You’ll have to excuse the ‘lumped’ dates, but info coming through to us has been so limited that news for each day would have barely made it over ‘the one sentence’ threshold. Most info now refers to breeding birds, and birds on territory with very few migrants coming through now. Through Thursday and Friday a few Swallows and Swifts were pushing through still and at the PCW Drain there was a late migrant Reed Warbler passing through. At Holton Lee a Continental type Stonechat is on territory and currently feeding young. At Sunnyside, near Ridge a Cuckoo and Hobby were seen feeding in front of the NE screen. A scan from the Coombe viewpoint should return views of Hobby as they feed out above Middlebere, Slepe and Salterns Copse. At Lytchett Fields a few over summering Black-tailed Godwit continue to feed on the high tide out from Sherford and French’s viewpoints. The heathlands are now home to plenty of Nightjar and a late evening stroll along Soldiers Road, Hartland Moor, Studland Heath, Holton Lee, Canford or Upton Heath on a warm still evening should provide you with churring males and if you’re lucky a sight of one breaking the skyline. 

On Saturday our monthly field trip for May saw us expanded our range slightly, to just outside the harbour boundaries with a visit to Morden Bog. Despite the constant rain, drizzle, murk, more drizzle, bit more rain and a wet welly or two we didn’t actually do too badly with a Woodlark, 1 Hobby, 2 singing (but not seen) Redstarts, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 3-4 Tree Pipit, several Stonechat and a Cuckoo.

Continental type Stonechat – Holton Lee – Paul Morton

Juvenile Starlings – Upton – Paul Morton

Swallow – Ridge – Paul Morton