Another very hot one today, with the wind picking up this afternoon. A count on the rising tide in Brands Bay this morning showed decent numbers of Curlew now building with 48 present, as well as 1 Whimbrel and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit. During one of our Osprey Tours at Careys Secret Garden this morning, a Goshawk was also seen. There was also 19 Redshank, 13 Curlew, 2 Grey Plover and 2 Green Sandpiper was seen at Lytchett Fields this morning.
It was another super hot day, and it felt like autumn migration got off to a proper start with a good mix of ‘new’ waders arriving. There was a single new Greenshank at Lytchett Bay with another 2 in the mouth of the River Piddle. There were also 2 new Common Sandpiper in the River Frome and at Holme Lane GP this evening 2 Green Sandpiper were on the pit as were 2 Little Ringed Plover with another Little Ringed Plover on the Stilt Pools at Swineham. There were also 4 Black-tailed Godwit back in Holes Bay and c100 in the Wareham Channel. There were 2 different Great White Egrets, one over Wareham Common this morning and another this evening seen heading down the Piddle Valley from Carey Secret Garden. Male Osprey 022 was seen fishing in the Wareham Channel a few times and the White-tailed Eagle pair were lurking on the shores of the Wareham Channel. A Little Tern flew over Arne Bay this morning.
An absolute scorcher today. One of our followers who logs the temperature at home commented today that the temperature maxed at 27.4°C today on the outskirts of Poole Harbour, easily making it the warmest day of 2024 and the warmest day since the 7th (28.0) and 9th (28.6) of September 2023. Only last June 15th (27.9), 13th (29.3) and 9th (27.5) were warmer last year.
With this in mind the birds mainly kept their heads low today. We did receive some good data back though from local birder Rene Goad who got info back from 2 colour-ringed Sandwich Terns he logged on Brownsea recently. The photos can be viewed below and the info came back as: White ‘354’ was ringed as a nestling on 21st July 2021 at Pagham Harbour, West Sussex & Red ‘KHP’ was ringed as a chick on 12th August 2018 at Ynyslas NNR, Borth, West Wales. This is good data, especially the 8 year old. Sandwich Tern life span is usually around 12 years old, but the oldest ringing recovery was of a 30 year old individual.
There were more waders arriving today in the shape of 51 Curlew and 6 Redshank in Brands Bay and a Marsh Harrier was over the Lower Frome Valley and this evening 2 Osprey were in the Wareham Channel.
Sandwich Tern ‘354’ – Brownsea Lagoon – Rene Goad
Sandwich Tern ‘KHP’ – Brownsea Lagoon – Rene Goad
No new major news today, but a Little Ringed Plover at Lytchett Fields showed some more signs of movement. A Golden Pheasant was seen running across the Furzey Slipway this evening, both White-tailed Eagles were in the Wareham Channel this morning and a Hobby was over Hyde’s heath, RSPB Arne.
Quite quiet today with the 4 Spoonbill logged again in Middlebere which seems to show (thanks to Mark Wrights great photo) an adult breeding plumaged bird (left hand bird). Perhaps its a failed breeder thats returning early? Or maybe an individual that looked to set up territory a bit closer to home? This evening our Purbeck Puffin cruise logged 5 individuals off Dancing Ledge as well a the first newly fledged Guillemots and Razorbills off the cliffs at the Durlston CP colony.
Spoonbills – Middlebere – Mark Wright
A bit of a raptor-fest today, with plenty of great bird activity during our tours at Careys Secret Garden, with 2 Red Kite, 1 Hobby, 1 female Goshawk and 1 Honey Buzzard seen against the backdrop of the Osprey nest! Osprey have also been reported elsewhere today, with one seen in Brands Bay this afternoon, and one over the Middlebere Channel from Coombe Heath this morning. Also seen from Coombe Heath were 4 Spoonbill and 2 Red Kite. An early morning Hobby was logged at Lytchett Bay this morning, along with a count of 10 Redshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and 3 Curlew.
Crystal clear sky’s for the most part of the day got a few birds moving around, including a pristine dark plumaged Honey Buzzard which drifted over our Osprey Nest viewing platform at Carey Secret Garden this afternoon, with 2 Hobby also logged from there. In Middlebere this morning the 3 Spoonbill were feeding again, at Swineham a Marsh Harrier was over the point and both White-tailed Eagles were seen soaring over the Wareham Channel.
Honey Buzzard – Carey Secret Garden, Piddle Valley – Matthew Hill
A few nice bits and pieces today including a Roseate Tern on the Brownsea Lagoon this morning and 3 Spoonbill were in Middlebere. A Hobby and an Osprey were over Hydes Heath, RSPB Arne and on Slepe Heath for our Nightjar walk we managed to log 8+ Nightjar, 1 Cuckoo, 4 Dartford Warbler and 4 Glow Worm. With news that the first Spotted Redshanks and Wood Sandpipers of the autumn have already been logged heading south on the east coast, it’s worth keeping an eye on traditional hot spots like Middlebere, Brownsea Lagoon and Lytchett Fields for jet black summer plumaged ‘Spot-Shanks’ which often tend to appear in Poole Harbour towards the latter part of June. A Goshawk was also seen carrying prey, and although nesting locations are never disclosed, it won’t be long before you should keep an eye out for dispersing juveniles as they start honing their hunting skills around the harbour during July and August.
Goshawk with prey getting harassed by Carrion Crow – Mark Wright
Another day, another early returner, this time in the shape of a Common Sandpiper on the Brownsea North Shore. It was also good to receive news of a Little Ringed Plover Family (2 adults and 2 juvs) in the western reaches of the harbour, indicating successful breeding. This morning a Little Tern was on the Brownsea Lagoon along with 32 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Redshank and 5 Turnstone. A Hobby was over Carey Secret Garden, and we also had 2 over our Summer Safari Cruise this AM, a Cuckoo was on Hartland, female White-tailed Eagle G466 was in the Wareham Channel as was male Osprey 022 doing numerous fishing trips, although he didn’t manage to surpass his day record of 10 fish we he managed to deliver to the nest yesterday. We’re also now just beginning to see the very first newly fledged Black-headed Gulls departing from the gull islands and foraging on the low tides. A (migrant?) Marsh Harrier was over Lytchett Bay and the Eider that were reported a few days ago near the chain ferry, in Shell Bay were also seen the following day, but not today as far as we know.
With settled weather now upon us, it was good to see some new arrivals today including a new colour-ringed Osprey, ring number 1H1 which settled on the Middlebere nest platform this afternoon. With a few quick phone calls we were able to trace this individual down as being a 2022 fledged female from the Manton Bay nest at Rutland Water. This is her first summer back in the UK and is likely to be touring around the country like all 2-year old Ospreys do, although should our 3-year old male ‘374’ suddenly make an appearance then things could get interesting. There was also an ‘intruder’ Osprey at the nest site this morning which could have been 1H1, or perhaps a different arrival? This afternoon there was a spectacular 3-way battle high above the Wareham Channel with a Common Buzzard and Osprey (male 022) tag teaming against one of the White-tailed Eagles before they all then lost interest and went their separate ways. There was also an Osprey fishing in Lytchett Bay this afternoon. Numbers of returning Curlew are starting to build with 17 out in the mouth of the Frome this afternoon, off Giggers Island. A Red Kite was high above Wareham.
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