This was exactly how a May bank holiday should begin, with warm sunshine, clear sky and a gentle easterly breeze full of eastern promise. It was great conditions for finding and seeing birds today and lots of sightings were reported from around the harbour. At dawn, Cuckoo’s were calling along the Arne Road, Soldiers Road and at Swineham. Later in the day there were numerous Hobby around Slepe Heath and Hartland area with one perching up regularly on the northern boundary of Slepe Heath. There was a single Spoonbill on Giggers Island in the Wareham Channel and in the river Frome 3 Common Sandpiper were on the exposed mud with another 2 on the Brownsea shoreline. Whimbrel were much in evidence around the harbour in numerous fields and wet pastures. At Sunnyside Farm 8 Wheatear and a male Yellow Wagtail were on the open fields. Highlights of the day though go to a Wood Warbler that was in the Arne car park briefly and a male Goshawk that drifted up over the Wareham Channel whilst an almost equally good sighting was a Marsh Harrier in the mouth of the Frome (a rare sight in May now). At Lytchett Fields there was a Lesser Whitethroat, 1 ad Yellow-legged Gull and 6 Whimbrel.

Hobby – Slepe Heath 

Stonechat – Slepe Heath