In true Easter Bank Holiday weekend fashion, a change in the weather allowed for a decent arrival of birds right across the UK, with multiple ‘firsts’ of the year arriving in. The wind swung round to the south last night and then easterly this morning, and with the clear sky’s last night it provided great migration conditions for plenty of birds. Dawn was welcomed in with the first singing Cuckoo of the year, not just for Poole harbour, but the whole county, and was heard on the Osprey webcam by early webcam watchers. Talking of Ospreys, there was an obvious morning arrival/passage of multiple individuals with the local pair settled at their nest, whilst at the same time 2 were soaring over the Wareham Channel, another was on the Middlebere platform eating a fish, another was at Morden Bog eating a fish and around 11am one was seen flying north over Lytchett Matravers, and there were a few sightings in Lytchett Bay too. Just outside the harbour recording area a Hobby was seen to come in off the sea at Durlston and in terms of grounded passerines the years first Common Redstart was logged with a male at South Haven, Studland, a Common Whitethroat was on Hartland Moor where there were 10+ Northern Wheatear and 3 Willow Warbler. Goshawk are becoming so frequent now, and whilst adults are settling down to breed, non-breeding young 2nd calendar year birds are roaming the landscape with one seen getting harassed by gulls over Wareham Town Centre this afternoon and another was seen buzzing the Ospreys at Carey. An adult White-tailed Eagle was in the Wareham Channel this morning and this afternoon 2 2nd cal year eagles flew high over the harbour heading towards Brands Bay. Swallow were arriving in in small numbers high above the harbour during the course of the day, the 2 Spoonbill were still on the Brownsea Lagoon and there were 2 Yellow-legged gull too, the Spotted Redshank was still at Lytchett Fields and there was a decent count of c1080 icelandic Black-tailed Godwit in Holes Bay.

2nd cal year Goshawk – Lower Piddle Valley – Alison Copland

With the wind easing off by this morning there had been a small fall up on Ballard Down/Old Harry with 15 Willow Warbler and 4 Wheatear logged. As April creeps on some scarcer waders are already appearing at sites they’re not typically found at, for example at Lytchett Fields this morning there were 5 Ringed Plover, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit and 2 Spotted Redshank, plus a single Ruff. There was also 1 Osprey and c800 Black-tailed Godwit logged. This afternoon a White Stork flew over Holes Bay north. A photographed was obtained but it was unclear if it was the ringed individual that’s been hanging out at Throop the last couple of days. At Swineham there were still 2 Little Ringed Plover on the pools, and c20 Sand Martin and 5 Swallow were over the gravel pit. The Osprey thats been on the Middlebere Channel platform the last 4-5 days was still on there today, but will likely move off this week with the fine weather thats forecast.

White Stork over Holes Bay – Rene Goad

A struggle not to get blown away in the harbour today. The wind seemed to bring in a big movement of hirundines though, with hundreds of Sand Martin and Swallow passing south to north around the harbour. The wind had also brought in a winter plumage Razorbill along the north shore of the Brownsea Lagoon along with 1 Great Northern Diver here, and one on the east side of Round Island. 1 Ruff was at Swineham Stilt Pools and then later at Swineham Point with Black-tailed Godwit. 2 Little Ringed Plover were on Arne Moors and 2 were briefly in the Middlebere Channel. 4 Marsh Harrier were active in the Wareham Channel. 2 Great White Egret flew over Wareham towards the harbour and 42 Cattle Egret were at Holmebridge. 1 Osprey was in Newton Bay and 1 was in the Middlebere Channel. The Forster’s Tern was again in Holes Bay south west, viewed from Harkwood Drive. 2 Spotted Redshank were at RSPB Lytchett Fields. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 4 Spoonbill (including 2024 Dutch ringed NHB9), c40 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Grey Plover, 3 Greenshank, c50 Avocet, 1 Ringed Plover and 1 Little Gull.

Ruff – Swineham Point from our Spring Safari Cruise – Harry McBride

Black-tailed Godwit – Wareham Channel from our Spring Safari Cruise – Harry McBride

Today was a perfect early April day, and despite the remaining cold WNW breeze there were so many good birds around today for all to enjoy. Osprey season has certainly hit with a bang with a good arrival of passage migrants during the course of the day. There were no less than 5 in and around the area today, with 4 different individuals logged in Lytchett Bay within an hour this afternoon, plus individuals were seen in the Wareham Channel and Middlebere this morning. During our Spring Safari this morning we were also lucky enough to have 3 different White-tailed Eagles over the Wareham Channel with 1 adult and 2 juveniles. Not only that, the local Marsh Harriers took an instant disliking to them being there all started having a high altitude tussle high above the channel. The Brownsea Lagoon saw the first 2 Common Tern of the year logged, plus there was a 1st winter Little Gull on the lagoon with 2 Spoonbill, 51 Avocet, c30 Bar-tailed Godwit and c20 Sandwich Tern. An adult male Goshawk was high over Brownsea too and tracked over to Rempstone, a Little Ringed Plover was on RSPB Arne Moors, a Red Kite passed high over RSPB Arne, a Spotted Redshank was in Middlebere, 2 Cattle Egret flew over Swineham Point and 3 were at Worgret. There was also a report of a/the White Stork flying over Hamworthy at 3pm this afternoon. Yesterday morning the Golden Pheasants were heard calling on Furzey Island during the stillness of the early morning and both White-tailed Eagle (Goathorn) and Osprey (Middlebere) were seen during a survey boat after first light.

Osprey – Middlebere – John Thorpe

Juvenile White-tailed Eagle over our Spring Safari Cruise this AM – Wareham Channel – Rene Goad

Little Ringed Plover from our Spring Safari Cruise this AM – RSPB Arne Moors – Rene Goad

The first Sedge Warbler of the spring was singing today with a single bird on the Brownsea Lagoon. Also present were 2 Spoonbill 58 Avocet 416 Black-tailed Godwit and 27 Bar-tailed Godwit. 2 Osprey were in the Middlebere Channel this morning, both looking to be unringed. Another unringed bird was also in Lytchett Bay. 2 Spotted Redshank were still in Lytchett Bay from Rock Lea View, with both starting to get some darker summer plumage. There was also 1 Wheatear and 1 Goshawk. At Swineham there was 1 Willow Warbler singing and 2 Little Ringed Plover were still present on Stilt Pools. At Shipstal Point there were 2 Ruff amongst c200 Black-tailed Godwit.

Dartford Warbler – RSPB Arne – John Thorpe

Having now spent a month in the harbour, it seems the Forster’s Tern is enjoying it’s time here having holidayed initially in Baiter then Poole Park, before settling on Brownsea for a while (why not?) and now it’s taking in the sights and scenes of Holes Bay having been here for several days in Holes Bay south. It will almost certainly head off some time in April, but it’s been great to have around, with the opportunity for birders to ‘bump’ into this mega rarity literally anywhere. There were more Osprey arrivals/transiting through today with an intruder Osprey visiting the harbour nest, plus an adult female was seen hunting in Middlebere this afternoon which then went and settled on the Middlebere Channel nest platform for 7 hours, eating her monster Sea Bass. Just outside the harbour the recent roaming White Stork was seen, this time over Corfe Mullen, seen heading west, so it could have been harbour bound? Off Middle Beach, Studland the sum plum Black-necked Grebe was still present as was the Common Scoter and 1 Great Northern Diver. Very small numbers of Swallow were moving north again.

Un-ringed adult female Osprey near RSPB Arne – Mark Wright

Un-ringed adult female Osprey near RSPB Arne, Middlebere – BoPH monitoring cam

The day started off calm, but soon turned grey, cold and windy, but it seemed some migrants were getting through including the first decent ‘pulse’ of Osprey. Although a number have already been logged this spring, and of course our pair returned earlier in the week, today was the first time we logged them from one of our Spring Safari cruises and were definite staging migrants. Firstly we found this stunning adult female perched up on the edge of the Wareham Channel before she then got hassled by a Carrion Crow and dissappeared off towards Middlebere. We also saw a more distant individual towards Middlebere then later in the trip logged our local male 022 heading up the Piddle Valley with a fish. Later on this afternoon during the March WeBS count, another adult female Osprey was seen catching a fish between Middlebere and Ower and hauled it’s fish up on to the mud to feed. No doubt there will be plenty more over the coming weeks. Also logged from our Spring Safari this AM were a number of Swallow coming in from the south, passing through north, a lone Spoonbill was flying over Arne, Brownsea had a good number of Mediterranean Gull and Sandwich Tern moving about plus c50 Avocet still, a Little Gull was in the Wareham Channel, c300 Black-tailed Godwit were in the Wareham Channel and 2 Marsh Harrier were over Swineham. Elsewhere a lone summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe was in Studland Bay with 1 Common Scoter. In Brands Bay/Jerry’s Point there were still 2 Great Northern Diver, 5 Red-breasted Merganser and 1 White-tailed Eagle was in Brands Bay, with another White-tailed Eagle seen over Lytchett Bay where there was 2 Spotted Redshank and 1 Ruff. 

Osprey seen from our Spring Safari this AM – Wareham Channel – Sam Roberts

Osprey seen from our Spring Safari this AM – Wareham Channel – Sam Roberts

Well, it’s getting to that time of year where Ospreys feature a bit more regularly in our sightings report, and although there are still lots yet still to arrive back,. late March and early April is a great time to encounter migrant Osprey passing through or one of the local pair out fishing. Today there were sightings of Osprey (probably mainly relating to our male 022) in the Wareham Channel and in Lytchett Bay, plus a migrant Osprey was seen heading over Branksome Recreation Group, heading towards the harbour. Just outside Poole, in Winton a White Stork flew low over the town and was also seen headed towards the harbour, and if that madness wasn’t enough….at 11:30am this morning there were 5 White-tailed Eagle seen soaring high above RSPB Arne with 1 Marsh Harrier. My my, how times have changed. On Brownsea today the adult Yellow-legged Gull was seen again on the lagoon and there were 2 Spoonbill there again.

Osprey – Lytchett Bay – Alison Copland