What a fantastic moment today, when for the first time we logged our juvenile Ospreys down around the harbour. There was loads of Osprey activity this morning, initially with our youngster ‘5R2’ first being seen from our Summer Safari Cruise, before then being photographed by several people in Middlebere. Later in our trip we then saw another 3 Osprey circling together, one of which was our male 022 who started going into full display mode which would suggest one of the three was a visiting Osprey. Sure enough, later in the trip an adult bird flew past close to the boat, constantly diving, but not for fish, rather to wash. However, after about 10 minutes of this, it did eventually catch a fish. An adult un-ringed female was then later seen in Middlebere. Then, later in the day another Osprey was seen arriving in, this time from the north, over Holes Bay and last seen heading towards the Wareham Channel. Spoonbill numbers are building bang on cue, with the next small wave arriving which saw 13 on the Brownsea Lagoon, along with 259 Dunlin, 13 Ringed Plover, 4 Avocet, 7 Sanderling, 3 sum plum Grey Plover, 98 Redshank, 9 Greenshank, 26 Turnstone and 2 Knot. A Great White Egret flew over Wareham this evening heading towards the harbour and a Hobby was over Wareham Common. On the Stilt Pools this morning there was a perfect photo opportunity with Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed, Herring and Yellow-legged Gull all stood in a row. At Lytchett Fields there were 13 Greenshank, 7 Common Sandpiper and 3 Green Sandpiper. The White-tailed Eagle pair were in the Wareham Channel all day, but kept their heads low, hiding from the sun. The Carey Secret Garden ringing station produced 5 more Grasshopper Warbler, 81 Sedge Warbler, 11 Reed Warbler and 1 Common Whitethroat.

Juvenile Osprey ‘5R2’ being seen in the Middlebere Channel for the first time since fledging – Phyl England

Adult un-ringed Osprey passing over Middlebere – Alison Copland

Juvenile Osprey ‘5R2’ being seen again later in the Middlebere channel – Richard Saunders