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

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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. 

Another hot one today which got more Red Kite moving with 2 over Lytchett Bay View mid afternoon. Another Hobby was over Harland mid-afternoon and 2 Spoonbill were on the Brownsea Lagoon. At Lytchett Bay there were 657 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Whimbrel, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Greenshank, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 7 Reed Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 15+ Blackcap and a Red Kite. A Cuckoo was calling on Slepe Heath along the Arne Road and there were 6 Wheatear at Sunnyside Farm. On Brownsea, Sandwich Terns were finally beginning to prospect on the islands in front of the hides and Common Tern numbers are building nicely with 17 present today. 

Well, things seem to be getting better and better. The warm morning sun wrapped up in a blanket of thick fog certainly ‘downed’ a lot of birds and when it cleared prompted birds to move. Up on Ballard Down a good sweep of migrants could be found including c15 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 5 Blackcap, c10 Willow Warbler, c5 Chiffchaff, 2 Wheatear, c10 Swallow, c10 House Martin and several flocks of migrating finches. Then, as the fog cleared 5 Red Kite migrated their way along the Ballard ridge heading NE quickly followed by a Marsh Harrier. Red Kites were also passing over other areas of the harbour with 3 over Oakdale, 2 more over Studland later in the day, 1 over Grip Heath, Arne and 1 over Sandford. 3 Hobby were counted over the Middlebere/Hartland area and Cuckoo were calling at Arne, Swineham and Hartland. At Middlebere there were 3 Spoonbill in the channel, c400 summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Wheatear along the track, 1 Lesser Whitethroat near the ‘Dartford Hide’ plus good numbers of Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing. At Sunnyside Farm there was a male Whinchat and 10 Wheatear. At Lytchett Bay there was a single Little Ringed Plover. Yet again, Dartford Warbler were really active out on the heathlands, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit and Skylark were all singing on Slepe Heath. 

Common Whitethroat – Ballard Down 

Lesser  Whitethroat – Ballard Down 

Marsh Harrier migrating over Ballard Down 

Red Kite migrating over Ballard Down 

Grey Heron soaring up high over the Hartland/Corfe ridge

Well, the plug well and truly became unplugged today with migrants flowing right the way through the harbour. At dawn, with the sun already blazing down, 2 Spoonbill came in from high west, traveling along the Wareham Channel before dropping into Middlebere. Recent monitoring and research efforts for this species would suggest that these were two fresh in, newly arrived migrants. A Pied Flycatcher along the Coombe Heath trail at Arne was another welcome addition to the year list and a pretty scarce bird for the harbour. Red Kites were on the move in small numbers with birds over Hatch Pond and Oakdale. It seems the Wheatear blockage is now unblocked with 5 at Sunnyside Farm, 3 on Hartland and a thin spread across Greenland’s Farm again. At Lytchett Fields there were 3 Whimbrel, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Whitethroat, lots of Blackcap and 2 Reed Warbler. This high pressure is certainly getting birds of prey moving and late afternoon saw a migrant ringtail Hen Harrier arrive in from the south over Hartland before drifting off high north towards Wareham Forest. At Swineham warblers were plentiful with 6 Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 possible Grasshopper Warbler, 6 Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaff with Cuckoo there too. At Middlebere 2 stunning male Whinchat were along the track with 6+ Dartford Warbler. Interestingly a Barn Owl was seen hunting along the edge of Pergins Island, Holes Bay at dawn, which is a good semi-urban sighting. At Holmebridge a Marsh Harrier was hunting. Both Tree Pipit and Woodlark are now back singing on traditional breeding sites in the south of the harbour. If there’s ever a time to try and see Dartford Warbler now’s the time. The heathlands around Arne, Hartland, Middlebere, Slepe Heath and Stoborough Heath are great areas to watch Dartford’s display flying, a sight quite wonderful to see from the usually skulking bird. 

Swallows are now back at breeding sites across the harbour like these in Stoborough 

Migrant Hen Harrier drifting through the harbour – Slepe Heath

Blackcap – Swineham – Keith Rawling

Hooray! Spring finally arrived today and did so in style. High-pressure systems always allow birds to get moving and with 3 Common Crane over Wareham mid-morning it was obvious birds were arriving. There had also been Poole Harbours biggest arrival of Wheatear today (for this spring) with 8 at Sunnyside Farm, 2 at Lytchett Bay, on Hartland, 6 at Greenlands Fram and 3 at Arne. Whitethroat were heard singing at Chads Copse, Lytchett Bay, up on Ballard Down and at Greenland’s Farm. A Red Kite drifted over Holton Lee late afternoon. The springs first Cuckoo was singing away at Arne at first light and stayed for most of the day. There were 3 Spoonbill in Middlebere and Whimbrel could be heard calling overhead at Swineham, Arne and Brownsea. Its also great to see Swallow now settling on telegraph wires, resting up having just arrived and with the hot weather due to continue it will allow hopefully many more to arrive safely.  A nocturnal sound recording session on Lytchett Heath was fairly busy and produced 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Coot, 2 Moorhen, 2 Water Rail and several Curlew flocks moving over in the dark. 

With the mid week forecast looking to reach scorchio levels, it looks like we have to put up with just a couple more days of nippy April weather. The wind built throughout the day and still made mid April feel like mid February. Still, a Little Ringed Plover made it through on to Lytchett Fields with 2 Green Sandpiper still there and a Greenshank. Despite the cold a few Swallow were making their way through and at Arne Wheatear were on Shipstal and Coombe Heath. The ringtail Hen Harrier was still taking up residence in the west of the harbour commuting between Swineham and Hartland mid morning but with high pressure arriving mid week will we see him disappear soon? Willow Warbler are still trickling through but Chiffchaff are well and truly back in force now with birds singing on territory right around the harbour. At the PCW drain, Fleets Bridge 3 Willow Warbler were singing as were 2 Blackcap and 6 Chiffchaff.

Today we hosted our first spring bird boat tour of the season which was aptly named ‘Up with the Lark’. We did indeed hear Skylark singing high above the Frome Valley but were also treated to great selection of other birds too, most of which could make you think it was a winter bird boat rather than a spring tour. In the Wareham Channel there were 2 Great Northern Diver with another off Pottery Pier, Brownsea. On Arne Moors a ringtail Hen Harrier and over Giggers Island a female type Marsh Harrier. A small passage of Swallow, Sand and House Martin were over Swineham GP and 2 newly arrived Common Sandpiper were present, one at Swineham and another on Round Island. We also had a fly by Kingfisher up near Wareham Quay. Other spring migrants included the first Reed and Sedge Warblers with 4 Whimbrel out on the Swineham flood plain (seen from the footpath and not our boat). There were also a number of Sandwich Tern around the harbour with c30 present seen fishing in various areas and single lonely Brent Goose was left in the mouth of Middlebere. Elsewhere a Common Tern was on the Brownsea Lagoon, the springs first Common Redstart was seen on the outskirts of Wareham and also the first Yellow Wagtail flew low over Lytchett Fields early morning. This coming week looks set to see more migrants arrive with high pressure coming in from the east and some sun finally; great migrating conditions for species such as Cuckoo, Hobby, Swift and the odd rarity or two.