It felt incredibly autumnal today, not just because of the weather, but because of the birds too. A true autumn gem was ringed at the Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station, in the form of a Yellow-browed Warbler. Once a huge rarity 20-30 years ago, they’re now pretty much annual, although mostly only ever one or two per autumn. That said, there are hundreds (possibly thousands) in the UK currently due to the strong easterly air flow that was in place last week and the week before, so I doubt this will be the last we see for the rest of the month. Also ringed at Carey Secret garden was a Dartford Warbler which is a pretty good bird for the River Piddle floodplain plus a late Tree Pipit, and Grasshopper Warbler. Ballard Down was ‘hopping’ with birds this AM, mostly Common Chiffchaff with c150 along the southern slope. This fall was combined with a stunning passage of Swallow and House Martin also along the south ridge of Ballard, along with 2 Yellow Wagtail 10 Stonechat and the first few Linnet, Siskin and Chaffinch flocks on the move. A Great White Egret was in Brands Bay and last night 25 Cattle Egret went into the Pergins Island (Holes Bay) roost, with 10 flying out and over Lytchett Bay this morning. The most amazing total today was when 20 Marsh Harrier came out of the west harbour roost. Up until today, 7 to 8 had been more typical. The reason or cause for this sudden spike is unknown, but it will be interesting to see if the number continues to climb or falls away. The White-tailed Eagle pair were favouring Middlebere and Hartland today and on the Lower Piddle Floods there was a single Ruff and 3 Green Sandpiper. On Lytchett Fields a lone Spoonbill was feeding and 17 Greenshank were still still spread across the site.

Swallow and House Martin migration – South side of Ballard Down

Yellow-browed Warbler – Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station

Yellow-browed Warbler – Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station

Sparrowhawk – Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station

A stunning first day of October today which got off to a flyer with a great Autumn Safari Cruise this AM. A pristine juvenile Osprey was hunting in the Wareham Channel and flew straight past us, and female White-tailed Eagle G466 lifted off Arne and headed of up the Frome Valley. There were 3 different Marsh Harrier flying around and up on the Swineham floods it was packed with Teal, Shoveler, decent numbers of Curlew Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwit and 3 surprise Ruff. A Cattle Egret also flew straight over the boat at Swineham and a Great White Egret was at Shipstal Beach, Arne. The Brownsea Lagoon looked great too with 21 Sanderling on the beach, c55 Spoonbill on the lagoon with 2 Greenshank, c40 Avocet, c20 Ringed Plover, c30 Dunlin and 10 Sandwich Tern. We also encountered 4 Kingfisher (2 Poole Quay, 1 Swineham and 1 Brownsea) and Bearded Tit were calling in reeds off Swineham Point. Elsewhere the Forster’s Tern was in Holes Bay NW again this evening, 8 Cattle Egret were at Holmebridge, c80 Common Chiffchaff were in the PCW Drain, 2 Spotted Redshank were at Lytchett Fields at a Great White Egret was in Lytchett Bay. There were 2 Osprey hunting in Middlebere this AM and one of the White-tailed Eagles also flew up the channel. There was another big push of hirundines today with large numbers of Swallow and House Martin spread across the sky-scape. At the Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station today it was mostly House Martin and Chiffchaff ringed, but there was also late singles of Grasshopper Warbler and Common Whitethroat also ringed. We’re now also entering peak Stonechat passage, with gorse bushes and barbed wire fences around the harbour hosting multiple birds, with a minimum of 20 up on Ballard this morning and 15 at Greenlands Farm.

Stonechat – Middlebere

Well, thats September done, and what a great way to end with a couple of season ‘firsts’ and the return of an old friend. This morning didn’t see hoards of displaced sea birds like we’d thought may happen….not even a Grey Phalarope (bit early still), but there were 7 early Red-breasted Merganser logged flying in to the harbour through the harbour mouth this AM. Then, a really strange (but great) record of a Short-eared Owl hunting along the sea wall of the Brownsea Lagoon, watched by the Brownsea Wardens where there were still c60 Spoonbill. Then, out of nowhere, this afternoon the Forster’s Tern thats been dropping in and out of Poole Harbour since April 2023 re-appeared in Holes Bay NW where it was mostly sat on the mud, but was also feeding occasionally. This is now this individuals 4th visit to Poole Harbour in the last 2-years, having first appeared in Lytchett Bay in April 2023 before dissapearing for the summer. It then reappeared and settled back in the harbour during July, Aug and Sept, Oct and early Nov 2023, mostly at RSPB Arne before heading off for the winter where it was found to be over-wintering on the NW coast of France. Then, this spring it was seen again in Poole Harbour for a few weeks where it mostly favoured Middlebere again before moving off somewhere new. Then, later in the summer photos emerged online of a Forster’s Tern in NE Ireland at a site called Soldiers Point in Louth. Expert photo analysis by bird ID guru Killian Mullarney highlighted (due to feather wear and pattern) that the Ireland bird was in fact the same individual as ours. Quite amazing! It didn’t seem to stay there too long before venturing off for the rest of the summer, not to be seen again. Until today, where it was quite happily resting in Holes Bay. Last winter it stayed well into November, so it could be around for a while yet! In fact, there was another returning bird today, in the shape of adult Scottish adult Osprey ‘511’. This particular individual actually staged here in the harbour at roughly the same time last year, so he obviously likes it here. Another Osprey was also reported over the Brownsea Lagoon today. Elsewhere today, 3 Spotted Redshank were in Lytchett Bay along with a juv Common Tern, 2 Marsh Harrier and 4 Goosander flew over Lytchett Fields. Holes Bay NW was teeming with birds, mainly Black-tailed Godwit, Teal and Redshank, but it was good to see 6 Pintail also.

Forster’s Tern – Holes Bay NW

                                           

Forster’s Tern – Holes Bay NW

A really interesting day today, despite the strong wind. In fact it was interesting because of the strong wind. Our Autumn Safari logged some pretty typical late September species including an Osprey which caught a fish in the Wareham Channel, 2 Great White Egret also in the Wareham Channel, a lone Little Tern off Giggers Island and a definite increase in Marsh Harrier with 4-5 around Swineham. The floodplain at Swineham was teaming with duck, mostly Teal, Shoveler and Gadwall and good numbers of feral Canada, Greylag and Egyptian Geese. The Brownsea Lagoon held c60 Spoonbill, 38 Avocet, c20 Ringed Plover, 4 Greenshank and 100+ Gadwall, along with smaller numbers of Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Oystercatcher. There still seems to be a good number of Sandwich Tern around with c30 logged across the harbour today. It wasn’t just Sandwich Terns though with 4 Black Tern together over Swineham Point this afternoon and another in Brands Bay, plus another (or the same) Little Tern was in Brands Bay with a juv Common Tern. Incredibly a Great Skua was in the Wareham Channel this afternoon harassing gulls and terns, and out in Studland Bay, 2 skua headed west (most likely Arctic Skua) and 2 Black-necked Grebe were also out in Studland Bay. Elsewhere 6 Spotted Redshank were in Middlebere this AM and then (probably) the same 6 were off Swineham Point this afternoon. Also in Middlebere this AM was 1 Goshawk, 1 Great White Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier, 4 Knot, 22 Avocet and 18 Pintail. 

A busy September WeBS count in the Wareham Channel

It was a beautiful late September day, and it was no surprise that after a few days of bad weather there was a big push of some species, especially Common Chiffchaff recorded in good numbers rights across the harbour with 132 ringed at Lytchett Heath and 106 ringed at Carey Secret Garden. It was also a big Meadow Pipit day with multiple flocks passing over the whole harbour area, dropping down on to multiple suitable feeding areas, including various heathlands, floodplains and farm fields. There were 143 ringed at Carey Secret Garden today. Elsewhere the adult male Marsh Harrier was in Middlebere again with an Osprey present too, along with 1 Great White Egret, 4 Spotted Redshank and both White-tailed Eagles were over Shipstal. There were a few Wheatear dotted around including 2 at Baiter, 3 at Greenlands Farm and 2 at Ballard. Other odds and sods included a Spotted Flycatcher at Bestwall and 1 Whinchat, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 15 Blackcap, 25+ Chiffchaff and 2 Whitethroat at Godlingston.

Wheatear – Baiter Beach

The forecast rain didn’t hit until much later in the day, allowing for some ‘Ok’ birding this morning. Our first School bird boat of the year produced a juvenile Osprey in the Wareham Channel and 36 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon, as well as 36 Avocet. The Wood Sandpiper, Ruff and 4 Green Sandpiper were on the Lower Piddle Floods again and the Curlew Sandpiper and Spotted redshank were still on Lytchett Fields. There was definitely a fall of Chiffchaff this AM, with c50 in the PCW Drain along with 4 Blackcap and 1 Common Whitethroat, plus another 20 Chiffchaff in trees next to Baiter where there were also 5 Wheatear and 28 Ringed Plover on the Fishermans Dock sea wall. Local sound recorder David Foster had his gear out in Oakdale last night and managed to record a night migrating Wood Sandpiper which is a decent bird to log over urban Poole.

Managed to get a few hours #nocmig in last night (Oakdale, Poole) before the power bank ran out! However, nice Wood Sandpiper (happy to be corrected) call just after 10;15pm last night (24th).@harbourbirds @msabirder @SoundBirder @MartinWood14 @Lytchettbirder @SoundApproachUK pic.twitter.com/8GE4Ey8xEI

— David Foster (@dfozzie68) September 25, 2024

Wheatear – Baiter Park

It was another day of visible passage today, most notably Meadow Pipit, which were migrating on a broad front across the harbour pretty much all day, also with lesser numbers of Swallow. There was an amazing number of Great White Egret in the harbour today too with 7 feeding together in Middlebere, 2 in the Wareham Channel and 1 at Brands Bay. It will be interesting to see if these new ones stay, as Great White Egret tend to depart pretty quickly after their arrival, with only ones and twos opting to over-winter. Up on Hartland there were just 6 Cattle Egret today, and another was at Swineham. On the Brownsea Lagoon 74 Spoonbill were actively feeding this afternoon and this morning there were good numbers of Dunlin (c200) and Ringed Plover (c60) with 4 Greenshank, 1 Grey Plover, 6 Knot, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit and 11 Avocet. In the Wareham Channel 2 Marsh Harrier were quartering over Keysworth and strangely there was a mini passage/movement of Kestrel with 1 in high over Poole Quay and a ‘flock’ of 4 moving over Giggers out towards Keysworth. The Lower Piddle Floods was still holding good birds including, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Ruff, 7 Green Sandpiper, 1 Hobby and 6 Yellow Wagtail. The Curlew Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank were still at Lytchett Fields with a Ruff new in and both White-tailed Eagles were soaring over RSPB Arne, out towards the Wareham Channel. Having been such a heavy feature of the last 2 months, but not so much lately, it was good to have 2 Osprey logged over Brands Bay where there were newly arrived Pintail dropping in and a decent record of 4 Golden Plover, plus, the first 2 dark-bellied Brent Geese of the autumn/winter, although they seemed to circle Brands Bay and then leave again! It’s no surprise, with Holes Bay having been such an important over-wintering site over the last few years that numbers of birds are already beginning to build up with 672 Black-tailed Godwit, 377 Wigeon and 10 Pintail this morning plus plenty of Common Redshank and Teal

Six of the seven Great White Egret in Middlebere this AM – Kate Plater