The Arne Nightjar was again sat on its normal branch today, viewable from the café terrace. A photo was taken at the weekend showing the bird to actually be ringed, which is a good record. Over the last few years a good number have been ringed on the local heaths including Canford Heath, Wareham Forest and Arne its self so chances its been ringed locally, but knowing for certain would certainly be interesting. At Lytchett Fields a Marsh Harrier again put all the waders up before disappearing over towards Holton Lee, then not 2 minuets passed when a fresh juvenile Peregrine started eyeing the 150+ Black-tailed Godwit, 50+ Redshank and 20+ Lapwing. Other general sightings from Lytchett Fields included an increase of Sand Martin with 20+ feeding with House Martins and Swifts over the Arable Field and 7 Stock Dove. 

Things are picking up nicely as each day goes by with more and more birds arriving. On the Brownsea Lagoon Redshank numbers reached 90 whilst 3 summer plumaged Spotted Redshank appeared, also on the lagoon were 3 Greenshank, 3 Dunlin, 45 Black-tailed Godwit and a reported Arctic Tern. At Lytchett Fields an adult female type Marsh Harrier made quick work of a Moorhen chick whilst ‘upping’ the 250+ Black-tailed Godwit at the same time along with 2 Dunlin, 60+ Redshank, 20+ Lapwing, 1 Greenshank and 1 Green Sandpiper. The Arne café Nightjar continued to please the crowds as it sat all day sleeping, preening and occasionally calling. The 2 Firecrest were again singing in the Arne car park. 

Nightjar – Arne Cafe

To watch in HD click on cog shaped symbol and select 1080

 View from Sherford Viewpoint – Lytchett Fields

To watch in HD click on cog shaped symbol and select 1080

 View from French’s Viewpoint – Lytchett Fields

To watch in HD click on cog shaped symbol and select 1080

The Nightjar in the Arne Café garden was again showing nicely from the café terrace, it’s a bit tricky to find, but the RSPB staff have several scopes set up on it and are more than happy to show you where it is. The 2 Arne carpark Firecrest are also still singing. A really great find and a true crowd pleaser! Lytchett Fields was busy again with 2 juv Little Ringed Plover, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 286 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 70+ Lapwing, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Med Gull, 1 Yellow-legged Gull and 1 Kingfisher.  Swifts seem to be moving too with 40+ heading south out across the harbour early morning and there was a Common Sandpiper in Holes Bay. 

Nightjar – Arne RSPB cafe garden – Paul Morton

Today the first Pied Flycatcher of the autumn appeared in the shape of an adult male, which turned up in the orchard of the cottages at Middlebere. Adult males in the harbour rare in the spring, let alone the autumn too when fresh juvenile are far more regular. Between now and the end of august is a good time for Pied Flycatcher to appear in small copse’s and on woodland edges, often associating with Spotted Flycatchers too. On Lytchett Fields, confirmed breeding of Redshank was nice as two fresh (almost flightless) juveniles appeared out in the middle of the fields. Also at Lytchett Fields were 181 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 1 Shoveler, 1 Hobby and 5 Little Egret.

Distant record shot of Juv Redshank – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Juv Pied Wagtail – Lytchett Fields – Paul Morton

Tonight we were involved with a Nightjar ringing session on Canford Heath in partnership with The Stour Ringing Group and the Borough of Poole. It was a perfect Nightjar night and with only six nets set we managed to catch 3 males quite quickly with another couple skimming the tops of the nets. Out on Lytchett Fields today the migration theme really picked up with the first returning Yellow Wagtails of the autumn (just look around the feet of the cattle if you can find them), 2 new Little Ringed Plover in, 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 203 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Dunlin and 47 Redshank.

Male Nightjar – Canford Heath – Paul Morton

Common Sandpiper – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

It seems a tad early for a big Green Sandpiper push but 10 were on Lytchett Fields today, which indicates we could be in for either an early passage of waders this season due to a poor breeding season, or a bigger number of birds than normal due to a good breeding season. We’ve always found if you highlight both 50/50 options then you’re bound to get at least one of the guesses correct. Also out on the fields was 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 56 Redshank, 22 Lapwing, 183 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Med Gull, 6 Teal, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and several Little Egret. On the Brownsea Lagoon wader numbers were building nicely there too with 36 Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 1 Knot, 1 Curlew, 15 Black-tailed Godwit, 23 Little Egret and the Roseate Tern is still appearing to drop in occasionally.  At Middlebere 1 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper and 80+ Sand Martin were counted. 

Green Sandpiper – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Pied Wagtail – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

More wader action as Lytchett Fields sees more birds returning including the first 3 Common Sandpiper of the autumn. These were joined by 5 Green Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin, 120+ Black-tailed Godwit, 40+ Redshank and 20+ Lapwing. Also out on the fields were plenty of juvenile Pied Wagtail and a female Gadwall had ducklings which is a good site breeding record. On Lytchett Heath Bearded Tit could again be heard calling from the reedbed at the base of the heath, 2 Nightjar were heard calling at dusk and Sparrowhawk seem to be nesting in a nearby wood on the eastside. Amazingly a Nightjar was also found to be roosting in a tree right outside the new Arne shop much to the delight of people supping on tea and chomping on cake. 

Nightjar – Arne – John Wall

Common Sandpiper – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

Green Sandpiper – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

There’s no better time to visit Lytchett Fields than between now and September. Ok, so that a pretty big time frame but waders will now be passing down through the UK through that entire time period with peaks in August and September. However, like we’ve already seen with last weeks Ruff, today a new Greenshank and Dunlin arrived whilst Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Lapwing numbers continued to build. At Holton Heath a Cuckoo was out on the heath briefly and a Woodlark was on the path. We should also congratulate the local RSPB for their conversion of the large arable field next to Lytchett Fields from a large mono-cultivated, fairly drab and unproductive field to a wonderfully rich and vibrant wildflower meadow. This will not only be good during the summer for bees and butterflies, but also in the winter too hopefully for large winter finch flocks and Yellowhammers. 

Wildflower Arable Field – Lytchett Bay – Ian Ballam

Kingfisher – Ian Ballam – Lytchett Bay

Tonight was our second Nightjar walk at Arne and again, they showed brilliantly for our group for around 10 minuets. Also seen prior to the Nightjars was a single Hobby, 2 Dartford Warbler, 2 Curlew, 1 Yellow-legged Gull and 10+ Little Egret heading into roost. Interestingly a Common Crane had apparently spent part of the day flying around on Hartland Moor not going anywhere very fast due to the wind. On Brownsea a Spotted Redshank showed briefly and on Lytchett Fields Redshank, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit and a Green Sandpiper were the only waders. 

Black-tailed Godwits – Lytchett Fields – Ian Ballam

This evening we hosted our first of two July Nightjar walks at Arne RSPB reserve and the Nightjar certainly didn’t let us down. If you’ve never been on one, the RSPB host walks on Wednesday evenings which you’ll need to book onto, but they’re well worth it and to top the night off a juvenile Tawny Owl was calling in the Arne car park when we had finished (sound recording below). On Lytchett Heath the Whitethroat was seen again and was discovered to have a ring on its leg. In the reedbed at the bottom of Lytchett Heath several Bearded Tit were calling and there were 2 each of Bullfinch and Linnet and singles of Blackcap and Dartford Warbler.

Common Whitethroat – Lytchett Heath – Paul Morton

Juvenile Tawny Owl – Arne car park – 02/07/16