sunshine. Along the footpath leading up to Challow Hill there was only 2 Common Whitethroat back on territory and a Cuckoo flew along the ridge strongly NW along with a small passage of Swallow and House Martin. There were also 2-3 Yellowhammer singing along the track as were 2 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff and a Stonechat. At Arne a Hobby drifted over the main car park. On the Brownsea Lagoon there was still a decent spread of waders including c50 Dunlin, 2 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, c300 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Ringed Plover, 4 Redshank and 7 Avocet including a pair that were displaying and mating which is an encouraging sign that they’ll attempt to nest again this year, and also 27 Common Tern and 55 Sandwich Tern.

We still have spaces on our up and coming summer and autumn tours later in the year. For full information see below…

Dorset Discovery Summer Tour – CLICK HERE

Dorset Discovery Autumn Tour – CLICK HERE

Greenshank – Brownsea Lagoon – Nick Mudge

The weather was back to its more traditional April format today with wind and light rain setting in by mid afternoon but waders still seem to be coming through  in small numbers. In Middlebere there were 5 Grey Plover, 8 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Whimbrel and 3 partial summer plumaged Spotted Redshank. On Brownsea Dunlin numbers reach 42 and there were 2 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, c200 Black-tailed Godwit and still 11 winter plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit. Common Tern numbers are still building slowly but we hope there’ll be a steady arrival of birds over the coming week in which they should then start using the tern islands in front of the hides. At Lytchett Bay there were 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Whimbrel, 813 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 House Martin and 4 Swallow. The first Swifts were over Swineham GP and 1 flew west past Slepe Heath mid morning. Another search for reptiles during the second day of our Dorset Discovery tour turned up a nice ‘pile’ of Adder at a survey spot near Arne. 

Slow Worms and Adders – Hartland

Today was the first day of our Dorset Discovery Spring tour, an event we really look forward to each year that see’s us getting show guests the best Poole Harbour and other areas in Dorset has to offer. This event is one of four we host each year with summer, autumn and winter tours also available with each focussing on different aspects of local wildlife relevant to the time of year. Today we began at Arne where Dartford Warbler were fairly active despite the wind and an Osprey circled above the Arne car park before heading towards Middlebere.  We don’t just focus on birds on the tours and with a rich heathland habitat layered across the Arne peninsular reptiles are also a main focus with numerous Slow Worm and a stunning male Sand Lizard found. At Holton Lee the male Golden Pheasant that turned up un-expectantly last week was still feeding out in front of the feeder hide. However the big dangling metal ring around its leg sadly rules out it being a true long distant migrant all the way from Brownsea. Also at Holton Lee was a stunning male Whinchat, which are a really scarce bird here during the spring. Around Lytchett Bay there was a single Wheatear on Lytchett Fields along with 11 Dunlin, 422 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Whimbrel, 1 Grey Plover and Bearded Tit calling from the reed bed at the end of Lytchett Heath. 

Male Sand Lizard – RSPB Arne – Nick Mudge

After a run of days without any Osprey sightings it was good to see a couple reported today and amazingly one was a sat-tagged bird from Kielder Forest, named ‘blue UV’. We were contacted by Joanna D on Twitter who explained that the sat-tag data from blue UV indicated he passed over Poole Harbour around 8am, and coincidently moments before we’d received news from Barbara Bisset, Arne volunteer that a blue ringed Osprey had just been photographed over Arne. Putting two and two together we assumed this must have been blue UV. However, later in the day a second Osprey then appeared on the Middlebere platform which also seemed to be ringed but no details could be obtained sadly. There was also another small passage of Red Kite with singles over Parkstone, Arne and Corfe. At Sunnyside Farm, Wheatear numbers were down to 4 and just a single Swallow went through. The Brownsea Lagoon was quite productive with 5 Spotted Redshank, 6 Greenshank, 2 Knot, 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, 130 Black-tailed Godwit, 11 Avocet, 80 Dunlin, 35 Sandwich Tern, 11 Common Tern and 2 Spoonbill present. At South Haven there was a Green Sandpiper, 1 Wheatear and 1 Sanderling and there was a single Gannet off Knoll Beach. At Lytchett Fields a surprise female Merlin was around for much of the morning and there were also c400 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Little Ringed Plover and 4 Whimbrel present. At Swineham a Common Redstart was along the main track, 1 Cuckoo, 6 Reed Warbler, 4 Sedge Warbler and 2 Egyptian Geese.