Hoorah! Summer is back! For a few days at least. Another nice selection from around the harbour today including 2 male Golden Pheasant on Furzey Island, a species that’s been in much decline on Brownsea over the last few years due to mass Rhododendron removal. Furzey on the other hand has kept vast amounts of this ornamental scrub giving the Golden Pheasant their favourite hiding place.  In Wytch Lake the over-summering 2 Brent Geese were still there with 1 Yellow-legged Gull and 3 Avocet with Yellow and Pied Wagtail over and a Pied Flycatcher at Fitzworth. On Brownsea an Osprey passed over the lagoon where 3 Spotted Redshank were feeding. At Lytchett Fields there were 5 Common Sandpiper, 4 Greenshank, 60+ Dunlin, 1 Ringed Plover, 20+ Willow Warbler, 6 Sedge Warbler and 4 Whitethroat. At Arne 3 Osprey were flying above Coombe Heath together with 6 Spoonbill, 1 Redstart and 4 Greenshank around the Middlebere area and a Barn Owl sat out in broad day light out in front of the Middlebere hide.

Golden Pheasants – Furzey Island – Nick Hopper