Well, she kept us waiting, but female Osprey CJ7 finally laid her first egg of the season this evening, and what better time to do it than a Friday tea time when hundreds of people could tune in. Luckily for us we were watching at the time and were able to send the link out via social media, but between the two cameras we reckon around 300 people watched the moment live. Although CJ7 arrived on March 31st, it seems her natural laying cycle tends to be around now, with her first egg being on April 23rd last year. Anyway, all being well we should see a second egg around Monday and hopefully a third (and who knows……a fourth) next week some time. Incubation will now be around 37 days, and during that time both CJ7 and 022 will adopt incubation duties. So, lets all keep everything crossed for a successful season ahead. Of course, 1 pair doesn’t constitute the reestablishment of a population, so we’re now also looking forward the return of of some of our 2021 youngsters that were released as part of the reintroduction, which all being well will return in May and June.

Elsewhere around the harbour House Martin have really arrived in numbers with several hundred moving through during the course of the day. At Lytchett Bay an adult male Common Redstart was in scrub at at South Beach, Studland a female Pied Flycatcher was in scrub. At Swineham a Ruff was on the Stilt Pools along with 4 Little Ringed Plover and a Yellow Wagtail. A White-tailed Eagle flew over Wareham train station this afternoon, in Holes Bay south there were 4 Whimbrel and at Morden Bog 2 Cuckoo were calling and 3 Tree Pipit were singing. A Ring Ouzel was in the Ulwell Gap, an Osprey passed over Brownsea where the last remaining Avocet seemed to be courting.