Our early spring warm spell still hasn’t materialised yet with a biting cold NNE wind this AM. However, all that was forgotten about when out of nowhere 2 White-tailed Eagles appeared over Fleetsbridge, Poole, slowly drifting south before later being found in the Wareham Channel where they both hung out together for the rest of the afternoon on the edge of the channel. This is a welcome arrival since the sad disappearance/death of the frequent male G461 that had been visiting the harbour on a regular basis since Sept 2021. It’s no surprise the eagles keep getting drawn to the harbour, it’s just so blimmin perfect for them, with plenty of geese, wildfowl and gulls to feed on, not to mention the masses of mullet that will be present in a few weeks time. According to The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, it’s very common for the young eagles to begin moving around this time of year, with March and April seeing them move from over-wintering feeding sites, seeking out new areas and learning the landscape once more. The landscape here in the harbour is just perfect, so lets hope these new arrivals like what they see and hang around for a while longer. Tim Mackrill has kindly informed us that one of them is a 2021 released female known as G801, but they still haven’t had data through yet for the second individual. Elsewhere the 3 Tundra Bean Geese were still at Swineham in the main paddock next to the B&B, and in the Lower Frome Valley at Bog Lane, all three egret species were present with 1 Great White Egret on the floods and 1 Cattle Egret on the opposite side of the valley which was possibly the same that headed over Swineham later in the evening. This morning 2 Spoonbill also flew over Swineham. At the Lytchett Bay feeding station along Slough Lane 3 Brambling were on the feeders and in Brands Bay there were 2 summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe off Jerry’s Point.

White-tailed Eagles out over the harbour – Mark Wright