There were some more signs of passage and bird movements this morning when a Corn Bunting dropped down onto Ballard, sung for 30 seconds, before then moving off north again. Although Corn Bunting are making a good come back in Dorset, they’re still are rare bird in Poole Harbour with only 1-2 records per year. Also noted moving at Ballard this AM included 3 Yellowhammer, 7 Siskin, 27 Meadow Pipit and a few alba Wagtails. At Holmebridge the 2 Mandarin Duck were still present, a Barnacle Goose was on Holme Lane Gravel Pit, a Long-tailed Duck was seen off Jerry’s Point with a Black-necked Grebe, 1 Slavonian Grebe and 3 Great Northern Diver, in Middlebere there was a Merlin and 2 Marsh Harrier, with another 2 Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel plus a White-tailed Eagle eating a fish. A Wheatear was out on Greenlands, Studland and the redhead Goosander was still in Holes Bay NE.

Northern Wheatear – Greenlands Farm, Studland – Rob Johnson

Stonechat – Ballard Down – Nick Hopper

We’ve now hit mid-March meaning we’re entering the full spring migration period with the next 2-months (mid-March to mid-May) offering the best variety of spring migrants, as well as seeing summer breeding species return. With each day that passes, the more chance something ‘new’ could turn up, and although this period isn’t as long-lived as the 5 month autumn migration period, spring migration offers the chance to see some incredible birds at their best. With yesterdays Hoopoe at Durlston, thoughts of other southern wanderers begin to manifest with Alpine Swift, Red-rumped Swallow and Great Spotted Cuckoo all possible in late March. Today didn’t quite live up to that standard, although 5 Sand Martin at Swineham was a good start and there seems to have been some decent Chiffchaff arrivals already with plenty singing around the harbour. There were 10 (newly arrived?) Spoonbill which dropped into the Wareham Channel this evening. This morning 2 Mandarin Duck were at Holmebridge, with another 4 in the Lower Piddle Valley over Wareham Common. A Golden Plover was in fields at Middlebere with 2 Lapwing. On Wareham Common 23 Cattle Egret were feeding, a Green Sandpiper and 3 Cetti’s Warbler were logged. At Middlebere this evening there were 2 Spotted Redshank.

Cattle Egrets – Wareham Common

No sign of any Ospreys today, despite some searching but still plenty to report including a total of 12 Great Northern Diver still spread across the harbour, mainly in the central and eastern reaches of the harbour with 4 Black-necked Grebe in South Deep and 1 Slavonian Grebe off Redhorn Point. In the Wareham Channel there were 4 Marsh Harrier, a Goshawk was hunting over Hydes Heath, Buzzard were displaying everywhere during the brief period of sun late morning which also prompted 5 Red Kite to cruise over Keysworth towards Swineham and Wareham. Both Peregrines were on the Asda building again, the Goosander was in Holes Bay NE and on Wareham Common 32 Cattle Egret were huddled together just north of the railway. There was a pair of Mandarin Duck in a tree on the edge of Carey Secret Garden and a Little Gull was off Rock Lea view in Lytchett Bay. On the Brownsea Lagoon 4 Spoonbill flew in, there were still good numbers of Dunlin with about c400 present, also c30 Med Gulls, 5 Greenshank and c50 Bar-tailed Godwit. At Sandbanks, 3 Sandwich Tern were on the Parkstone Yacht Club jetty.

Red Kite – Swineham 

It was a quiet day bird-wise today, but by far the most significant event to happen is that we’re now able to deliver you back a pretty familiar sight into your living rooms, kitchens, work spaces, mobile phones and tablets, and that is of course the return of the Poole Harbour Osprey nest cameras. With the early recent Osprey arrivals in Scotland and Rutland, and with another new arrival today in the Midlands, we thought we’d best get a wriggle on and get the cameras up and running at Careys Secret Garden as soon as possible as we’d hate to miss the (hopeful) arrival of CJ7 and or 022 over the coming days. The camera angles are the same as last year, but having been up to service the cameras a few weeks ago, we’d noticed some Squirrel chewing damage and therefore had to replace the aerial view camera which is actually slightly higher spec. All we have to do now is sit, wait and be patient as all being well we’ll see the safe return of our Poole Harbour pair for their third breeding season. You can watch both webcam live streams HERE. Pending their successful arrival, we hope to be running more Osprey Tours with Careys Secret Garden this year, so watch this space…

It was mainly a raptor day today with 4 Marsh Harrier, 1 Hen Harrier, 1 Merlin and both White-tailed Eagles in the Wareham Channel area, 1 Red Kite over Arne and 1 Goshawk over Swineham. The Goosander was still in Holes Bay, there were 3 Spoonbill in Middlebere. On Wareham Common 29 Cattle Egret were feeding with 5 Little Egret dotted amongst them.

View of Osprey nest cam which is now up and running. 

Another day, another Osprey arrives back in the UK, this time it’s the resident female at Rutland Water, ‘Maya’. She first started nesting at Rutland in 2010, meaning this is her 14th year on the Manton Bay nest. In those 14 years, today equals the earliest she’s ever returned back to her nest site. When you also consider the early returning female ‘NCO’ who dropped onto her nest at Loch of the lowes in Scotland on March 8th, it seems this season is shaping up to be an early one, and could even possibly see one of our Ospreys, 022 or CJ7 arrive back next week? Who knows, but it’s great to see these amazing birds returning. There were 28 Cattle Egret on Wareham Common, the Goosander was still in Holes Bay where there were 2 Spotted Redshank in the SW sector, both Peregrines were on the Asda flats, off Middle Beach, Studland 3 Great Northern Diver were loafing about and 3 Red Kite were over Organford. A White-tailed Eagle was in Brands Bay this afternoon, a Merlin was at Greenlands Farm.

Hopefully a scene we’ll see here in a short while, with Rutland female ‘Maya’ arriving back her nest at Rutland Water

There was a huge low-tide across the harbour this evening which prompted many Mediterranean Gulls to settle along various shorelines, some feeding, some courting and some squabbling! The call of Med Gulls returning to the harbour is just as good as the first Chiffchaff or drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker in our opinion, and another true spring arrival. An adult male Merlin was hunting Linnet in the arable field at Lytchett Fields and a Red Kite was low over Holton Lee, viewed from Lytchett Fields. In Shell Bay, Studland there were 3 Great Northern Diver, a Spotted Redshank was in Middlebere, with another at Lytchett Fields, 12 Cattle Egret were on Wareham Common and the redhead Goosander in Holes Bay was doing it’s best to hide away in the Red-breasted Merganser group. Well done Rene Goad for finding it!

Goosander (left) and Red-breasted Merganser (right) – Holes Bay

We’ve been keeping an eye on the National bird info services over the last week, taking note of when different spring migrants arrive, and there’s been a distinct lack of Northern Wheatear so far. In fact, to date, there’s only been 8 reported national records, therefore it was good to hear of another Poole Harbour sighting this afternoon (the 2nd in two days) after yesterdays Holes Bay bird, with another on Wareham Common. Granted, give it another few weeks and they’ll be passing through in big numbers across the country, but so far the harbour has logged a quarter of all national reports! It’s a shame the same can’t be said for much else with other sightings today few and far between. The redhead Goosander was still in Holes Bay NE, there were 4 Black-necked Grebe off Jerry’s Point and 5 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon (which opens next week) with 6 Great Northern Diver logged off Hamworthy Beach.

Bar-tailed Godwit – Whitley Lake, Sandbanks

Despite the cold easterly wind there was plenty going on today, including loads of new arrivals, including (and quite amazingly) the first Osprey back on it’s nest up in Scotland!!! This is ridiculously early, but this particular female is a well known individual called NCO and according to the Scottish Osprey folk, she’s 10 days earlier than last year! Thats pretty amazing and has now put us on high alert for any early arrivals here in the harbour. Our live streams are almost ready to go, and will hopefully be up and running early next week, however based on todays events, maybe we should get them up now?! Other firsts today included the first Wheatear of the spring at Holes Bay, and 2 Sand Martin over Wareham Common. Spring really is well and truly here. This afternoon our Low-tide Cruise was a species rich extravaganza which produced a female Ruff on the mud with Lapwings off Swineham Point, along with 2 Spotted Redshank right off the side of the boat. We had a minimum of 8 Great Northern Diver across the harbour and 1 Black-throated Diver off Whitley Lake, Sandbanks. There was a Black-necked Grebe in South Deep, 5 Spoonbill on Brownsea and 1 in Ower Bay. There was a Marsh Harrier at Swineham and another causing havoc on the gull islands, plus male White-tailed Eagle G463 was sat on Shag Looe this evening. A lone male Goldeneye was also in the Wareham  Channel, c30 Grey Plover and c200 Dunlin were off the gull islands and Mediterranean Gulls were calling overhead over many areas. A Great White Egret was in Middlebere, the redhead Goosander was still in Holes Bay NE in the mouth of the PCW Drain and Goshawk was over Middlebere.

Northern Wheatear – Holes Bay – Tony Furnell

Social media post highlighting Scottish Osprey return!

Despite the cold NE breeze there was still plenty going on today, including more evidence of migration with a steady trickle of alba Wagtails and Meadow Pipits in off the sea at Ballard Down, plus a migrant 1st winer Goshawk flushed off the coastal path. The White-tailed Eagle pair were in Brands Bay this afternoon but made a bee-line along the inner Studland shoreline, across the harbour mouth, up and over Brownsea before then heading straight over Poole Quay, where they were later seen over Holes Bay. An adult male Marsh Harrier arrived in over Swineham Point where there were also 2 Spotted Redshank and there was another Spotted Redshank in Holes Bay where the redhead Goosander was feeding close to the entrance of the PCW Drain in Holes Bay NE. There was a single Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon along with c120 Bar-tailed Godwit. Out in central harbour there were 7 Great Northern Diver with 2 more off Jerry’s Point and off Redhorn Quay there was 1 Slavonian Grebe and 1 Black-necked Grebe with another off Middle Beach, Studland. The male Peregrine was on the Asda building this morning but no sign of the female.

Male Marsh Harrier from Winter Safari Cruise this PM – Wareham Channel – Alison Copland

Red-breasted Merganser from Winter Safari Cruise this PM – Wareham Channel – Alison Copland