It happened again! The White-tailed Eagles are well and truly leaning that migrating Ospreys are an easy target for a free meal. After yesterdays showdown during our morning Osprey Cruise, where a White-tailed Eagle chased down an Osprey and it’s catch for it’s breakfast, the exact same tactic was used again this afternoon/evening for the eagle to try and obtain it’s dinner. There were between 8-9 different Osprey active in the Wareham Channel, Middlebere and Lytchett Bay area today, and female White-tailed Eagle ‘G466’ seized upon the opportunity to nab another free snack by chasing down another, poor unsuspecting migrant Osprey this afternoon in an attempt to steal it’s fish, which would have been spectacular on it’s own. However, the pursuit and the fish snatch all happened in front of a back drop of Corfe Castle, which provided a scene which could have been dated back to 1066 when the castle, White-tailed Eagles and Ospreys were all in each others company the last time round! Just breath taking. Plus, this morning we were hosting one of our free ‘Pop Up’ watches at Ham Common nature reserve, when female White-tailed Eagle G466 flew right over head, much to the delight of the building crowd. On the Brownsea Lagoon today there were 26 Spoonbill, 1 Garganey, 17 Avocet, 4 Greenshank, 19 Sandwich Tern, c30 Ringed Plover and a Wheatear was on the wall. Up on Hartland Moor there were 3 Redstart, 3 Wheatear, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Hobby, 1 Osprey and a Green Sandpiper. The Brands Bay Great Crested Grebe roost has already climbed to 28 and there were 4 Spotted Flycatcher in Studland Village. The PCW Drain was jumping with birds this AM, next to KFC with c30 Chiffchaff, c10 Willow Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 1 Common Whitethroat. At the Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station 16 Grasshopper Warbler were ringed along with 34 Sedge Warbler and an unexpected Water Rail. Yesterday there were 2 Whinchat on the Hartland tramway.

Water Rail – Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station – Matthew Scraggs

Also there was a Garganey on the Brownsea Lagoon along with a Little Stint.

Wryneck – Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station – Matthew Scraggs

Wryneck – Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station – Matthew Scraggs

‘Flying Fish’ – White-tailed Eagle chasing after fish after Osprey drops it – From Osprey Cruise – Robin Morrison

Once again in was an Osprey-fest in the harbour today with multiple birds spread across Lytchett Bay, the Wareham Channel and Middlebere. There are now plenty of migrants in the harbour now, including the first migrant adult males which are now beginning to appear. There were no less 10 present today (probably more), with 8-9 seen from our Osprey Cruise this AM and 6-7 seen this afternoon, with lots of great interactions between each other and multiple fish catches. From this afternoons trip male 022 was alarm calling to an un-ringed adult male close to the boat, whilst politely escorting it out of the area and this morning both 022 and C7J both caught fish at almost the exact same time on either side of the boat. To add to the excitement both White-tailed Eagles were active this morning during the low tide, moving between Giggers Island and the the RSPB Arne peninsular, giving some incredible close fly-by’s. Also logged today were c20 Spoonbill on the Brownsea Lagoon along with 9 Avocet, 3 Grey Plover, 17 Sanderling, 8 Greenshank, c200 Dunlin and c15 Ringed Plover. There were 2 different Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel and at Lytchett Fields this AM there was a Wood Sandpiper briefly. There were 7 Spotted Redshank in Middlebere with 1 at Lytchett Fields, 9 Yellow Wagtail were on Wareham Common and in the PCW Drain (behind KFC) there were 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler, c20 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Kingfisher and 1 Common Sandpiper. 

Female White-tailed Eagle G466 flying past boat on Osprey cruise this AM – Mark Wright

Female Osprey CJ7 flying past boat on Osprey cruise this AM – Mark Wright

Male White-tailed Eagle G463 geeting spooked by Fox on RSPB Arne shoreline from Osprey cruise this AM – Mark Wright

With this torrid SW wind finally beginning to subside, will we finally start seeing an increase in common migrant totals? Numbers seem to be well down at the moment with very few Redstarts, flycatchers, Blackcaps and general warbler species. That said a flock off 22 Yellow Wagtail were on the Stilt Pools at Swineham this evening, indicating that things are getting through and there were 6 Wheatear on Hartland with another at Lytchett Fields. A late Swift also went through Lytchett Fields this AM where there were 2 Spotted Redshank, 21 Greenshank, 14 Ringed Plover and 79 Black-tailed Godwit,. At the Carey Secret Garden ringing station 23 Grasshopper Warbler have bene ringed in the last 2 days and 8 Tree Pipit went over there this morning. There was no shortage of Ospreys again with 3 over the Wareham Channel this morning, 2 over Lytchett Bay, 2 over Middlebere and 1 at Brands Bay. A White-tailed Eagle was in Middlebere a fresh juv Marsh Harrier was in Lytchett Bay and 20 Spoonbill were on Brownsea.

Juvenile Marsh Harrier – Lytchett Bay – Alison Copland

Strong south-westerly winds continued to hold up the departure of migratory Ospreys this morning, much to the enjoyment of those on our Osprey Cruise who saw a minimum of 10 Osprey, including at least one juvenile and a Scottish-ringed adult female! Also seen across todays two trips were 2 White-tailed Eagle, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Hobby, and 300 Black-tailed Godwit in the Wareham Channel, plus 21 Spoonbill, 20 Avocet, 3 Grey Plover, 6 Ringed Plover, and 6 Greenshank on the Brownsea Lagoon. Elsewhere, in Lytchett Bay there were 23 Greenshank, 5 Ringed Plover, 2 Spotted Redshank and 12 Green Sandpiper. In the Middlebere Channel Marsh harrier, Sparrowhawk, Whimbrel, Curlew, and a Spotted Flycatcher were all seen, with another of the latter at Sunnyside Farm.

Grey plover – Brownsea Lagoon Sea Wall – Annabel Sharpe

A break in the stormy conditions today after the heavy winds of yesterday brought about 1 Garganey, found south of the boardwalk between Shell Bay and South Haven at Studland this morning, although it could not be refound later. Plenty of Osprey sightings today, probably taking advantage of the calmer conditions, with several birds seen from the hotspots at Ham Common Viewpoint, Lytchett Bay, the Wareham Channel and Holes Bay. From our Osprey cruises today in the Wareham Channel we had at least 4 Osprey, 4 Spoonbill, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 1 White-tailed Eagle and on the Brownsea Lagoon 26 Spoonbill, 15 Avocet, 1 Grey Plover, 4 Greenshank, c50 Ringed Plover, c200 Dunlin, 1 Little Tern, 1 Whimbrel and 6 Common Sandpiper on the North Shore of Brownsea. 3 very late Swift went over the Coombe Heath at RSPB Arne this evening.

Unringed Female Osprey – Ham Common Viewpoint – Alison Copland

It was Osprey-mania today with goodness knows how many individuals in the harbour. From our cruise this AM we logged no less than 9 individuals moving about between the Wareham Channel, Middlebere and Lytchett Bay. There were also 2 logged in Holes Bay this morning. Although the wind had picked up by the afternoon, we still saw up to 7 on our afternoon cruise, with multiple sightings of birds interacting with one another. One notable absence was female CJ7 who we don’t believe visited the nest site today? Has she now left on migration? We’ll find out over the next few days, although she did trick us last year by going missing for a week before then reappearing on a different harbour nest platform seven days later! There were also several Marsh Harrier in the Wareham Channel today and one of the White-tailed Eagles flew over Keysworth briefly this afternoon. On the Brownsea Lagoon there were 23 Spoonbill, along with c200 Dunlin, c70 Ringed Plover, 11 Greenshank, 7 Sanderling, 4 Common Sandpiper and 109 Redshank.

Female Osprey on harbour nest platform camera trap 

After yesterdays grey day, it was good to get some sun back today, although things have already turned pretty autumnal with an autumn gale due to hit later in the week! The last few days have seen a halt in migration it seems with numbers of Spoonbill, various waders, Osprey and small passerines all either staying static or dropping in numbers for now. Spoonbill numbers on Brownsea remain at 21, there are still 7-8 Osprey around, small numbers of Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Garden Warbler are all pushing through and Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Greenshank numbers on Brownsea have all plateaued. Interestingly, the main new arrivals came in the shape of c35 Avocet on Brownsea yesterday. Up until last weekend there has consistently only been 1-4 Avocet on the Brownsea Lagoon over the last couple of months, but with over thirty now present indicates these are now on the move. Once this current area of low pressure passes this weekend, there’s no doubt things will pick up and start increasing again. Todays highlight from our Osprey Cruise was female White-tailed Eagle G466 sitting on an ‘No Landing’ sign on the RSPB shoreline at close range, with the male flying past soon after. There were also 2 Great White Egret at the top end of the Wareham Channel, plus a Marsh Harrier.  There was a great movement of 17 Balearic Shearwater off Ballard Down this morning along with 8 Manx Shearwater, 2 Fulmar and 1 Tree Pipit, + 2 Yellow Wagtail over. In Lytchett Bay this morning 7 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank and a Ringed Plover were of note.

White-tailed Eagle G466 – RSPB Arne shoreline viewed from todays Osprey Cruise – Harry McBride