With these easterlies setting in over the coming days, the opportunity to find nice birds continues. That has certainly been the case with common migrants popping up at all the usual sites. There has also been the arrival of the first winter duck in a few places. In Brands Bay there were 16 Pintail, 8 Wigeon, 18 Teal, 270+ Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank, 1 Dunlin and an Osprey fishing. There were also still 3 Osprey commuting between Middlebere and the Wareham Channel, and another (or one of the three) fishing in Lytchett Bay. It seems there is currently only 1 Marsh Harrier at the moment, but I’m sure that total will rise over the coming weeks. Middlebere and Hartland have seen good numbers of Whinchat and Redstart with at least 5 of the former near the Hart Hide and 3 of the latter along the track. South Haven and Greenlands has been receiving some nice coverage recently with just reward too, consisting of 4 Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail, 5 Redstart, 2 Whinchat, 4 Wheatear. Up on Old Harry there were 2 Redstart, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Reed Warbler, and at Studland Church Yard, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 4 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Redstart and several Blackcap and Willow/Chiff. Out in Lytchett Bay there were 5 Little Stint and 3 Ruff. On Brownsea there were 2 Little Stint, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 100+ Avocet and 4 Spotted Redshank.

It’s certainly a good time to be out birding at the moment, as it seems there is something of interest in every bush or passing overhead.  Migration is in full swing and by visiting your local patch, or some area of the harbour you can be rewarded with a little gem such as Redstart or Whinchat as it busily feeds up. Overhead passage currently consists of Swallow and House Martin in good numbers. Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail are other classic September migrants and identifying them by sound as the pass overhead is a great way of honing in on your listening skills. Below are two recordings of both Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail, so take a listen and see if you can pick out any whilst you’re out birding. I’ve even had several Tree Pipit pass over my garden within the last week. I have also included Meadow Pipit calls for comparison.

Tree Pipit – calls of a migrating flock – Catching the Bug

Meadow Pipit – calls of migarting flock for comparison

Yellow Wagtail – flight calls – Catching the Bug

There are still currently 3 Osprey around with 2 in the Wareham Channel and 1 in Lytchett Bay.  At Swineham there were 17 Spoonbill off the point, which is encouraging for another large autumn arrival, also there 37 Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warbler, 11 Sedge Warbler, 19 Reed Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 5 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Whinchat, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Hobby, 1 Whimbrel and 48 Yellow-legged Gull out in the Wareham Channel. Out in Lytchett Bay today there were 3 Ruff, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Little Stint, 1 Knot, 6 Greenshank and 3 Green Sandpiper. A flock of 17 Yellow Wagtail were up on Hartland Stud. Before the Black Kite excitement yesterday, from Slepe/Hartland other raptors counted included 2 Hobby, 1 Peregrine, 1 Marsh Harrier, several Buzzard, 2 Kestrel and 2 Sparrowhawk. Elsewhere around the harbour, Redstart, Whinchat, Wheatear, Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and Blackcap are all being reported in good numbers.