Sunday 19^th was a warm, muggy, still day with light drizzle on and off which felt perfect for a few migrants and perhaps a decent rarity, unfortunately it wasn’t to be. Sightings included…

At Swineham mostly breeding birds were recorded with a pair of Sedge Warbler being a pleasant surprise, also a pair of Kestrel, Mistle Thrush and calling Bearded Tit  several Reed Warbler and two broods of Gadwall ducklings. Also lots of Swift about and a handful Sandwich Tern feeding up the River Frome. On Brownsea a Roseate Tern was found amoung the 285+ Common Terns that came into roost and at Lytchett Bay the Little Gull returned, also there a Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 4 Lapwing. A stunning summer plumage Grey Plover was at Arne from the Shipstal Hide along with a Turnstone and a Whimbrel. 2 Nightjar were seen and heard calling on Upton Heath.

Strong south-westerlies for most of the week hampered any good birding but still some nice sightings.

Monday 13^th only saw a few reports come in from Lytchett Bay where the Red-throated Diver was still present. Also there 391 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Whimbrel, 6 Dunlin and 1 Ringed Plover.

Tuesday 14^th again had a Lytchett Bay focus where an Osprey and a ringtail Harrier sp were the highlights, also there 300+ Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Whimbrel, 2 Gadwall and lots of Swallow passing through.

Wednesday 15^th saw 2 Spoonbill and 2 Avocet still on the Brownsea Lagoon where the Sandwich and Common Tern numbers continue to increase. Hobby numbers also continue to grow with plenty of sightings over Arne, Hartland and Sunnyside.

Thursday 16^th was fine and still and some coverage from Swineham was most welcome where a singing Lesser Whitethroat was down at the point, 3 Sedge Warbler seemed settled, 5 Cetti’s Warbler, 7+ Reed Warbler and 7+ Hobby out over the Purbeck ridge.

Friday 17^th was again calm and still which called for a Poole Harbour ringing session, read about todays session here.  Other sightings included 4 pairs of Dartford Warbler and a Woodlark at Arne, 2 Hobby along the Arne road and  still 2 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon.

Still a few places for the next ‘Birds of Poole Harbour’ walk. Don’t be put off by the early start, this is the best time to experience the magic Morden Bog has to offer. To book on call 01202 641003

http://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/magical-morden-bog

The summer doldrums already seem to be upon us with very little news over the last few days. Strong south westerlies haven’t helped the cause too much. Still, enough sightings kept trickling through…

Highlights on Wednesday 8^th included a sea watch at Branksome where 5 Gannet, 3 Fulmar and 5 Common Tern all passed. At Arne Dartford Warbler numbers seem stable with at least 4 pairs on Coombe Heath alone, also there summer plumage Dunlin, Grey Plover and Ringed Plover. Lesser Whitethroat was still singing at Lytchett Bay.

Thursday 9^th saw a decent range of wader species at Lytchett Bay which included Knot, Turnstone, Bar-tailed godwit, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit and Greenshank. On Brownsea the Sandwich Terns are now fully settled with many bird now on eggs. Also the Nightjar is back at it’s favoured roosting spot in front of the Lake Hide. Despite their secret nature Golden Pheasants have also been reported more frequently than usual. At Fleets Corner there was a Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher and 2 Whitethroat present.

Friday 10^th was very quiet. Lytchett Bay saw 2 summer plumage Grey Plover, 22 Dunlin, and 1 Hobby.

Saturday 11^th and Sunday 12^th could only muster a Marsh Harrier at Swineham, a few Whitethroat at Fleets Corner and 2 Hobby over Arne.

Well, a cracking Bank Holiday was all we needed to keep us smiling…until today that is when we’re now looking like we’re going to get hit with gale force winds and torrential rain. It’s not all bad though. An early morning sea watch from one of the Poole/Bournemouth beaches could produce the odd Great or Arctic Skua, Black or Little Tern??

Best of all the Sandwich Terns are all ready back on eggs on the Brownsea Lagoon, so why not watch all the drama unfold live…. http://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/dwt-webcam

Also, don’t miss out on our next outing…don’t delay and book on now as places are limited. For more info visit our events page…

http://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/magical-morden-bog

Highlights from the last few days….

Monday 6^th was a glorious bank holiday, great for birds, but not so much for birders. Saying that, a Goshawk sighted over Lytchett Bay was a real highlight. Also at Lytchett Bay a Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, the Red-throated Diver, 1^st winter Little Gull, female Marsh Harrier, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit and 45 Whimbrel. At Middlebere on a rising tide there were 8 Grey Plover, 63 Dunlin, 1 Greenshank, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Ringed Plover and 9 Whimbrel. At Hatch Pond there was a Cuckoo, 1 Sedge Warbler, 7 Blackcap also Reed Warbler and 3 pairs of Great Crested Grebe present. Holes bay held a good selection of waders with 14 Curlew, 71 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Knot, 12 Ringed Plover and a Common Tern. A Nightjar was present on Lytchett Heath.

Tuesday 7^th was again stunning. An Osprey flew over Coombe Heath, Arne, also there 3 Dartford Warbler, 1 Woodlark and 1 Tree Pipit. There was a Hobby over Bestwall. A Female Marsh Harrier at Swineham. An uneventful sea watch at Branksome produced a handful of Gannets and 35 Common Scoter. At Hatch Pond a Cuckoo again and a fine male Whinchat. On Canford Heath there where a few Dartford Warbler, 1 Hobby, Linnet and Stonechat. On Brownsea still 2 Spoonbill, 7 Avocet, 1 Golden Pheasant and 4 Dunlin. At Lytchett Bay the Red-throated Diver again, 12 Whimbrel, 2 Greenshank and 150 Black-tailed Godwit. 

Sorry for the lack of news recently, but I’m sure the decent weather makes up for that. As spring migration begins to slow down, we can now start focusing on the breeding birds that stay here for the summer. Some late news from April 30^th saw Honey Buzzard fly right over the centre of Poole and a Savi’s Warbler was heard reeling on a private site during a Water Rail survey. Here are some highlights from the first five days of May…

May 1^st started off nicely with Red-throated Diver, Red Kite and 8 Whimbrel at Lytchett Bay. At least 4 Hobbies were over Hartland Moor and the long staying ringtail Hen Harrier was seen along the moors. There were at least 2 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon. There was another Lesser-spotted Woodpecker out towards Holton Heath, and finally the Sandwich Terns started to use their breeding islands on the Lagoon Webcam.

May 2^nd not much to report. Still at least 15 Avocet on the Brownsea Lagoon, 4 Greenshank,        3 Spotted Redshank and 1 Spoonbill.

May 3^rd saw slightly more action where at Upton CP there was 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank and a Whimbrel. At Lytchett Bay the 1^st winter Little Gull remained as did the Red-throated Diver, also there 2 Common Sandpiper and 11 Whimbrel. At Swineham there were 4 Common Sandpiper, 20 Whimbrel, 1 Marsh Harrier and 150 Black-tailed Godwit. At Hatch Pond there were 3 pairs of Great Crested Grebes.

May 4^th was very unsettled to begin with then cleared to be a nice day. At Swineham there were 2 Scaup on the main GP, 1 Red-throated Diver on main GP, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Common Sandpiper, 23 Swift, 2 Sedge Warbler, 5+ Cetti’s Warbler and 10+ Sandwich Terns. The Red-throated Diver and Little Gull were still at Lytchett Bay.

May 5^th where glorious weather really took a hold, and the summer warmth started to shine through. Main focus was around Lytchett Bay where the Red-throated Diver were still out in the bay, a Greenland Wheatear was on the pols field, about 35 Whimbrel were dotted around the area, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and a Wood Warbler. In the Wareham Channel the gull colony is looking and sounding superb. Best viewed from Holton Lee.

Another fine couple of days allowed birds and birders to soak up some sun, despite a chilly northerly wind at times. Highlights included….

28^th April – A survey at Lytchett Bay produced Whimbrel 2 + 6 later on pools, Greenshank 1, Black wits 334, Redshank 6, Curlew 8, Little Egret 8, Teal 3, Mallard 5, Shelduck 26, Snipe 1, Little Gull 1 (1st w), Med Gull at least 2 over calling, Blackcap 3, Willow Warbler 1, Chiffchaff 2 singing, Cetti’s Warbler 2, Reed Warbler 8, Sedge Warbler 4, Reed Bunting 8, Peregrine 1 male, Buzzard 2 and a Lytchett Bay mega… A COOT! From the west of the harbour up on Ballard there were 2 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Hobby, 1 Whimbrel and 1 Wheatear. In Brands Bay still 1 Brent Goose, 3 Grey Plover, 3 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, 6 Dunlin and a Turnstone and at the Arne triangle a Hobby. At Swineham the Osprey was spotted over the Wareham Channel again, also there a ringtail Hen Harrier, Common Sandpiper, many Swift, 4 Whitethroat, 5 Sedge Warbler and 5+ Cetti’s Warbler.

April 29^th was fairly quiet for sightings. On Upton Heath 3 Dartford Warbler territories were noted on a small section of the heath. At Fleets Corner, there was a singing Lesser Whitethroat and also still plenty of Whitethroat and Blackcap. In Lytchett Bay the mega bird of the week a Coot was seen with a mate! Probably the best sighting of the day was of a singing Wood Warbler in Slepe Copse, which eventually showed really well.

It’s safe to say that the last few days have been spring migrant days, with various areas around Dorset reporting incredible numbers of birds…700 Wheatear alone at Portland, not to mention 500 Blackcap. The Harbour didn’t fair too badly either with the following sightings….

Friday 26^th April saw some of the best weather conditions for migrants, a clear moonlit night followed by a wall of rain heading in from the north just before dawn. In and around Holes bay there were 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 10’s of Whitethroat, Blackcap and Willow Warbler, good numbers of Reed Warbler and a few Sedge Warbler. The female Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel is still very active. At Lytchett Bay the 1^st Winter Little Gull was still present along with a cracking male Whinchat, 6 Whitethroat and 3 Whimbrel. Some fantastic records from Swineham included Blackcap 4, Hobby 2,Sand Martin 69, Swallow 6, Linnet 4, Teal 4, Gadwall 15, Chiffchaff 7 , Whitethroat 4, Cetti’s 7, Reed Warbler 16, Red-throated Diver 1 on main pit then flew into harbour at 14:30, Sedge Warbler 11, Wheatear 1, Siskin 3, Common Sandpiper 1, Swift 47, Grasshopper Warbler 1 flushed from beside path and showed well in a bush for a minute or so, Greenshank 1, Med Gull 1, Whimbrel 36, Peregrine 1, Shelduck 108, Skylark 1, Scaup 2 female on west of main pit, Bearded Tit 1, Willow Warbler 1, Cuckoo 1 and a Marsh Harrier. An evening gull count was conducted on Brownsea where an incredible 1500+ Herring Gull came into roost, also an Arctic Tern came into roost. Also on Brownsea 3 Little Ringed Plover, Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, a pair of Golden Pheasant, 1 Common Redstart, 6 Spotted Redshank (some in full summer plumage), 12 Turnstone, still 9 Avocet, 4 Greenshank, 2 Ringed Plover and 8 Knot.

Saturday 27^th April was cold and clear but still a few migrants hung around. Nice to hear that a pair of Dartford Warbler are back on territory on Lytchett Heath. Also at the Bay the Red-throated Diver is still hanging around, 13 Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, Little Gull and Cetti’s Warbler numbers seem to be doing better. AT Holton Lee a possible Spanish Wagtail was located, also there a Jack Snipe and Common Sandpiper. An Osprey was seen again out in the Wareham Channel. Migrants in and around Fleets Corner included Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and Reed Warbler. Sandwich Tern numbers seem to be increasing on the Brownsea Lagoon webcam, best viewed around 08:30 in the evening.

Spring is still rolling along nicely with new birds turning up everyday. Spring migrants are popping up at many locations around the harbour so keep you eyes peeled for your first Swift or even Spotted Flycatcher…

Wednesday 24^th was a bit overcast and cold to begin with but soon evolved into a pleasant spring day. Lytchett Bay produced a 1^st winter Little Gull, 1 Common Swift, 2 Sandwich Tern, 2 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Cuckoo, 5 Yellow Wagtail, 2 White Wagtail, 2 Whimbrel, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 5 Reed Warbler and the Red-throated Diver is still hanging around out in the bay. There was a great report of a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker calling on Brownsea near the vinery. At Middlebere there were 2 Swift, 1 Spoonbill, 3 Ringed Plover, 2 Whimbrel, a Ringtail Hen Harrier and 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling. At Sunnyside there was a Ringtail Hen Harrier, 1 Peregrine, 1 Lapwing and 1 Snipe.

Thursday 25^th started off really foggy but soon cleared. Reed Warbler numbers around Upton CP seem to be increasing in good numbers. There were an interesting count of 8 Great Crested Grebe out in Holes Bay with 4 Sedge Warbler, 6 Blackcap and 3 Whitethroat along the Holes Bay outfall drain. Lytchett Bay saw it’s first ever Blue-headed Wagtail, also there 3 Yellow Wagtail, 4 White Wagtail, 2 Whitethroat, the 1^st Winter Little Gull, Red-throated Diver, 360 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Dunlin and a Cuckoo was heard over at Holton Lee. 

Highlights from the last few days include….

Monday 22^nd April where at Greenland’s Farm there where 28 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Common Whitethroat and a number of Swallows north. Out on Grange heath a pair of Woodlark singing, a Tree Pipit and a Cuckoo. There seemed to be a drop in Dartford Warbler numbers with only a single bird present. 

Tuesday 23^rd April  saw the Osprey sat on the feeding post at Middlebere at around 8am.  The harbours first Swift of the year went over Parkstone and there were a handful of Whitethroat and Blackcap in the PC World Drain.