Have we missed a Red-footed Booby? With an amazing photo surfacing yesterday evening of a Gannet shaped bird settling on a rescue boat off Warbarrow Bay, near Lulworth, heads were scratched as to what it could be. As it turns out, it was Britains 3rd(?) Red-footed Booby resting up for 50 minutes, before moving off east. This is quite a remarkable record and chances are it’s probably headed back out into the English Channel, but birders along the Dorset coast will be checking every channel marker and channel buoy this coming weekend to see if it can be re-found still resting up. So, if you’re down the beach this weekend, don’t forget to look out to sea and check anything that looks suitable for a sea bird to sit on, as you never know….!!

It was cold again today and bird news seemed slow with only news of a Spotted Flycatcher family on Hartland, White-tailed Eagles and Osprey spotted in the Wareham Channel, 2 Hobby and a Goshawk over Carey Secret Garden, 2 Little Ringed Plover at Holme lane GP and 3 Spoonbill in Middlebere.

Linnet – Slepe Heath 

An absolute scorcher today. One of our followers who logs the temperature at home commented today that the temperature maxed at 27.4°C today on the outskirts of Poole Harbour, easily making it the warmest day of 2024 and the warmest day since the 7th (28.0) and 9th (28.6) of September 2023. Only last June 15th (27.9), 13th (29.3) and 9th (27.5) were warmer last year.

With this in mind the birds mainly kept their heads low today. We did receive some good data back though from local birder Rene Goad who got info back from 2 colour-ringed Sandwich Terns he logged on Brownsea recently. The photos can be viewed below and the info came back as: White ‘354’ was ringed as a nestling on 21st July 2021 at Pagham Harbour, West Sussex & Red ‘KHP’ was ringed as a chick on 12th August 2018 at Ynyslas NNR, Borth, West Wales. This is good data, especially the 8 year old. Sandwich Tern life span is usually around 12 years old, but the oldest ringing recovery was of a 30 year old individual.

There were more waders arriving today in the shape of 51 Curlew and 6 Redshank in Brands Bay and a Marsh Harrier was over the Lower Frome Valley and this evening 2 Osprey were in the Wareham Channel.

Sandwich Tern ‘354’ – Brownsea Lagoon – Rene Goad

Sandwich Tern ‘KHP’ – Brownsea Lagoon – Rene Goad

Quite quiet today with the 4 Spoonbill logged again in Middlebere which seems to show (thanks to Mark Wrights great photo) an adult breeding plumaged bird (left hand bird). Perhaps its a failed breeder thats returning early? Or maybe an individual that looked to set up territory a bit closer to home?  This evening our Purbeck Puffin cruise logged 5 individuals  off Dancing Ledge as well a the first newly fledged Guillemots and Razorbills off the cliffs at the Durlston CP colony.

Spoonbills – Middlebere – Mark Wright

Crystal clear sky’s for the most part of the day got a few birds moving around, including a pristine dark plumaged Honey Buzzard which drifted over our Osprey Nest viewing platform at Carey Secret Garden this afternoon, with 2 Hobby also logged from there. In Middlebere this morning the 3 Spoonbill were feeding again, at Swineham a Marsh Harrier was over the point and both White-tailed Eagles were seen soaring over the Wareham Channel.

Honey Buzzard – Carey Secret Garden, Piddle Valley – Matthew Hill

A few nice bits and pieces today including a Roseate Tern on the Brownsea Lagoon this morning and 3 Spoonbill were in Middlebere. A Hobby and an Osprey were over Hydes Heath, RSPB Arne and on Slepe Heath for our Nightjar walk we managed to log 8+ Nightjar, 1 Cuckoo, 4 Dartford Warbler and 4 Glow Worm. With news that the first Spotted Redshanks and Wood Sandpipers of the autumn have already been logged heading south on the east coast, it’s worth keeping an eye on traditional hot spots like Middlebere, Brownsea Lagoon and Lytchett Fields for jet black summer plumaged ‘Spot-Shanks’ which often tend to appear in Poole Harbour towards the latter part of June. A Goshawk was also seen carrying prey, and although nesting locations are never disclosed, it won’t be long before you should keep an eye out for dispersing juveniles as they start honing their hunting skills around the harbour during July and August.

Goshawk with prey getting harassed by Carrion Crow – Mark Wright