It’s about bloomin time! Finally, after almost 2 months of blissful sunshine it actually rained! We really needed this as did the landscape that seemed to be suffering more and more as each sun-scorched day went by. As so often happens when light rain comes, airborne insects emerge and species such as Swallow, House Martin and Swift take full advantage. That was the scene over Wareham tonight with c100 in total collectively made up of all three species. The rain also seemed to bring more birds on to Lytchett Fields with 31 Lapwing, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Green Sandpiper, 13 Gadwall, 1 Teal and a Marsh Harrier. Yesterday morning the Marsh Warbler was said to have moved 100 yards along the river and a 1^st summer Little Gull was on Swineham GP. There were also 2 Osprey seen together over Lytchett Bay providing a minor bit of excitement for a short while only for CJ7 to later arrive back at the nest cam…..alone!

It’s looking like it’s time to start thinking Pink too! With a massive Rose-coloured Starling irruption sweeping across Western Europe it’s well worth keeping an eye out for any pink starlings in your local starling flocks. Today Dorset saw a couple already with individuals seen at Christchurch Harbour and Southbourne and hopefully it’s just a matter of when not if we’ll see one in the harbour.

Swift – Poole Park