It was Osprey-mania today with goodness knows how many individuals in the harbour. From our cruise this AM we logged no less than 9 individuals moving about between the Wareham Channel, Middlebere and Lytchett Bay. There were also 2 logged in Holes Bay this morning. Although the wind had picked up by the afternoon, we still saw up to 7 on our afternoon cruise, with multiple sightings of birds interacting with one another. One notable absence was female CJ7 who we don’t believe visited the nest site today? Has she now left on migration? We’ll find out over the next few days, although she did trick us last year by going missing for a week before then reappearing on a different harbour nest platform seven days later! There were also several Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel today and one of the White-tailed Eagles flew over Keysworth briefly this afternoon. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 23 Spoonbill, along with c200 Dunlin, c70 Ringed Plover, 11 Greenshank, 7 Sanderling, 4 Common Sandpiper and 109 Redshank.

Female Osprey on harbour nest platform camera trap 

After yesterdays grey day, it was good to get some sun back today, although things have already turned pretty autumnal with an autumn gale due to hit later in the week! The last few days have seen a halt in migration it seems with numbers of Spoonbill, various waders, Osprey and small passerines all either staying static or dropping in numbers for now. Spoonbill numbers on Brownsea remain at 21, there are still 7-8 Osprey around, small numbers of Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Garden Warbler are all pushing through and Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Greenshank numbers on Brownsea have all plateaued. Interestingly, the main new arrivals came in the shape of c35 Avocet on Brownsea yesterday. Up until last weekend there has consistently only been 1-4 Avocet on the Brownsea Lagoon over the last couple of months, but with over thirty now present indicates these are now on the move. Once this current area of low pressure passes this weekend, there’s no doubt things will pick up and start increasing again. Todays highlight from our Osprey Cruise was female White-tailed Eagle G466 sitting on an ‘No Landing’ sign on the RSPB shoreline at close range, with the male flying past soon after. There were also 2 Great White Egret at the top end of the Wareham Channel, plus a Marsh Harrier.  There was a great movement of 17 Balearic Shearwater off Ballard Down this morning along with 8 Manx Shearwater, 2 Fulmar and 1 Tree Pipit, + 2 Yellow Wagtail over. In Lytchett Bay this morning 7 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank and a Ringed Plover were of note.

White-tailed Eagle G466 – RSPB Arne shoreline viewed from todays Osprey Cruise – Harry McBride

Another lovely morning to be birding for our fifth Osprey Cruise. In the Wareham Channel this morning we logged an estimated 6 Osprey, including a juvenile being chased by a Peregrine close to Hyde’s Heath at RSPB Arne. We also saw 1 Marsh Harrier over Swineham, 1 Spoonbill over Arne Moors, 1 White-tailed Eagle on Shag Looe, as well as c.100 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Greenshank. The raptor action continued at Arne, with 4 Osprey, 1 White-tailed Eagle, 1 juv Hobby, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Goshawk reported, as well as 10 Spoonbill, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Greenshank. One of the White-tailed Eagles also put in an appearance over Lytchett Bay, along with 1 Greenshank and 1 Common Sandpiper noted. 300+ Black-tailed Godwit were counted in Holes Bay this afternoon.

Juvenile Osprey – Wareham Channel – Clare Slade

Another gorgeous day in the harbour with plenty of good thermals for the birds of prey on our Osprey Cruise this morning. We had 6-7 Osprey throughout the trip, interacting in close proximity. 1 caught a fish off the Holton shoreline and one of the juveniles was practising his hovering technique! Also in the Wareham Channel was 1 White-tailed Eagle, 3 Marsh Harrier (including a juvenile and adult male), 1 Peregrine and c300 Black-tailed Godwit. Numbers of Avocet are finally starting to grow in the harbour as the autumn gets going with 7 on the Brownsea Lagoon, along with 21 Spoonbill, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Wheatear, 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, c20 Ringed Plover and c50 Dunlin. The second passage Wood Sandpiper of the Autumn was at Middlebere this morning, giving a quick flyby. Hopefully it’ll stick around and be re-found somewhere in the harbour. There were also plenty of Osprey as well at Middlebere with 5 this evening including two of the juveniles interacting with an adult bird. Also present were 7 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 2 Whimbrel, c50 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Goshawk, hunting the waders. Multiple Osprey sightings in Lytchett Bay throughout the day including our male 022, along with 2 Marsh Harrier and 1 Spotted Redshank. Finally, in Brands Bay on the rising tide this afternoon there were 3 Grey Plover, 10 Ringed Plover, 160 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 6 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, 86 Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper and 26 Dunlin.

Juvenile 5R2 and unringed female Osprey – Middlebere Channel – Aidan Brown

We were thankful that last nights murk and mank had passed during the night, leaving a clear still dawn for our 7am Osprey Cruise this AM. We were treated to an absolute show when an un-ringed female Osprey caught a fish off the back of the boat, only to be then chased down by the resident female White-tailed Eagle, G466, whom we had been watching off the side of the boat as she sat and observed the landscape. This is the first proper time we’ve witnessed the sequence of an Osprey catching a fish, the pursuit of an eagle and then the surrender of the eagle who soon gave up after a few minutes of chasing. The eagle then also had the decency to come and land back down on the shoreline close to the boat, giving us great views of her pure white tail. We also witnessed a few other Ospreys active in the channel, as well as newly arrived fresh juvenile Marsh Harrier. We then ventured over to Brownsea, passing the male White-tailed Eagle along the way which was sat out on Patchin’s Point, Arne. The Brownsea Lagoon hosted 20 Spoonbill, c200 Dunlin, 33 Ringed Plover, 4 Grey Plover, still only 1 Avocet, 7 Sanderling and 6 Turnstone. In Brands Bay this afternoon a Golden Plover was out on the mud (a good August recod). In the PCW Drain at Holes Bay this AM there were 3 Garden Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 5 Blackcap and a Kingfisher opposite KFC. At the Carey Secret Garden ringing station 4 Tree Pipit were ringed along with 27 Sedge Warbler and a single Grasshopper Warbler. Today marked the day of a full months ringing at this new ringing station, and the results are quite staggering with 102 Grasshopper Warbler ringed along with 912 Sedge Warbler, 12 Nightjar and TEN controls (birds ringed elsewhere) including Dutch and French ringed Sedge Warblers. A new Marsh Harrier entered the harbour this afternoon (a 2nd cal year male?), 2 Hobby were Arne Hill, a Yellow Wagtail and 3 Crossbill were over Morden Bog and a few Yellow Wagtail were on Wareham Common. A Wheatear was on the sea wall at Poole Quay.

Tree Pipit – Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station

White-tailed Eagle chasing un-ringed Osprey fro Osprey Cruise this AM – Alison Copland

It definitely felt like autumn by the end of today, although luckily it was calm, still and bright early doors. A Pied Flycatcher was at Lytchett Bay near Boarder Road and at Lytchett Fields there was 1 Spotted Redshank, 6 Common Sandpiper, 15 Greenshank, 3 Green Sandpiper and a Goshawk. Our Osprey Cruise this AM produced the goods with no less than 8 or 9 individuals, including 4-5 of our local family, with CJ7 even catching a fish. Also logged from the cruise was 1 White-tailed Eagle on Gold Point, Arne, 21 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon, 3 Whimbrel, 300 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Great White Egret in the Wareham Channel. Another 11 Grasshopper Warbler were ringed at the Carey Secret Garden this morning bringing the season total to 102 in just a month of ringing!

White-tailed Eagle – Gold Point from Osprey Cruise – Clive Hargrave

Pied Flycatcher – Lytchett Bay – Shaun Robson

It wasn’t quite the weather that had been forecast with intermittent rain on and off all day and low cloud hanging over the harbour during the course of the day. This morning heralded the start of our Osprey Cruise Season with the first trip going out at 7am. The birds kept us waiting, but eventually, once the murk cleared male Osprey 022 came and entered the Wareham Channel, flying past the boat whilst one of our juveniles (we think 5R2) was active along the channel shorelines for about 15 minutes, constantly being perused by angry Common Terns. During the whole time of the trip, the White-tailed Eagle pair were sat in a tree on the edge of the channel for the full 3-hours! This afternoon Ospreys were seen flying around Middlebere, Lytchett Bay and the Wytch Channel again. There were also 2 Osprey seen over Morden Bog along with a full adult Marsh Harrier there too and 3 fly over Crossbill. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 21 Spoonbill with 7 in Middlebere and at Lytchett Fields there were 2 Spotted Redshank. In the Wareham Channel a Great White Egret dropped onto Keysworth, 3 Wigeon flew over Giggers Island and totals on the Brownsea Lagoon included 219 Dunlin, 19 Sanderling, 13 Greenshank, 57 Ringed Plover, but only 1 Avocet! Hopefully the wintering flock starts to build soon. Another 10 Grasshopper Warbler were ringed at the Carey ringing station along with the seasons first Common Redstart.

Common Redstart – Carey Ringing Station

It seems the strong migratory push from the east we were hoping for yesterday actually came through this morning with a good ringing session at the Carey Secret Garden Ringing station this AM which included a juvenile Dutch ringed Reed Warbler. We’ve sent the data off to the BTO already, so as soon as we get the info back we’ll publish it on our website. The ringing session also included 7 more Grasshopper Warbler, bringing the season total to 81, plus 65 Sedge Warbler, bringing the season total to 830, plus 3 Tree Pipit, 11 Reed Warbler and a Kingfisher. We’re actually supporting a ringing demo at the Carey Secret Garden on Aug 22nd, so if you’re interested in learning more about this work and autumn migration then you can find more information HERE. 

This afternoon a Honey Buzzard flew over the Piddle Valley, Wareham Common, it was Osprey central again in the Wareham Channel, Lytchett Bay and Middlebere with no less than 10 present in the area. A Wheatear was along the cycle path at Holes Bay, where there were also 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Whimbrel and 215 Black-tailed Godwit. At South Haven, Studland 2 Garden Warbler were in scrub near the boardwalk, 19 Spoonbill were on the Brownsea Lagoon where an Osprey flew over this evening too, 2 Spotted Redshank were on Lytchett Fields and 3 were in Middlebere.

Dutch ring on Reed Warbler caught at Carey Secret Garden this AM