Toady we sent out a press release which highlighted the illegal egging our survey team discovered on ‘Gull Islands’ within the harbour back in early May. The survey uncovered a mass harvest of Gull eggs including the collection of Mediterranean Gull eggs, a schedule one species that is protected by law. You can read the full story by CLICKING HERE. The survey reported a massive 70% combined decline of Black-headed Gull and Mediterranean Gull nests from an initial survey in 2008 and a 60% combined decline from a repeat survey in 2015. If anyone has any information or sees people out on ‘Gull Islands’, which are situated out in the Wareham Channel then please contact us right away.

Sightings-wise it was very quiet with 3 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin, 3 Lapwing and 1 Greenshank at Lytchett Fields. A single Great Northern Diver was off Baiter, out towards Brownsea. From Coombe heath, Arne 3 Hobby were feeding over the reedbed to the west and a Woodlark flew over the viewpoint. 

Highlights from a very quiet day was a drake Garganey that was found on the main pit at Swineham GP around midday. Other than this, there were 10 Hobby feeding along the Slepe Heath ridge and over Arne Moors with a Red Kite drifting to the south over near Norden/Corfe area. At Lytchett Fields there were 3 Ringed Plover and 4 Dunlin. Finally there was an interesting report of a Swift species with a white rump reported over Poole Town Centre around 11:30am, getting pulses racing for a short while, but after several vigils were taken up from prominent viewing spots, nothing could be located.

With the wind swinging round to the north, and putting a slightly uncomfortable chill in the air today bird news was fairly limited. A dedicated count at Swineham carried out by local birder and photographer Peter Moore returned some good counts with 20 Cetti’s Warbler, 53 Reed Warbler, 3 Sedge Warbler (rare breeders in the harbour), 5 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff and 2 Skylark, 2 Cuckoo, 1 Marsh Harrier and a Little Ringed Plover on a pool along the River Frome walk. Lytchett Fields today could only muster 5 Ringed Plover and 3 Dunlin along with 1 Greenshank and 80+ Black-tailed Godwit. 

After being flushed by a Buzzard yesterday the Black-winged Stilt returned to Lytchett Fields in the evening after a 31-hour absence from the site. Where it went during this time period is anyone’s guess, but it’s a shame to think it may have been gracing another site with its presence within the harbour totally unnoticed. Throughout the day at Lytchett Fields 80+ Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Dunlin, 2 Greenshank, 1 Hobby, 12 Whimbrel and a pair of mating Redshank were logged. At Swineham a Cuckoo was calling in the paddocks by North Bestwall House, a single Common Sandpiper was on the newly exposed area of mud bank on at the far end of the main pit whilst out on the mud 2 Ringed Plover were present with 3 Dunlin. The ‘Hobby Fest’ continued in the south of the harbour with no less than 7 hunting closely together over the Slepe Heath/Arne moors area, best viewed from the top of the Slepe Heath Ridge. Also out in the Wareham channel there were 3 Marsh Harrier and evidence suggesting that the Marsh Harrier nest is now active with chicks which is excellent news. 

An early cold spell gave way to a glorious and sweltering afternoon which saw the Black-winged Stilt and Glossy Ibis put in appearances at Lytchett Fields again, although the Glossy Ibis was seen to head off high at around 9am and wasn’t seen again whilst the Black-winged Stilt was flushed by a Buzzard around midday. Also at Lytchett Fields a single Hobby, plenty of House Martin and Swallow in during the mid-morning deluge, 5 Greenshank and 3 Whimbrel. At Arne a Hobby, Cuckoo, strong passage of Swallows, 4 Whimbrel, 2 Grey Plover, 8 Swift and a Marsh Harrier were logged. 

Whimbrel – Lytchett Fileds – Ian Ballam

After the late night discovery of the Black-winged Stilt last night at Lytchett Fields it was with welcome news that it was re-found this morning, along with the reappearance of the Glossy Ibis which spent the day mooching around all the wet fields on site. With both these southern European birds present on site at the same time it felt rather like the Costa Del Lytchett at times! Lets hope they stick around for a while. There was also a Ruff and Common Sandpiper at Lytchett Fields. From Slepe Heath, looking out across Arne Moors and the Wareham Channel there was a minimum of 9 Hobby hunting at 13:15. Middlebere saw 1 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, c80 Dunlin and 1 Hobby.

A night recording session from our Listening Station in Old Town Poole from Tuesday night saw another big pulse of Ringed Plover and Dunlin moving right the way through the night. It was surprisingly also our busiest night for Whimbrel so far this spring with no less than 7 birds encountered along with Redshank, 2-3 Tree Pipit, 9 individual Common Sandpiper and what sounded like a decent sized flock too just before dawn, although its most likely there were actually only a 2-3 passing over. Have a listen below and see what you think.

Common Sandpiper Flock – Calls of night time migrants – Old Town Poole Listening Station

Glossy Ibis – Lytchett Fields – Martin Wood

Black-winged Stilt – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

What a day! Just as we were getting site envy that everywhere else in the country was getting good birds, two come along at once. Diehard patch birder Ian Ballam was doing his usual rounds at Lytchett Fields/Bay when he managed to find the sites first and Poole Harbours 4^thGlossy Ibis in the last 6 years. To add to this excellent record, a late dark and foggy evening visit to Lytchett Fields by other patch watcher Dave Jones came up trumps when he found Lytchett Fields 4^th and Poole Harbours 9^thBlack-winged Stilt. To have these two southern European species at this site at once is quite a unique event, and perhaps a sign of things to come over the next 10-20 years? Also present at Lytchett Fields were 11 Dunlin, 3 Whimbrel, 1 Curlew, 31 Ringed Plover, 2 Greenshank, 1 drake Shoveler, 1 Peregrine and the coot for its third day. At Arne, wader passage was also obvious in the mouth of the Middlebere Channel as 4 Grey Plover, 4 Turnstone, 1 Common Sandpiper, 36 Dunlin, 7 Ringed Plover and 5 Whimbrel formed a loose flock as 2 Yellow Wagtail passed over and a Cuckoo was feeding along a Coombe Heath fence line. 

Glossy Ibis – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Black-winged Stilt (honestly) – Lytchett Fields – Paul Morton

wind continues and the murky conditions force birds down. At Lytchett Bay/Fields 2 more Sanderling dropped in with a breeding plumaged Knot, 35 Ringed Plover, 46 Dunlin, c13 Whimbrel, 2 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Lapwing and the Coot. On the Brownsea Lagoon, it seems that the prospecting Avocets may have decided to move on which is not surprising seeing as one of the adult Yellow-legged Gulls ate one the other day! Also present were 2 Greenshank, 4 Grey Plover, 4 Brent Geese, 18 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Ringed Plover, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Redshank and there is late news of a Roseate Tern that was on one of the Tern Islands earlier this week.

Just to let you know we have now swapped the camera on the Brownsea Lagoon to the breeding Sandwich Tern colony. This comes with sound but thankfully not smell!

BROWNSEA SANDWICH TERN WEBCAM

A rather quite day, but the night was busy with birds. A night recording session from our listening station saw (heard) pulses of Dunlin and Ringed Plover moving right the way through the night, some as individuals and others moving over in the flocks. Also recorded were 2 Redshank, 1 Turnstone, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Oystercatcher flock, and 1 likely Spotted Flycatcher. During the day, the best at Lytchett Fields consisted of 8 Greenshank and a Coot (very rare there). At Arne RSPB Reserve 2 Hobby were seen hunting over the Arne Road and a Marsh Harrier was out over the Wareham Channel.

 Ringed Plover Flock – Calls of night migrants – Old Town Poole Listening Station

A warm muggy morning saw lots of midges around, let alone birds, but an early morning effort was rewarded with the harbour’s first Wood Sandpiper of the year at Lytchett Fields. This is the third spring in a row that Wood Sandpiper has been recorded at this site in the spring, where as once upon a year it was barely annual anywhere in the harbour. Also at Lytchett Fields were 3 Hobby, 2 Ruff, 10 Ringed Plover, 3 Lapwing, 9 Redshank, 5 Greenshank, 8 Bar-tailed Godwit, 19 Whimbrel, 1 Grey Plover, 194 Shelduck, 2 Shoveler and a nearby Nightjar on Lytchett Heath, Sandy Lane. At Swineham there were 3 Common Sandpiper on the newly cleared area at the far end of the main pit, also 2 Whitethroat, 2 Cuckoo and 3 singing blackcap were recorded. 

Record shot of Wood Sandpiper – Lytchett Fields – Paul Morton