The last two days couldn’t have been more different with yucky, heavy rain all day yesterday, and blissful sun blessed day today, needless to say that most bird news comes from today. On the Brownsea Lagoon toady there were 99 Redshank, 11 Greenshank, 3 Spotted Redshank, 25 Dunlin, 9 Common Sandpiper, 2 Whimbrel, 1 Sanderling, 2 Spoonbill and 2 Arctic Tern. It was also stated that Sandwich Tern had a good breeding season with 145 fledged young. Yellow-legged Gull bred for the 20^th consecutive year and Brownsea also fledged its first Med Gulls as three pairs bred. At Swineham a single Common Sandpiper was on the point. Out in Brands Bay there was 6 Whimbrel, 67 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Common Sandpiper, 1 Knot and 1 Dunlin. On RSPB Lytchett Fields there were 6 Greenshank, 6 Green Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 56 Redshank and the usual Lapwing and handful of Black-tailed Godwit. 

Now the fields have been cut at RSPB Lytchett Fields it seems to already be attracting some new arrivals. Within minuets 2 Spoonbill ventured out onto French’s Pools, there were also 3 Greenshank, 1 adult Little Ringed Plover, 5+ Green Sandpiper, and the usual Redshank, Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwit. On Lytchett Heath Dartford Warbler were confirmed to have bred. At Arne, the first of the autumn Willow Warblers appeared with 3 on Coombe Heath, also a juvenile Peregrine over with 1 Common Snipe, 2 Spoonbill were in Middlebere and there were juvenile birds EVERYWHERE. Mostly common breeding species such as Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Blue Tit and Wren. A juvenile Whitethroat at Lytchett Heath was likely to be a local migrant.

RSPB Lytchett Fields are looking great now they have been cut and are already attracting a good number of birds. Of note, there was 1 juv Little Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 6 Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 30+ Lapwing, 20+ Redshank, 10+ Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Whimbrel and 1 Kingfisher. In Holes Bay there were 163 Black-tailed Godwit, 30+ Curlew, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Common Gull. On the Brownsea Lagoon there was 1 summer plumaged Knot, 4 Spotted Redshank, 1 Turnstone, 75 Redshank and 3 Greenshank. Middlebere held 3 Spoonbill in the afternoon and the Barn Owls were out hunting out across the marsh at Middlebere.

NOTICE: The fields at RSPB Lytchett Fields are being cut this week so excessive disturbance is likely. The work is due to be finished on Wednesday.

In between the cutting of the fields RSPB Lytchett Fields held 14 Green Sandpiper, 56 Black-tailed Godwit, 40 Redshank, 32 Lapwing, 11 Teal and 3 Greenshank. Lytchett Bay held 1 Spoonbill, 1 Whimbrel and 2 Bearded Tits were is a reed bed on the shoreline. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 3 Greenshank, 26 summer plumaged Dunlin, 50+ Redshank, 150 Black-tailed Godwit and still a good number of Common Terns yet to fledge. A Common Sandpiper and Greenshank were heard migrating over Slepe Heath at night too by a group setting up Moth traps. It’s a good time to be watching Nightjars too, as although the churring activity has slowed down there are now plenty of juveniles around which are really inquisitive and often fly around quite close as you walk along a dry sandy heathland paths. 

There were signs of passerine movement this weekend when a weekend ringing session at Lytchett Bay produced the fist juvenile Sedge Warblers of the autumn. We know these are migrants as Sedge Warbler don’t breed at Lytchett Bay, so would have come from further afield. Also caught during the ringing session was the seasons first juvenile Kingfisher and a good number of juvenile Reed Warbler. General birding at the site provided 6 Greenshank, 11+ Green Sandpiper, 1 Spoonbill, 4 female Shoveler, 48 Redshank, 18 Lapwing, 1 Snipe and good numbers of juvenile Reed Bunting. In Brands Bay there were 3 Common Sandpiper, 5 Whimbrel, 62 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Bar-tailed Godwit and 29 Med Gulls. The Osprey was again, this time from the Holton Lee viewpoint. 

After taking two weeks respite from night recording I set my gear up again last night out in the Lower Frome Valley, but somewhere slightly different to normal. I haven’t gone through all of the recording yet, but within the first ten minuets I had a new species for my night recording list as a Green Sandpiper passed quite close calling as it headed west. Also several Water Rail passed close by and were also calling from the reeds. A few Curlew were passing over and Redshank, Oystercatcher and Lapwing were all noted. Two young Tawny Owls were consistently calling from a near by woodland.

Green Sandpiper – Lower Frome Valley 

At RSPB Lytchett Fields there were 6 Greenshank, 64 Redshank, 37 Black-tailed Godwit, 17 Lapwing, 8 Teal, 22 Little Egret and up to 15 Green Sandpiper. A Peregrine flew over Poole train station mid morning and the Osprey was seen over Arne.

Not much change I’m afraid. On RSPB Lytchett Fields there were 10 Green Sandpiper, 1 juv Little Ringed Plover, 7 Greenshank and the Yellow-legged Gull. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 2 Knot, 2 Greenshank, 200+ Black-tailed Godwit and 50+ Redshank. There was a single Common Sandpiper along the shoreline at Upton CP.

An Osprey, presumably the same one that was seen sat on Hartland the other day was seen fishing over the western end of the Wareham Channel yesterday afternoon. At Middlebere 2 Hobby were circling above the heath calling to each other. The 2 Spoonbill were still at Arne, commuting between Shipstal and Middlebere. On Brownsea there was still 2 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 100+ Black-tailed Godwit and 20+ Redshank. At RSPB Lytchett Fields there was just one each of Greenshank, Med Gull, Yellow-legged Gull and Whimbrel.

Of interest , the Stour Ringing Group has a small, infrequent ringing set up at Holton lee, with ringing activities often commencing less than once a week between July and March. However, over the last few years they have ringed a total of 28 Great Spotted Woodpeckers! Which just goes to show that they aren’t always the same birds returning time after to time to feed. 

On RSPB Lytchett Fields there were two flocks of Green Sandpiper consisting of 6 and 10 birds, suggesting there were 16 birds on site, however both flocks weren’t seen at the same time so there is a chance of some duplication. Also present the juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Med Gull, 1 Whimbrel, 40+ Redshank and 20+ Lapwing and good numbers of House Martin. At Arne 2 Hobby were over Coombe Heath and the 2 Spoonbill were in Middlebere again. On the Brownsea Lagoon wader numbers are still growing slowly with 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 106 Black-tailed Godwit and a good number of Redshank. In various woodland scrub habitats around the harbour there seems to have been a good breeding year for both Blackcap and Chiffchaff with juveniles present in good numbers. Over the next week or two, we should start seeing the first Willow Warblers and Pied Flycatchers passing through with hopefully more Osprey following not far behind.

Our updated events schedule for the remainder of 2015 can now be FOUND HERE. Join us as we look for migrants passing through the harbour during the autumn and experience thousands of waders and wildfowl in some of Poole Harbours winter hot spots.

Having been away for a couple of days, it’s always nice to hear about the good selection of birds you’ve missed! 

More migrant activity with an Osprey seen in the Middlebere area this afternoon, which could be the bird seen over Corfe Castle a couple of days ago. Also in Middlebere today was an adult Spoonbill, 1 Whimbrel a Cuckoo, 3 Curlew, 2 Redshank and three broods of Shelduck totalling 30 young. A good total of 10 Crossbill passed over Stoborough early this morning. On the Brownsea Lagoon more waders arrived including 57 Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, 5 Greenshank, 115 Black-tailed Godwit and singles of Avocet, Knot, Dunlin and Whimbrel. So far there has been a whopping 105 fledged Sandwich Terns with the total expected to rise plus the pure bred pair of Yellow-legged Gulls raised two chicks and there has also been two successful Med Gull pairs. At RSPB Lytchett Fields a drake Garganey in the bay was a surprise, there were 2 Spotted Redshank on Sherford Pools, also the juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 4 Green Sandpiper, 54 Redshank, 43 Lapwing and 1 Greenshank.