With the wind swinging east over the next couple of days we could potentially start seeing a few interesting species show up. On Brownsea the wader selection is still pretty meager but there were 2 remaining Avocet with 2 Ringed Plover, 4 Greenshank, 65 Dunlin 3 Knot and 4 Brent Geese. The Yellow-legged Gulls on Brownsea have also hatched chicks and 2 Firecrest were showing well in Venetia Park on the island. Sandwich Terns are now nesting on the lagoon and Common Tern numbers or are rising slowly. At Lytchett Fields there were 35 Whimbrel, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Dunlin and a Greenshank with 2 Whinchat, 3 White Wagtail, 3 Sedge Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat on territory. On the River Frome at the ‘Red Foot’ bridge there were singles of Cuckoo and Whimbrel. At the PCW drain 3 Sedge Warbler were singing. There were 2 Little Tern off Baiter. A night recording session from the previous night produced the listening stations first Tree Pipit of the year. 

Tree Pipit – Call of a night time migrant – Old Town Poole Listening Station

Yellow Wagtail – Lytchett Fileds – Paul Morton

Whinchat – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

The grotty weather certainly helped things along today, especially the arrival of waders. Lytchett Fields and Lytchett Bay combined saw a great selection of waders with 236 Dunlin (the biggest ever spring movement of this species at this site), also the sites only 3^rd ever record of Sanderling. Also recorded were 9 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Grey Plover, 8 Ringed Plover, 28 Whimbrel, 4 Greenshank, 100+ Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Common Tern, 1 Yellow Wagtail and good numbers of Hirundines feeding over the pools. Swineham GP hosted a 1^st summer Little Gull which was hawking over the main pit during the morning, also present were 3 Whimbrel, 1 Marsh Harrier, 20+ Swift over the main pit, 4 Sedge Warbler just 2 Reed Warbler, big numbers of Sand Martin and House Martin and Swallow to a lesser extent and Lapwing were displaying over on the Keysworth estate. 

Little Gull – Swineham GP – Peter Moore

Swift – Swineham GP – Peter Moore

Dunlin – Swineham GP – Peter Moore

Where the heck did April go? It only seems like yesterday that we were welcoming new arrivals and now most are back on breeding territories and spring migration will be over for another year! Still, May is still an excellent month with a lot of potential for nice birds to arrive. The second day of the bank holiday weekend was relatively quiet with a few migrants still dropping in. At Greenland’s Farm there was singles of Whimbrel and Lesser Whitethroat plus 2 Common Whitethroat and 10 Wheatear. In Brands Bay a late Great Northern Diver is still present with 7 Whimbrel, 4 Curlew, 84 Black-tailed Godwit 10 Dunlin and 2 Common Tern. At Lytchett Bay there were 11 species of wader recorded with highlights being the first Bar-tailed Godwit of the year, also 2 Avocet, 4 Greenshank and 37 Whimbrel. Also around Lytchett Fields was the sites first Garden Warbler, 2 Whitethroat and plenty of Hirundines. At the PCW Drain there was one each of Reed and Sedge Warbler. A night recording session from our listening station in Poole produced just a single Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel and several Oystercatcher.

 Common Sandpiper – Calls of a night time migrant – Old Town Poole Listening Station

Finally some warmth to the weather, which provided some nice coverage from around the harbour and a good range of birds seen. The Osprey still seems to be hanging around as it was seen heading up the Middlebere Channel mid afternoon with a huge flatfish. There were now 4 Little Tern in the Middlebere Channel too late afternoon. Up on Stoborough Heath a Hobby was struggling to find any form of dragonfly life to feed on, also there a Cuckoo, 2 Woodlark and 4 Dartford Warbler. At Lytchett Fields there were 2 Ringed Plover, 12 Dunlin, 3 Greenshank, 1 Lapwing and c50 Black-tailed Godwit with 3 Lesser Whitethroat 1 Willow Warbler and 1 Wheatear. At the PC World Drain 4 Garden Warbler were feeding with 15 Blackcap and 2 Whitethroat. Up on top of Hartland Moor 3 Wheatear and a Whinchat were in the Cattle Fields with 1 Swift and 1 Reed Warbler near by. 

Hobby – Stoborough Heath – Peter Moore

Garden Warbler – PC World Drain – Ian Ballam

Little Tern – Middlebere – Peter Moore

Nightingale – Challow Hill – Peter Moore

There were 3 Little Tern in Middlebere again, but no sign of the Osprey, however a Red kite drifted over there and 2 Whimbrel were in the channel. At the PC World drain a Spotted Flycatcher was feeding in the treeline, also 2 Garden Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 8 Blackcap and 2 Willow Warbler there. At South Haven 14 Pale-bellied Brent Geese passed and a Cuckoo was calling. At Lytchett Fields 61 Whimbrel passed over also on site 154 Shelduck a late Snipe, 3 White Wagtail, 30+ Pied Wagtail and 1 Yellow Wagtail.

Spotted Flycatcher – PC World Drain – Paul Morton

Whimbrel – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Yesterdays Osprey was again seen in Middlebere in the usual dead trees, where there was also 3 Little Tern and a summer plumaged Grey Plover. At Lytchett Fields there was a single Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Wheatear and the sites first Swift of the year, also 18+ Whimbrel over the bay where 4 Whimbrel were feeding with 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank and 160+ Black-tailed Godwit. There was Cuckoo at Arne early morning. Up on Hartland a small flock of 8 Wheatear were on the fields. 

Wheatear – Hartland Fields – Paul Morton

More mixed weather, more cold winds, more heavy rain, more glorious sunshine, more confused birds! A late returning Osprey was circling above Brands Bay around 8am, heading towards Goathorn Point. Maybe it may stick around with these northerly winds? A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling at Lytchett Fields at dawn but waders were thin on the ground with just 14 Black-tailed Godwit present and still only 3 Reed Warbler are back on territory. Also at Lytchett Fields 68 Shelduck and 8 Gadwall. The ringtail Hen Harrier was seen over Swineham and a single Spoonbill was on Brownsea. 

Song Thrush – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

I think we experienced pretty much every type of weather you could possibly think of in just one day today from snow (yes snow), to hail, to thunder, to strong winds to glorious warm sunshine…what’s going on?? Despite this several areas were covered starting at Challow Hill where the Nightingale showed briefly, also present were 5+ Whitethroat, 2 Dartford Warbler, 5+ Yellowhammer, 2 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler. Up on Hartland Moor a Cuckoo showed briefly with 5 Wheatear out on the open pasture. In Middlebere 16 Ringed Plover dropped in 12 Dunlin, 1 Whimbrel and c10 Black-tailed Godwit. In the lower Frome Valley 8 Ringed Plover dropped on to Arne Moors with a Little Ringed Plover, 3 Swift dashed overhead and the ringtail, Hen Harrier passed over, heading towards Hartland before having a bit of a one-two with a Hobby. On Lytchett Fields a Yellow Wagtail was on one of the pools with a Spotted Redshank. On Brownsea it was fairly quiet with highlights being 2 Greenshank, 1 Common Tern, 1 Golden Pheasant, 3 Avocet and 2 Brent Geese.

Yellowhammer – Challow Hill – Paul Morton

Yellow Wagtail – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

The NW wind built throughout the day, but in sheltered areas it was actually quite pleasant. A nice surprise came in the shape of 2 Little Tern in Middlebere mid-afternoon along with 4 Ringed Plover, 1 summer plumaged Grey Plover, 1 Knot, 40+ Dunlin and 4 Wheatear and a Woodlark on Coombe Heath. At Lytchett Fields waders were again the main feature with 3 Greenshank, 1 Whimbrel and 4 Spotted Redshank with 1 Wheatear, 4 Reed Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 1 Sedge Warbler also seen. At Swineham 2 Swift were over the Gravel Pits and on Hartland the ringtail Hen Harrier was seen again. 

Whimbrel – Lytchett Bay – Ian Ballam

The cold NNW wind started creeping up on us today which looks as though it will be with us for quite some time, potentially killing off any migration for northbound birds. However, although it seems passerines are struggling to get through at present, waders continue to show up at regular sites. At Lytchett Fields there was 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Greenshank, 2 Dunlin, 2 Spotted Redshank , 1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Whimbrel with another Red Kite over and a Wheatear in the Arable field. At the Wytch Causeway 2 Spotted Redshank were in the marsh with a Greenshank. Off Sandbanks there was a single partial summer plumaged Great Northern Diver.

Reed Warbler – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam