Apologies for the delay in uploading sightings.  A couple of Little Gull were around including one at the Houseboats at Studland and 1 2nd calendar year bird in Lytchett Bay. 1 Great White Egret also flew over Lytchett Bay. There were 14 Whimbrel in Brands Bay. In the Middlebere Channel from Coombe Heath there were 2 Spoonbill, 10 Whimbrel and 1 Hobby. From our Spring Safari Cruise the Marsh Harrier pair in the Wareham Channel were very active, displaying with a food pass. Plenty of Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwit making use of the low tide too in the Wareham Channel. On the Brownsea Lagoon there was still 1 solitary Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Avocet and 1 Grey Plover.

Whimbrel – Middlebere Channel – Dizzygirl66 on Bluesky

A slightly cooler day today, but still plenty of raptors tracking high across spring blue sky’s. This morning 6 Red Kite were passing high above the Bakers Arms, 3 were high over central harbour and 4 were seen high over Ballard. Hobby are now back and setting up territories with 2 hawking over Swineham around lunchtime, 2 were over Hydes Heath, Arne and another was seen hunting in the Frome Valley. A Great White Egret flew over Lytchett Bay this afternoon, and a Spotted Redshank was still in the Wareham Channel. Swallow and Swift numbers are still really low, with only a handful of Swallow noted back on territory, but last last year, many diddent arrive until mid-May, so lets hope for the same again this year. A Little Gull was seen off the houseboats, at Studland this morning and later again in Brands Bay.

Swallow – Stoborough 

Another hot day in the harbour. 3 Common Crane were seen again this afternoon, this time flying high over Studland before drifting there way towards Wareham. From our Spring Safari Cruise this morning White-tailed Eagle G463 was soaring high over the southern shores of the harbour. 3 Sanderling and 1 Dunlin were in the mouth of the River Frome in the Wareham Channel, showing a nice bit of May wader passage. There were also 2 Whimbrel, 1 Spoonbill and 1 Spotted Redshank here. An untimely drake Pochard was amongst the Tufted Duck at Swineham Gravel Pit. 1 Garden Warbler was singing at the railway embankment on Wareham Common. 1 juvenile Little Gull was still on the Brownsea Lagoon along with 1 possible Curlew Sandpiper. From Coombe Heath, Arne, 4 Spoonbill were in the Middlebere Channel along with 2 Whimbrel and 1 Red Kite. There were also 2 White-tailed Eagle that flew over Poole Quay this afternoon, 3 Hobby were high over Hydes Heath.

Red Kite – Coombe Heath, RSPB Arne –  Dizzygirl66  on  Bluesky

Nice selection of sightings today with highlights including a Hoopoe found by Trevor Warwick on the south edge of Hartland Moor this morning. A possible Subalpine Warbler was also reported in the shrubs opposite Asda in Poole Town, though there has no visual sighting as yet. Over at Lytchett Fields, 1 winter plumage Great White Egret was seen in flight this morning, as well as 188 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Greenshank, 5 Whimbrel, 1 Redshank, 1 Lapwing, and additionally 1 Little Ringed Plover on Sherford Pools this afternoon. 1 Peregrine and 1 Red Kite were logged over Creekmoor this afternoon. There was also 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling at Morden Bog this morning. A Nightjar was singing on Wareham Common last night, plus 18 Cattle Egret flew to their roost in the evening and the Little Gull was on the Brownsea Lagoon again.

Hoopoe  – Hartland Moor NNR – Trevor Warwick

With April soon to be turning into May, waders of many species are passing through, including two ‘firsts’ of the year with a Wood Sandpiper at Swineham on the Stilt Pools and a Little Stint at Lytchett Fields. There was also a summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank at Lytchett Bay, c20 Whimbrel through Middlebere, 2 Little Ringed Plover at Swineham and another on Lytchett Fields. A Great White Egret flew over Swineham this morning along with 1 Osprey, 1 White-tailed Eagle and 1 Marsh Harrier over there too. There were also 4 Spoonbill on the Stilt Pools this morning, a Lesser Whitethroat was on the north side of Lytchett Bay and 8 Swift were over Wareham.

Little Ringed Plover and Little Stint – Lytchett Fields – Richard Stephenson

Little Stint – Lytchett Fields – Richard Stephenson

Northern Wheatear – Whitecliff – Daniel Nash

Whimbrel flock passing through Poole Harbour – Mark Wright

Another bright sunny day in the harbour which seemed to bring a big arrival of Swift into the harbour. 2 flew over our Spring Safari Cruise this morning in the central harbour and then a flock of c30 were flying around Swineham/Wareham. The Forster’s Tern was on the Brownsea Lagoon again, even further into it’s summer plumage making it tricky to pick out, looking more and more like a Common Tern.  1 juvenile Little Gull was also on the Lagoon this morning along with 7 Avocet and 8 Bar-tailed Godwit. There were 2 Osprey fishing between the Wareham Channel and Middlebere and 1 in Lytchett Bay. 4 Spoonbill flew from Swineham into the Wareham Channel. 2 Whimbrel were off the Shipstal shoreline. 1 of the immature White-tailed Eagles flew over the Osprey viewing platform from one of our Carey Osprey Tours this afternoon and another adult was seen over Corfe Common. 1 Spotted Redshank was at Lytchett Fields along with 7 Greenshank,  6 Whimbrel, 1 Ringed Plover and 1 Cuckoo that flew across towards Holton. The first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was behind the Turlin Screen in Lytchett Bay and 2 Whimbrel were in front. 1 Yellow Wagtail was in the farm fields with cows at RSPB Arne.

Immature White-tailed Eagle – Careys Secret Garden from our Carey Osprey Tour – Alison Copland