Once Sundays ‘yuk’ had moved on through, things improved weather wise and some passage picked up first thing with a good flurry of birds moving through Ballard which included 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Redstart, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, and the standard Blackcap, Whitethroat and Willow Warbler. Sadly, we didn’t experience a stonking American gem like those lucky so and so’s did over at Portland when an American Yellow Warbler turned up at Culverwell, although it just goes to show, you just never ever know what will turn up next! On Brownsea there were good numbers of Black-tailed godwit, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Little Egret, 1 Knot, 1 Little Stint, 2 Kingfisher and several Common and Sandwich Tern still hanging about. Out in the Wareham Channel there were 3-4 Osprey fishing/hunting/soaring with 2 Hobby over Arne Moors and an adult male Marsh Harrier left the dawn roost in Poole harbour west. Spotted Flycatcher are seemingly quite numerous at present with family groups and migrants active on many wooded, heathland edges, enjoying the warm sunshine and late summer insects. At Lytchett Fields there were 12 Yellow-legged Gull out in the whilst on the fields 123 Redshank, 104 Black-tailed Godwit, 91 Dunlin, 54 Lapwing, 12 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 20+ Green Sandpiper, 4 Ringed Plover, 1 Wheatear and 1 Yellow Wagtail all enjoyed the late afternoon high tide. 

Pied Flycatcher – Ballard – Olly Slessor

Redstart – Ballard – Olly Slessor