More waders are beginning to appear with 3 Ruff (1 adult and 2 juveniles) turning up on RSPB Lytchett Fields along with the standard Redshank, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit and a handful of Snipe. A ringing session in Poole Harbour north saw another Garden Warbler ringed along with the first Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat for the site this year. On the Brownsea Lagoon 8 Avocet were present, 2 Spoonbill, 11 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank and a Common Sandpiper were counted.

RSPB Lytchett Fields has been looking superb over the last couple of days as the recent high tides has totally wetted the site again, creating a whole myriad of pools and scrapes of water. Yesterday saw more birds on site than I think I’ve ever seen before with Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Dunlin, Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Curlew, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Spoonbill, Shelduck, 500 Black-headed Gull, Yellow and Pied Wagtail all noted on the high tide…just incredible. On the Brownsea Lagoon, there were 8 Avocet, 3 Spoonbill, 40 Dunlin, 2 Spotted Redshank and 8 Greenshank.

Please don’t forget to attend this weekends Hen Harrier Day event at Arne RSPB reserve if you can make it. The weather forecast is looking good, so come and add your voice and show your support for one of our countries rarest breeding bird species. After all, we know for a fact that the birds that spend the winter in Poole Harbour come from Scotland and northern England.

There are also still a couple of places left on our Early Migrants at Middlebere walk on saturday, so if you fancy an enjoyable morning out (hopefully) seeing a nice selection of migrants that BOOK ON HERE.

Don’t forget that it is the Hen Harrier South Day this coming Sunday (August 9^th), so come and show your support and for British Hen Harriers and be apart of a real force for nature conservation. See below poster.

Sightings for RSPB Lytchett Fields included 82 Redshank, 54 Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Lapwing, 7 Dunlin, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank and the first Yellow Wagtail of the season. Just round the corner on Lytchett Heath another juvenile Redstart was seen, which is a strange coincidence seeming as we ringed another there a few days ago. Are we seeing early migrants or have they bred locally? Who knows? On Brownsea 2 Spoonbill were still present and 7 Avocet arrived back. 

The 1^st of the month was a busy day for birds. The Brownsea Lagoon had an Osprey pass over, spooking everything a number of times. Wader-wise the lagoon held 16 Greenshank, 3 Spotted Redshank, 16 Common Sandpiper, 4 Avocet and 3 Spoonbill. At South Haven there was a Lesser Whitethroat and at Brands Bay a group of 24 Crossbill went over towards Goathorn, also at Brands 2 Whimbrel and an arrival of some Common Gulls. RSPB Lytchett Fields were busy too with 70+ Redshank, 50+ Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Dunlin, 4 Snipe, 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Yellow-legged Gull.