With the weather improving perfectly just before 9am, and moments before our first Osprey Cruise departed the quay, there was just enough time to check Baiter on the low tide which produced 26 Ringed Plover and 15+ Turnstone. Our Osprey Cruises today produced 6+ Osprey in the Wareham Channel along with 3 Great White Egret, 3 Marsh Harrier, 18 Spoonbill, 2 Spotted Redshank, 53 Avocet, 3 Wigeon and a good mix of other common waders and plenty of Sandwich Terns. Later in the day the Brownsea Lagoon held 31 Spoonbill plus 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Little Stint, c100 Avocet and 75 Ringed Plover. At RSPB Arne, 3 Pied Flycatcher and 5 Spotted Flycatcher were near Arne Farm along the track and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was in Middlebere.

Ringed Plover – Baiter Beach

Much of the same currently, but it’s all a spectacle. There seemed to have been an increase in Ospreys this afternoon (some new arrivals today?) after a quiet morning with 8-9 spread across the Wareham Channel, Lytchett Bay, Middlebere and Brands Bay. Also a surprise were 2 Swift over Swineham this morning. The 2 Glossy Ibis were feeding in the Wareham Channel on the low tide this morning and then flew over to Swineham this afternoon. There were also 3 Great White Egret, 18 Spoonbill, c50 Avocet, 19 Knot, 3 Marsh Harrier, 1 White-tailed Eagle and a Peregrine also in the Wareham Channel. On Wareham Common there were 3 Whinchat, 1 Pied Flycatcher and 7 Spotted Flycatcher.

Pied Flycatcher – Wareham Common – Trevor Warwick

Spotted Flycatcher – Wareham Common – Trevor Warwick

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times before…..never, ever be put off by the weather. Despite the building wind and afternoon murk there were loads of good birds to be seen today, mostly from our two Osprey Cruises that went out this morning and this afternoon. Despite seeing Osprey from both cruises (between 3-4 from each cruise), it was the White-tailed Eagles that stole the show this morning with several close fly by’s across the Wareham Channel as both the adult male and female followed each other around both the north and south edge of the shore. We were also treated to 2 Hobby bombing around the boat, as well as 21 Spoonbill, 7 Avocet, 2 Glossy Ibis, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Great White Egret. This afternoons trip was a tad gloomier but rewards were had with a Bittern on the edge of Swineham CP, with one magic moment when both Bittern and Glossy Ibis were in the same binocular view. There were also 3-4 Osprey in Lytchett Bay, so we estimate there are at least 8+ still around which is a great early September total. Just up the Frome Valley a White Stork flew over Purbeck Sports Centre and seemed to come down west, close to the roundabout. On Lytchett Fields 2 Spotted Redshank and 15 Greenshank were on view from Frenches viewpoint.

White-tailed Eagle flying past our Osprey Cruise this AM – Alison Copland

White-tailed Eagle flying past our Osprey Cruise this AM – Alison Copland

There was a very autumn ‘vibe’ today, with the first calm, still morning for several days, which was always guaranteed to see a big movement of birds at dawn. This was most evident at the ringing station in the Lower Piddle Valley which logged 333 birds caught this morning including a late surge of 106 Sedge Warbler, 33 Grasshopper Warbler, 77 Blackcap and 37 Willow Warbler. Osprey numbers seem slightly lower with 5+ logged across the area during the day plus female White-tailed Eagle G466 dropped down into the channel this afternoon. Other highlights included 4 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Little Stint, 18 Spoonbill, 109 Avocet, 201 Dunlin, 93 Ringed Plover, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Knot, c100 Sandwich Tern and 10 Greenshank all on the Brownsea Lagoon. In Middlebere a Ruff flew over, plus there was a Great White Egret with another in the Wareham Channel. At Lytchett Fields some migrants included 3 Whinchat in arable field, also 1 Spotted Flycatcher in same area plus 2 Tree Pipit, and at RSPB Arne Farm the Pied Flycatcher was still near the Shipstal track along with several Spotted Flycatcher and 1 Redstart.

Great White Egret over Middlebere – BlueSky @dizzygirl66.bsky.social

Ruff over Middlebere – BlueSky @dizzygirl66.bsky.social

As we enter the final third of this calendar year, it’s safe to say that this has been the best Osprey autumn we’ve ever had, with today showing no real easing up of totals with 4 in Lytchett Bay, and 3 in Holes Bay at the same time with multiple sightings in the Wareham Channel and Middlebere. Its been exceptional to say the least. Other noteworthy birds from across the harbour were Pied Flycatchers at Middlebere and RSPB Arne Farm, 2 Spotted Redshank and 2 Marsh Harrier at Lytchett Fields, c30 Cattle Egret were along the Stoborough Causeway, a White-tailed Eagle went over Middlebere, the approach field at Lytchett Fields had 2 Whinchat, 2 Sedge Warbler and 2 Whitethroat and in Holes Bay this evening there were 16 Ringed Plover and 4 Knot. 

Pied Flycatcher – Middlebere – Aidan Brown

Highlights from our Osprey Cruises today included 2 Glossy Ibis in the Wareham Channel at the mouth of the River Piddle, as well as 1 Great White Egret amongst a large group of Little Egret. Throughout the day, we estimated there to be 5 Osprey moving between the Wareham Channel and Lytchett Bay. 1 Wheatear and 1 juvenile Greenshank were present on RSPB Arne Moors. On the high tide on Brownsea Lagoon there were 6 Knot, 36 Spoonbill, 80 Avocet, 120 Dunlin, 30 Ringed Plover, 1 Sanderling and 1 Bar-tailed Godwit.

1 Little Stint was reported amongst a Ringed Plover flock this evening at Studland between the houseboats and Jerry’s Point. 1 juvenile Kittiwake was also present in Brands Bay.

Glossy Ibis – Wareham Channel – Alison Copland

Quite often with the arrival of unsettled weather comes the arrival of some new birds and that was certainly the case today with an adult Roseate Tern out in Brands Bay this afternoon along with a fly by Wood Sandpiper there too. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 5 juv Curlew Sandpiper, 23  Knot, 108 Sandwich Tern and 77 Ringed Plover. There wasn’t much going on out at sea with just a few Kittiwake, Sandwich Tern and Gannet moving. At Lytchett Fields there were 2 Spotted Redshank, 1 Osprey hunkered down and 2 Ringed Plover.

Knot flock – Brands Bay – Ed Betteridge

A really strong SW wind hit this afternoon and limited the birding somewhat, but it was still a busy day none the less. There was a Ruff on Lytchett Fields this morning with 2 Spotted Redshank again and 20+ Greenshank, also 1 Whinchat, 1 Grasshopper Warbler and 2 Tree Pipit were in the approach fields. Brownsea Lagoon held c20 Spoonbill, the 2 White-tailed Eagle were in the Wareham Channel all day and there was a minimum of 6 Osprey across Lytchett Bay, Middlebere and the Wareham Channel. A Great White Egret was on Swineham Point with a juvenile Marsh Harrier. A Pied Flycatcher was at Middlebere, 10 Yellow Wagtail flew over Greenlands Farm.

Great White Egret – Swineham Point – Alison Copland

A brisker SW built during the course of the day, making the birding a little bit trickier, but the Osprey numbers remained strong with 5-10 still spread across the northern and western areas of the harbour including Holes Bay, Lytchett Bay, Middlebere and the Wareham Channel. More waders are coming through with 4 Knot in Lytchett Bay this morning along with 2 Spotted Redshank, 11 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 5 Common Snipe and 6 Dunlin. The White-tailed Eagle pair were in the Wareham Channel for much of the day, there were 2 Marsh Harrier there too. A few more Pintail arrived with birds logged in Holes Bay and Brands Bay, and the PCW Drain has seen a good mix of common migrants recently with Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Redstart and Garden Warbler.

Red Knot – Lytchett Bay – Mark Wright

Spotted Redshank – Lytchett Bay/Fields

Honey Buzzard – Carey Secret Garden – Ed Betteridge