Some good news today in that our Osprey pair laid their first egg of the season. This is six days earlier than last year, and the earliest they’ve laid in the three years since they established. The hope is that CJ7 will lay another two (possibly 3?) over the coming week meaning we should see the first egg hatch around the 22nd or 23rd of May. Now the long incubation period begins, so lets hope that like last year, it’s smooth sailing to the hatching phase. It was quite a surprise to us that she decided to lay right in the middle of a gale, but hey…why not?

It was a return of the wind and rain today, making it feel like late October rather than mid-April, however a Tree Pipit powered through over Lytchett Bay, where another Little Gull appeared (the sites 7th of the year). Just after CJ7 laid her egg, a wandering Osprey came and inspected the goings on, but was soon seen off by the pair. In Brands Bay there were 2 Whimbrel, there was a visit from younger White-tailed Eagle G801 who spent the day in the Wareham Channel area and there was late news of a dead Bee-eater found dead in a Swanage garden yesterday. Although this isn’t Poole Harbour, the fact we’ve already recorded Hoopoe and Purple Heron this spring, Bee-eater should be on everyones radar over the next month or two, so learn their calls!

Female Osprey CJ7 with her first egg

Female Osprey CJ7 laying her first egg at 15:40 today