The Cattle Egret run continued with 2 found out on the salt marsh at Lytchett Bay mid afternoon, which sadly didn’t linger long as they took off and headed south over the railway bridge. Also near by on Lytchett Fields was the Lesser Yellowlegs and Green-winged Teal. Over Swineham GP late evening c280 Sand Martin were feeding with 5 Swallow in amongst them. An Osprey drifted over Arne midday. Willow Warbler were a bit more numerous around the harbour too but its still pretty quiet on the migrant front at present.

Cattle Egrets – Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson

Some nice coverage today with a decent list of birds from around the harbour. It started at dawn where a Short-eared Owl was found hunting up on Ballard Down. Migrant wise up on Ballard it was fairly quite with a few Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler and 1 Blackcap. Its great to see so many Yellowhammer about though with c10 seen. Off Middle Beach there were 3 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Common Scoter, 1 Gannet and 3 Sandwich Tern. At Challow Hill it was much of the same with Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Yellowhammer, Dartford Warbler, Linnet and a couple of Swallow through. The Swineham flood still had the Little Ringed Plover on it with another 3 on another flooded pool near by and many Cetti’s Warbler singing in the area. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen briefly in the Corfe River Valley. The Soldiers Road and Hartland area displaying Greenfinch and singing Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. At dusk an Osprey flew over South Haven, Studland whilst at the same site during the morning just Willow Warbler and Blackcap were the only new arrivals in with just a single Sanderling on Shell Beach. At Lytchett Bay the Green-winged Teal was on Sherford Pools and a Marsh Harrier passed through with ‘Storkwit’ (the albino Black-tailed Godwit) still feeding in the bay on the low tide. In Poole Harbour west the Hen Harrier was still present. 

Lesser -spotted Woodpecker – Corfe River Valley

Yellowhammer – Challow Hill

Short-eared Owl – Ballard Down

Adder – Hartland Moor

It was good to hear that Tree Pipit were heard at Hartland today, meaning more spring migrants are making their way through with several Swallow and Willow Warbler along Soldiers Road as Dartford Warbler and Stonechat became active in the mid afternoon sun. Out in the Wareham Channel the ringtail Hen Harrier was still active and a big female Peregrine was present too. Out on the Swineham/Frome Flood a single Little Ringed Plover was feeding on the mud with 2 Swallow over the main pit, 1 Willow Warbler, 10 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap and  plenty of Cetti’s Warbler around the Swineham area. At Challow Hill it was much of the same with several Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 1 Swallow, 3 Yellowhammer, Stonechat and Meadow Pipit. At Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal was still on Sherford Pools with Blackcap and Willow Warbler also singing around the site. 

Little Ringed Plover – Swineham Flood – Trevor Warrick

There was a good arrival of common migrants into the county today, although most seemed to avoid the harbour, the great Grey Shrike on Hartland and the Green-winged Teal (now displaying) at Lytchett Fields were the main highlights for a tepid Friday. In the Wareham Channel a Hen Harrier was still lingering but Marsh Harriers remain sparse with little or no sign of courtship being carried out yet. The freakishly White Stork looking albino Black-tailed Godwit was in Lytchett Bay today with up to 104 ‘standard’ Black-tailed Godwit now using the fields. At Arne an Osprey flew over, a Firecrest was in the car park and just 1 Spoonbill was on Shipstal. 

White Stork ‘Wanna be’ Black-tailed Godwit – Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson

This morning looked perfect for a fall of sorts, Wheatear and Chiffs galore was the expectation but sadly the reality was that birds were sparse and birding tough going. Still, there was a reasonable selection on offer with 1 Wheatear on Hartland Stud and 2 along Soldiers Road where both Greenfinch and Meadow Pipit were battling for airspace as they displayed and sung around each other. Within the Corfe River Valley a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming and a possible Continental Stonechat was on top of Hartland. From Middle Beach 4 Black-necked Grebe a Great Northern Diver, 1 Gannet, 2 Auk sp, c20 Med Gulls, 8 Sandwich Tern 3 Sand Martin and 1 Swallow were all out on/over Studland Bay. On Hartland there was a nice contrast of winter and summer with both the Great Grey Shrike and what’s likely to have been Wednesdays Hobby over Hartland Moor. At South Haven, Studland a Little Ringed Plover was on a small patch of flood near the car park with a freshly arrived Willow Warbler and 16 Sandwich Tern gathered on the beach with a single pale-bellied Brent Goose. At Lytchett Fields both the Green-winged Teal and Lesser Yellowlegs were on the fields with 105 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Greenshank, 1 Swallow over and 7 Chiffchaff around the site. Up on Old Harry and Ballard there were just 2 Willow Warbler and 5 Blackcap. Night recording over Stoborough picked up a few straggling Redwing and Song Thrush, 2 Water Rail, Coot and Moorhen.

After days of unbroken sunshine we finally saw a pretty grotty weather system pass through which seemed to pass through quite a bit later than forecast. Wind was consistent but the rain showers were on and off, which in turn did drop some migrants in, most noticeably over Swineham GP where a good gathering of Sand Martin and Swallow were feeding with a single House Martin, a Little Ringed Plover was on the Swineham floods, within the harbour up to 20 Sandwich Tern were out feeding or sat on numerous buoys and on the edge of Upton CP a Willow Warbler was seen. There are still a few Red-breasted Merganser about along with c20 Great Crested Grebe. A Marsh Harrier was flying low along the sea wall of Arne Moors, a ringtail Hen Harrier was along the Arne road and a Peregrine drifted high above Arne. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 2 Yellow-legged Gull, c20 Avocet, c120 Med Gulls and a few left over Grey Plover, Dunlin and Bar-tailed Godwit. On Hartland the Great Grey Shrike was still present along Soldiers Road and the Green-winged Teal was on Lytchett Fields. In Middlebere a Marsh Harrier was near Coombe Heath and 2 Wheatear were near Shipstal Beach. 

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Hooray! An Osprey arrived today which was actually photographed over Morden Bog but it was carrying a massive fish, which we assume must have come from the harbour. Chances are it could still be around somewhere so worth keeping an eye out around Arne, Middlebere and the Wareham Channel area.  There was also still a ringtail Hen Harrier in the west of the harbour too and 2 Marsh Harrier finally looked as if they may begin some kind of courting…about ruddy time, the Radipole harriers have been ‘at it’ for weeks! At Lytchett Fields there were 2 Water Pipit and the Green-winged Teal and the Lesser Yellowlegs was on French’s Pools. In Middlebere a few waders were recorded with 2 Spotted Redshank and several Greenshank.

Dartford Warbler – Keith Rawling – Poole Harbour south

Well, the sun continued to shine and so did the Red Kite passage with a single over Arne at midday and then another over Upton late afternoon. There was also news of a very early Hobby that arrived on to Hartland Moor mid-morning, landing on a pine before alighting again and headed NW towards the harbour. What was also likely to be a new Great White Egret entered the harbour just before dusk, having arrived in low over Swineham from the west, with c50 Sand Martin and 2 reported Common Sandpiper. At Lytchett Fields the Green-winged Teal was still on Sherford Pools. Marsh Harrier were again seen around the mouth of the Frome and Peregrine were seen over Poole Town Centre, Arne and up on Ballard. More Chiffchaff and a few more Blackcap can be heard singing now from numerous sites and it won’t be long until Willow Warbler and Whitethroat are common-place amongst the dawn chorus.

The glorious weather continued today and with it a shift of Red Kites NE across the harbour area. It started with 2 that drifted along the top of Keysworth and then headed low over Lytchett Fields. At 12:15 another drifted low over Brownsea Island with another at 15:15 above the Wareham Channel, also heading NE. These banks of high pressure are always good for getting kites to move and they can literally turn up anywhere so keep you eye’s to the sky during these sunny days for passing kites overhead. Watching a large area of sky around midday will allow you to pick up any raptors that are on the move or that area displaying and a sky watch from Slepe Heath produced 10+ Common Buzzard, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Kestrel. On the Brownsea Lagoon today there were 42 Knot, 32 Avocet, 25+ Bar-tailed Godwit, 21 Grey Plover, 8 Greenshank, 4 Spotted Redshank, 8 Sandwich Tern, 7 Pintail and 3 Brent Geese. In Bramble Bush Bay a summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe was all on its lonesome but was soon joined by a few remaining Red-breasted Merganser. On Hartland the Great Grey Shrike was still out in the center of the Moor.  

Red Kite – Lytchett Fields – Shaun Robson

This is more like it, a stunning late March day with a steady easterly breeze, although the breeze early morning made it feel quite nippy. Again, Meadow Pipits were on the move throughout the morning, heading ENE in small loose flocks. Out on Hartland a Wheatear was sat on a post trying to avoid the Great Grey Shrike which is also still about in that area. In Lytchett Bay a Bar-tailed Godwit was an early rare occurrence with the first records usually mid to late April consisting of passage birds and the Green-winged Teal was still on Sherford Pools with a Little Ringed Plover there too. At Arne 8 Spoonbill were at Shipstal, Firecrests were in the car park and the reserves first Swallow and Blackcap of the spring were also seen.