The undoubted highlight today was of a female Red-footed Falcon found feeding out on Wareham Water Meadows this afternoon. The bird had been reported in a garden near Wareham first thing this morning, but no further news was confirmed. However is was later found feeding next to the bridge on the Wareham bypass where at times it was flying past the many observers 10 feet away! This is the first Poole Harbour record for 20 years, with the last being up on Ballard Down in June 1995. It stayed faithful to the site next to the bridge for several hours but then disappeared. However it was later re-found further up the Frome Valley near, just west of the bypass. Not quite as good, but still significant was the news of a singing Wood Warbler in the Corfe River Valley, a real rarity in the harbour these days. At Lytchett Bay there were 4 Redshank, 12 Dunlin, 2 Lapwing and 104 Black-tailed Godwit. A Red Kite drifted over Upton CP this moring and Middlebere saw 2 Spoonbill.

DON’T MISS OUT – Exciting and interesting up and coming talk by Dr Emily Joachim on the gorgeous Little Owl, plus other UK raptors

For more info follow this link – http://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/little-owl-our-vanishing-goddess

Bird-wise, a few odds and ends continue to arrive in the harbour with another Sanderling at Lytchett Bay. Up until last week this site had zero records of this species in the last 20 years, but in the last week has seen 8 (7 on May 12^th and 1 May 18th). Also present were 4 Spoonbill, including one colour-ringed bird for which we are awaiting details, also 270 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin and 1 Common Tern. On May 16th the Studland area saw 1 Spotted Flycatcher in Studland village, 1 Grey Plover and 27 Bar-tailed Godwit in Brands Bay, 1 Cuckoo at South Haven, 3 Whimbrel and 5 Bar-tailed Godwit at the Houseboats and on May 17^th there were 2 Turnstone, 2 Dunlin, 1 Sanderling, 2 Swift, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Whinchat and 5 Reed Warbler at South Haven.

We’re currently trying to figure out how many Spoonbill are still left in Poole harbour, so would be interested to receive reports of individual and group records of this species. They seem to be using numerous locations in the harbour, making it difficult to get an exact amount but any reports would be very useful for us to gage a total amount left. Thank yoo

It’s great to hear news of Nightjar arriving back on territory at various locations around the harbour. This evening Nightjar were active at several spots along the Corfe to Arne road with birds seemingly feeding on flying ants. We just need the balmy summer evenings to kick in to make watching/listening to them that little more pleasurable. Again RSPB Lytchett Fields saw most attention with 2 Ruff still, 2 Wood Sandpiper, 5 Lapwing, 4 Spoonbill, 35 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Dunlin and 1 Greenshank. Red Kites were seen at Stoborough and over Brownsea. At Swineham the immature Little Gull is still present, also there 1 Cuckoo, 10 Reed Warbler, 8 Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Sedge Warbler and 1 Marsh Harrier.

DON’T MISS OUT – Exciting and interesting up and coming talk by Dr Emily Joachim on the gorgeous Little Owl, plus other UK raptors

For more info follow this link – http://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/little-owl-our-vanishing-goddess

IMPORTANT – This is a reminder that there is strictly no parking down Slough Lane for access to Lytchett Fields. Today a silver Vauxhall Corsa was partially blocking the access gate for Wessex Water. Thank you

The wader attraction at RSPB Lytchett Fields proved too much for some birders today with a steady stream of visitors coming to see what was on show, which included 2 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Ruff, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 35 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Lapwing, 2 Greenshank, numerous Gadwall, Shelduck and Mallard and a good number of Pied Wagtails. Up around Hartland/Slepe Heath 2 Hobby were active, a Cuckoo was still very vocal, the sky was full of Swift and to a lesser extent, House Martin. Both Tree Pipit and Meadow Pipit were singing and the usual heathland species were also active. 

Not a lot of change today with the 2 Wood Sandpiper and 2 Ruff still present on Lytchett Fields as well as 3 Greenshank, 7 Black-tailed Godwit and a lone Whimbrel. Today’s inclement weather also forced at least 50 Swallow and 20 House Martin down to feed over the fields there. Wader numbers on Brownsea were much reduced having probably moved on ahead of the weather front – just half a dozen Dunlin, a Redshank and at least 100 Black-tailed Godwit were present. A Little Tern briefly visited the lagoon and at least 1 Nightjar could be seen in front of the Lake Hide (please note use of playback is strictly prohibited).

Wader numbers around the harbour continued to impress with at least 91 Sanderling at Pilots Point along with 13 Dunlin, single Grey Plover, Ringed Plover and Whimbrel. Lytchett Fields still held 2 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Ruff, 2 Greenshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Ringed Plover with single Redshank and Spoonbill. Not wishing to be outdone Brownsea Lagoon yielded 55 Dunlin, 2 Grey Plover, 4 Sanderling, 4 Whimbrel and singles of Turnstone, Greenshank and Roseate Tern. This evening a Little Gull was over the main pit at Swineham whilst a Cuckoo could be heard on Arne Moors.

If visiting Lytchett Fields please be sure to follow all on site instructions, more details here: http://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/new-lytchett-bay-path-opens

Do not park along Slough Lane as this could jeopardise future access

Once again the newly created habitat at Lytchett Fields held some good birds with today’s best being 2 Wood Sandpiper, 5 Ruff and a Little Ringed Plover whilst the bay held 7 Sanderling – the latter being the first to be seen here in 24 years of recording. Two Spoonbill were still on Brownsea lagoon where there were also 302 Black-tailed Godwit. Middlebere also recorded 2 Spoonbill this morning as well as 7 Ringed Plover and a Yellow-legged Gull. 

Lytchett Fields came up trumps again when a Wood Sandpiper dropped in this evening, also present were Spoonbill, Little Ringed Plover, 25 Black-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank. Brownsea lagoon hosted 2 Spoonbill and the evening tern roost boasted singles of Black and Arctic Tern amongst 130 Common Tern. Late news from yesterday concerns 3 Roseate Tern in the same roost and the Nightjar being back in front of the Lake Hide. A Wheatear was present on rough ground adjacent to the Twin Sails bridge in Poole. Just outside the recording area an Osprey was seen over Morden Bog.

Limited news from today, other than 4 Spoonbill, 19 Dunlin, decent numbers of House Martin, 2 Teal, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Bearded Tit, 1 Willow Warbler on territory (rare here), 3 Lapwing and 11 Cetti’s Warbler territorieson RSPB Lytchett Fields. An Update on the Poole Harbour Marsh Harriers from Peter Hadrill suggests that the hatching of at least one of the pairs could be any day now, with the second pair to follow soon after. The new third pair have apparently become ‘unstuck’ in Peters words, maybe due to inexperience or the cold north winds, but there is still time for them to hopefully try again.

A nice surprise was a Great Skua off South Haven, a species rarely recorded too close in shore in these parts. Also at South Haven were 1 Gannet, 2 Sanderling and 2 Dunlin. At Brands Bay 2 Gadwall, 2 Grey Plover, 2 Ringed Plover, 87 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Whimbrel, 22 Dunlin, 2 Swift and 1 Wheatear were present. Nightjar were heard churring at Studland and Arne. A brief early morning visit to Arne saw 2 late Brent Geese, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Wheatear, 4 Whimbrel and 1 Grey Plover.  There was also late news of a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver out in Poole Bay on Friday.