Just when you think spring may have arrived today happens! Grey, drizzly, foggy, damp and miserable. Come on April…pull yourself together! An attempt to run the Ballard Down ringing station was made with 7 Goldfinch and 2 Chiffchaff the only rewards but a singing Blackcap provided some sort of solace that things are going to get better. Brownsea was relatively quiet too with c30 Avocet still present, c50 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Greenshank the highlights but Redshank, a few Grey Plover and Dunlin remain. There’s been no sign of any Osprey the last couple of days but to be honest, with this weather they’d much prefer to just sit it out, giving the impression they’ve gone. Will we see any in the next couple of days when things improve? There were 2 Little Ringed Plover on Lytchett Fields with 2 Green Sandpiper. Just north of the harbour Stour Ringing Group managed to catch and ring a Common (Mealy) Redpoll on Canford Heath, along with 16 Lesser Redpoll.

Lesser Redpoll (left) and Mealy Redpoll (right) – Canford Heath – Ian Lewis

Things are still plodding along slowly in terms of spring migration but a Wood Duck flying past Holton Pools mid morning was a bit of a surprise. Interestingly one was also seen flying past the same site on April 4^th 2017. Considering there’s been no other reports of this species from elsewhere around the harbour in recent years, its an odd coincidence that one should be seen flying past the same site at the same time of year two years in a row! There were also 20 Swallow around Lytchett Fields and a Wheatear on Holton Pools. The juv male Hen Harrier was blitzing around the west of the harbour today and was also seen at Middlebere. He certainly likes it here. At our Ballard Down ringing station 3 Chiffchaff and a single Blackcap (first of the year) were ringed. 

There was more excitement today when a second Osprey was seen at RSPB Arne, at one point with both hunting off Shipstal. One was assumed to be S1 again as blue ring could be seen on the right leg, but the other bird seemed to be ringed too. We spent the late afternoon trying to see if we could track down this new bird by checking suitable perching areas and by complete fluke we managed to track it down. Thankfully the bird was so focused on feeding that we were able to get close enough to read the ring number which was in fact blue on the left leg, stating it was in fact it was a Scottish ringed individual. The ring read AX8 and we’ve had info back stating it’s a two-year old bird that was originally ringed on June 19^th 2016 near Inverness. Chances are this bird will just head on straight through, but with S1 still lingering about it may be tempted to stay a few days…who knows! There was a definite arrival of hirundines today with Swallows, Sand Martin and the odd House Martin being seen passing through and at Swineham a count of 20 Swallow was made.  In Middlebere the 4 Spoonbill were still present and the 2^nd year male Hen Harrier was still bombing around the mouth of the Wareham Channel during the morning. Chiffchaff are now back in force with many birds singing on territory and Willow Warbler were singing at Sunnyside Farm, Soldiers Road, Arne and Challow Hill (near Corfe). Blackcap are also now arriving in moderate numbers and were singing at the PC World drain, Arne, Hartland Moor and Holton Lee.

Scottish ringed Osprey AX8 Near Arne – Paul Morton

There was a new arrival in the harbour today in the shape of a freshly arrived Osprey. Now, there’s already been several through this spring, all of them so far un-ringed. However this new bird that settled briefly on the Middlebere nest mid morning seemed to be bearing a ring and several people managed to get photos of it as it flew off. Luckily, in a photo taken by Nigel Gidney you can just make out the lettering S1. Now this was a young male that was hatched at Rutland in 2015 but spent the majority of the summer of 2017 here in Poole Harbour. Now he’s arrived back what are his plans? Will he stay for a few days then make his way back to Rutland again or will he take a fancy to Poole Harbour and linger here for a short while longer? We’d be really interested in seeing any photos taken of Osprey in Poole Harbour over the coming weeks. None of our 2017 translocated chicks will be back this spring sadly as they’ll all still be down in west Africa for another year (all those that have survived that is)! What is assumed to be the same Osprey was seen over Holmebridge early morning then Stoborough before then being seen in the harbour. A Black Redstart, a scarce spring migrant in Poole Harbour was at Middlebere and the Spoonbill totals went down to 4. At Lytchett Fields there was another Little Ringed Plover, also 2 Green Sandpiper and 1 Greenshank. On the Brownsea Lagoon Black-tailed Godwit numbers increased again as passage birds pass through the harbour with c500 across the lagoon.

Osprey S1, originally hatched at Rutland 2015 – Middlebere – Nigel Gidney

We knew it would come eventually! The sun actually stayed out long enough for it to become warm today and with the total lack of wind from dawn it finally felt like spring was here. This was backed up by the fact that right across Dorset plenty of migrants turned up including Reed and Sedge Warblers, the first Common Whitethroat and Common Redstart. The harbour saw its fair share with a small arrival of Blackcap up on Ballard plus several Chiffchaff. Over Slepe Heath 6 Swallow went through and a Red Kite was seen over the north of Upton. Along Soldiers Road 2-3 Willow Warbler were singing in amongst the newly arrived Chiffchaff which now seem to be on territory. Out off South Beach, Studland 3 Common Scoter were still present. By midday the sky looking out from across Slepe Heath seemed to be filled with displaying Common Buzzard and on Ballard the pair of Peregrine were really vocal near Old Harry. At Arne 5 Brambling were still feeding outside the visitors center in the car park. On many of the heathlands around the south of the harbour including Hartland, Slepe Heath, Arne and Stoborough Heath Dartford Warbler are now very vocal and Meadow Pipit were display flying too. In Middlebere there were now 8 Spoonbill suggesting there were some new arrivals in amongst the ranks. At Lytchett Fields there were 2 Blackcap along with 3 Greenshank and 3 Green Sandpiper and in the bay were 600+ Black-tailed Godwit.

Adder – Old Harry coast path – Paul Morton

Common Chiffchaff – Ballard Down – Paul Morton

Wow, what a day. This morning’s gale force monsoon wasn’t quite the spring weather we’d hoped for but it was soon over and cleared from the south leaving a bright but breezy afternoon. The Osprey was again seen over Middlebere and there were 8 Spoonbill in the Middlebere Channel. A sea watch from Branksome in the building wind didn’t see much in totals but variety was ok with Common Scoter, Curlew, Brent Goose, Gannet, Shelduck, Sandwich Tern, Great Crested Grebe and Med Gull all heading east. 

Spring is now springing into action….slowly, but it is getting there! An adult Osprey was fishing in and around Shipstal/Arne Bay this morning, delighting visitors to RSPB Arne and there were up to 4 Brambling in the car park still feeding at the feeding station. Black-tailed Godwit seem to be passing through with a spike in numbers as Lytchett Bay alone saw 1057 on the rising tide. The male Hen Harrier is still kicking about the Poole Harbour west area popping up at Swineham, Hartland and Arne Moors over the course of the day.  At Lytchett Bay 3 Swallow flew through and on the fields the colour-ringed Greenshank that began over-wintering 2 years ago was present also 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit and 6 Dunlin were in the bay. In the pools field along Slough Lane, Lytchett Bay 2 Willow Warbler were singing from the scrub and the Egyptian Goose was still there. In Middlebere 6 Spoonbill were at the top of the channel and a Willow Warbler was along the main track. In Wareham, two House Martin flew through very quickly, but represented the first record of this species for the spring. At Holton Lee a Water Pipit was on Holton Pools. 

NEW EVENTS – We’ve just published some new events for our 2018 events schedule.

Dawn Chorus Walk – Spring Song at Corfe – Saturday 5th May 2018

Poole Harbour Nightjar Experience – Friday 22nd June 2018

Poole Harbour Nightjar Experience – Friday 13th July 2018

Water Pipit – Holton Pools – John Pick Grendon

A blustery bank holiday but it was great to see so many people in our new BoPH HQ, at one point you almost couldn’t move in there! Lovely stuff! The day got off to an interesting start with a male Brambling singing in the car park at dawn, a phenomenon very rarely heard in Dorset. Then, an Osprey turned up off Shipstal but it didn’t hang around long and a single Wheatear was up on Coombe. In Wareham, there were still 3 Hawfinch in St Mary’s churchyard. Are we witnessing the colonisation of this species into Dorset? Surely they should all be moving off by now? Around the Swineham/Lower Frome Valley area the male Hen Harrier and a ringtail Hen Harrier were seen and a Merlin was hunting Meadow Pipits. At Holton Pools 2 Wheatear, 2 Sand Martin and 1 Swallow were on and around the pools. There was another single Wheatear at Sunnyside. Surely we’re due ‘a fall’ of Wheatear soon? It seems theres literally just ones and two’s dotted around the place. A Red Kite drifted low over Slepe Heath at dawn. At Lytchett Bay there were still 7 Red-breasted Merganser out on the water and 355 Black-tailed Godwit were on Lytchett Fields and a single Greenshank. 

Happy Easter, and a happy one it was too with a kind gap in the weather, giving a real spring feeling to the day’s events. Make the most of it as its supposed to deteriorate again by Easter Monday! Still, another Osprey was logged in the harbour today, although sadly it didn’t linger long as it passed over RSPB Arne. There were also 2 Hen Harrier in and around the Middlebere/Wareham Channel area still and a single Marsh Harrier was seen in Lytchett Bay and a Merlin was out on Slepe Heath. In the still, mild morning air up to 10 Common Buzzard were soaring over the Arne Road. Along North Bestwall Road in Wareham 3 Hawfinch were sat in trees along the road briefly and another was in a Stoborough garden briefly. At Arne 2 Brambling were feeding outside the visitor hut again below the feeders. Out on Hartland there was plenty of birds getting vocal with Meadow Pipit now sounding pretty tuneful along with plenty more Chiffchaff now around the area, also Stonechats and Dartford’s are beginning to get back on territory properly. This coming week will see plenty of new spring migrants arriving into Dorset, such as more Wheatear, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, but birds like Yellow Wagtail, Ring Ouzel and House Martin will start appearing too so please, any sightings of migrants from around the Poole Harbour area please report to info@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk or tweet us at @harbourbirds.  

Today was way more productive as rain hit the harbour at dawn but in calm conditions. Damp spring mornings can be great for birds to make landfall and this morning our ringing site at Ballard Down produced the first Willow Warbler of the year to be ringed along with 3 Common Chiffchaff and at the PC World drain (aka Fleets Corner) another 5 Common Chiffchaff and a Siberian Chiffchaff were present. At Swineham there was another Swallow and 6 Sand Martin over the gravel pits. There were (amazingly) still 3 Hen Harrier in the harbour this morning too, the male was seen near Swineham and two ringtails around the Middlebere/Arne area. Good numbers of visitors were heading over to Brownsea and although water level were high on the lagoon there were still reasonable numbers of waders and duck. In Middlebere the two Spoonbill were present still and there was a Peregrine and Wheatear there too and at Lytchett Fields a Whimbrel was feeding in the Arable Field at the end of Slough Lane with Curlew. Early spring migrant or over-winterer? 

So, with spring just ready to burst into action why not consider joining us in a couple of weeks on April 15th for our first spring boat tour of year where we’ll be heading up the Wareham River looking and listening out for spring migrants. There are only several places left so book on by clicking HERE NOW. 

Willow Warbler – Ballard Down – Olly Slessor