It was a bellowing SSE wind this morning which made it slightly milder compared to earlier in the week, but still pretty uncomfortable birding conditions out around the harbour. Both White-tailed Eagles were around at dawn, but thanks to a data update from the Roy Dennis Wildlife foundation, they were able to inform us that the 4th cal year individual, G318 left the harbour mid-morning, but the 2nd cal year G801 was still around at 11am and was seen out towards Keysworth. There were also 3-4 Marsh Harrier around still, plus a Peregrine was near the mouth of the Piddle, a Merlin was on Hartland and a ringtail Hen Harrier was near Middlebere. Out in central harbour the Velvet Scoter was still present as were 2 Black-necked Grebe off the western end of Brownsea. At Swineham 2 Egyptian Geese were with a handful of Black-tailed Godwit on the scrapes and there were still good numbers of birds on the Brownsea Lagoon including the first 2 returning Sandwich Tern of the spring, along with c250 Avocet, 6 Greenshank, c40 Bar-tailed Godwit, c300 Black-tailed Godwit and c20 Grey Plover. The 3 Tundra Bean Geese were at Swineham again in the main paddock to the west of the B&B (view only from the footpath) and there were still 7 Spoonbill on Shipstal Point. The first Dorset Wheatear of the spring turned up today too, at Durlston CP, and with the winds due to ease next week, but continuing to arrive from a SE direction, more spring migrants will no doubt be on their way.

Curlew – Holes Bay – Martin Adams