Today was the second ever Hen Harrier Day, an event that brings like-minded people together who want to see change in the way our uplands are managed and the protection of our birds of prey increased. All in all there were six events held right across the country, and ours was held at the wonderful Arne RSPB reserve. Last year the event in the south was at the RSPB Radipole reserve and attract 30 people (a good effort for a first attempt in the pouring rain), this year 150 people their way to Arne to show their support. You may ask why host an event in the south, when the issue is predominantly in the north? Well, every winter, Poole Harbour and the south coast in general sees Hen Harriers arrive from the north and we know this due to some satellite tagging and leg ring recovery data we have received. So, if Hen Harriers disappear in the north, they’ll disappear here too. All in all it was a great event and well organised by the hen Harrier south team. A huge thanks must go to RSPB Arne for hosting the event and lets hope that the pressure that is getting applied right across the county allows us to see some change some time soon. Coincidentally, 2015 is said to be the best breeding year for Hen Harriers in five years with six pairs and 18 fledged young.

Bird news from today included the BLACK STORK, which was seen in the Wytch Lake again early morning but was later seen circling high and drifting off west over Middlebere just before lunch time (seconds after the Hen Harrier event had just finished). Also at Wytch Lake 2 Tree Pipit over, 1 Marsh Harrier and a Spotted Flycatcher. RSPB Lytchett Fields was looking good again with a juv Ruff, 3 Ringed Plover, 1 Oystercatcher and good numbers of Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Lapwing. At Middlebere there was 1 Spoonbill, 1 Whitethroat, 8 Yellow-legged Gull, 26 Little Egret, 3 Green Sandpiper, 10 Black-tailed Godwit and a number of newly fledged Swallow and Sand Martin. 

There was also a great example of RIDICULOUS parking at in Slough Lane Lytchett Bay. This wasn’t necessarily a birder,  but Just to remind anyone visiting RSPB Lytchett Fields, there is strictly NO PARKING along the lane, especially not half way across an access gate that large Wessex Water tankers need access to 24 hours a day. Many Thanks

What a great day it was to have a Pimms or two (or three or four). Not so good when you get a phone call at 17:30 saying a BLACK STORK had just been photographed flying low over the Arne Road, and I’m stuck at home unable to drive. However, the search was on and local birders Steve Smith and Nick Hopper took on the challenge. A good vantage point was needed to see if the bird was flying between sites and eventually after about 30 minutes it was seen flying over Arne and dipping into the Middlebere area. Another search proved fruitless until it was then seen flying over Middlebere towards the Wytch Channel where it eventually settled and was joined by 3 Spoonbill. This was the 6^th Poole Harbour record, which includes two historical reports of birds shot in 1839 and 1849 with all six records bar one coming from Middlebere, the other being at Lytchett Bay in May 2011. Migrants along the Middlebere track this morning included 1 Garden Warbler, 3 Sedge Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, numerous Willow Warbler and Blackcap, the Barn Own was seen briefly and 2 Green Sandpiper were out in the channel. On RSPB Lytchett Fields there was 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Ruff, 13 Dunlin, 1 juv Marsh Harrier, 111 Black-tailed Godwit, 61 Redshank, 5 Greenshank, 11 Green Sandpiper and 2 adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Black Stork with 3 Spoonbill – Wytch Lake (near Middlebere) Aidan Brown

Today was definitely the first real migrant day of the spring with many areas seeing a good range of common migrants. At South Haven there were 2 Sedge Warbler, 3 Dartford Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 3 Sanderling and 5 Ringed Plover. In Brands Bay 1 Teal, 125 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank and 1 Whitethroat were counted. At RSPB Lytchett Fields Sherford Pools held most birds with 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Ruff, 1 Snipe, 100 Black-tailed Godwit, 50 Redshank, 15 Dunlin and 10 Lapwing were all roosting/feeding. On Brownsea today there were 11 Avocet, 2 Spoonbill and 200 Black-tailed Godwit. Middlebere saw 1 Redstart. Finally, a mega mornings birding/ringing at Lytchett Heath saw 6 Grasshopper Warbler, 4 Garden Warbler, 7 Bearded Tit, 26 Willow Warbler, 1 Redstart, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 120+ Sedge Warbler and 30+ Reed Warbler. Apart from the totals, the most amazing thing about this mornings ringing session was we caught four controls! A French Sedge Warbler and BTO ringed Garden Warbler, Blackcap and Bearded Tit. You can often go months without catching a control so to get four in one session is unprecedented.   

More waders are beginning to appear with 3 Ruff (1 adult and 2 juveniles) turning up on RSPB Lytchett Fields along with the standard Redshank, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit and a handful of Snipe. A ringing session in Poole Harbour north saw another Garden Warbler ringed along with the first Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat for the site this year. On the Brownsea Lagoon 8 Avocet were present, 2 Spoonbill, 11 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank and a Common Sandpiper were counted.

RSPB Lytchett Fields has been looking superb over the last couple of days as the recent high tides has totally wetted the site again, creating a whole myriad of pools and scrapes of water. Yesterday saw more birds on site than I think I’ve ever seen before with Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Dunlin, Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Curlew, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Spoonbill, Shelduck, 500 Black-headed Gull, Yellow and Pied Wagtail all noted on the high tide…just incredible. On the Brownsea Lagoon, there were 8 Avocet, 3 Spoonbill, 40 Dunlin, 2 Spotted Redshank and 8 Greenshank.

Please don’t forget to attend this weekends Hen Harrier Day event at Arne RSPB reserve if you can make it. The weather forecast is looking good, so come and add your voice and show your support for one of our countries rarest breeding bird species. After all, we know for a fact that the birds that spend the winter in Poole Harbour come from Scotland and northern England.

There are also still a couple of places left on our Early Migrants at Middlebere walk on saturday, so if you fancy an enjoyable morning out (hopefully) seeing a nice selection of migrants that BOOK ON HERE.

Don’t forget that it is the Hen Harrier South Day this coming Sunday (August 9^th), so come and show your support and for British Hen Harriers and be apart of a real force for nature conservation. See below poster.

Sightings for RSPB Lytchett Fields included 82 Redshank, 54 Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Lapwing, 7 Dunlin, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank and the first Yellow Wagtail of the season. Just round the corner on Lytchett Heath another juvenile Redstart was seen, which is a strange coincidence seeming as we ringed another there a few days ago. Are we seeing early migrants or have they bred locally? Who knows? On Brownsea 2 Spoonbill were still present and 7 Avocet arrived back. 

The 1^st of the month was a busy day for birds. The Brownsea Lagoon had an Osprey pass over, spooking everything a number of times. Wader-wise the lagoon held 16 Greenshank, 3 Spotted Redshank, 16 Common Sandpiper, 4 Avocet and 3 Spoonbill. At South Haven there was a Lesser Whitethroat and at Brands Bay a group of 24 Crossbill went over towards Goathorn, also at Brands 2 Whimbrel and an arrival of some Common Gulls. RSPB Lytchett Fields were busy too with 70+ Redshank, 50+ Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Dunlin, 4 Snipe, 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Yellow-legged Gull.

Migrants were certainly on the move this morning and a ringing session at Lytchett Heath proved very fruitful. In a 3-hour ringing session 137 birds were ringed including 80 Sedge Warbler, 24 Reed Warbler, 13 Willow Warbler, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Bearded Tit, several Chiffchaff and most bizarrely of all a fresh juvenile Common Redstart. Where this bird has come from is totally un-known as Redstart isn’t known to breed in the harbour. It’s likely to have moved from Wareham Forest, which has the nearest breeding population, but there is plenty of suitable habitat in-between so it could be from an un-known site? There was also 2 juvenile Little Ringed Plover on RSPB Lytchett Fields and a good number of common waders across the site. On Brownsea 3 Spotted Redshank, 4 Greenshank and 4 Dunlin were present. 

Fairly quiet today with just 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, 2 Greenshank and 36 Black-tailed Godwit at RSPB Lytchett Fields. No sign of the Osprey around Arne but 2 Spoonbill were in Middlebere and the Barn Owls have been really active out in front of the hide.

I’ve finally managed to get round to doing some more night recording, this time from my garden again. Last night produced 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Redshank, 1 possible Ringed Plover and a passerine species I can’t identify. The recording below is one of the Common Sandpipers that passed over my garden, this one at around 3:30am.

 Common Sandpiper – Calls of a night time migrant – Lytchett Matravers 29/07/15