Summer properly landed today with temperatures topping 30 degrees. The clear, still weather got birds moving though as Middlebere saw a total of 10 Spoonbill and 6 Spotted Redshank, including a newly arrived full summer plum individual. A new Osprey arrived with an un-ringed female settling briefly on one of our harbour nest platforms this afternoon. At the Carey Secret Garden ringing station this morning, the autumns first Lesser Whitethroat was ringed along with another 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Kingfisher, 42 Sedge Warbler, 11 Willow Warbler and 3 Blackcap. Interestingly, a number of  birds being ringed this autumn so far have shown obvious fault bars on their plumage. Fault bars are a visible contrast in the plumage of juvenile birds which indicate periods of stress when in the nest, most regularly associated with periods of bad weather when they don’t receive enough food. This means feathers aren’t able to grow as strong as usual, leaving a visible ‘sign’ of bad weather and perhaps indicating a tough season for many young birds this year with May and June being so cold and unsettled. At Lytchett Fields this morning there were 12 Green and 7 Common Sandpiper this morning, also 7 Greenshank. A Goshawk was seen over Middlebere, 2 Hobby were over Wareham and a Marsh Harrier was in Brands Bay.

Un-ringed female Osprey – Middlebere 

Lesser Whitethroat – Carey Ringing Station – Matthew Scraggs

Obvious ‘fault bar’ on juv Sedge Warbler tail. 

What a sweltering day! It seems everyone was hiding away by lunch time, but this morning was really productive, especially at the ringing station at Carey Secret Garden, where the post dawn ‘push’ of Sedge Warbler was much in evidence with 65 ringed between 5am and 8am, plus another 18 Grasshopper Warbler. The flow of birds pretty much stopped after 9am, however last night saw an amazing 7 Nightjar ringed there too, a record catch for this species in a single net here in Poole. The White-tailed Eagle pair were active in the Wareham Channel for much of the day, 2 Spoonbill were on Brownsea with 3 Avocet, a Spotted Redshank was in Middlebere with a Great White Egret seen flying up the channel. Right on cue, the first Cattle Egret of the autumn appeared at Swineham on the Stilt Pools, the first to be seen in the harbour since May.

European Nightjar – Carey Secret Garden 

Conditions could not have been better for our Summer Safari Cruise this morning with flat calm water, sunshine throughout, and two each of White-tailed Eagle and Osprey in the Wareham Channel! A distant Goshawk was also spotted skirting the north-western shoreline. There was plenty of Sandwich Tern and Common Tern hunting activity close to the boat with the low tide, whilst the extensive mudflats were enjoyed by thousands of gulls and hundreds of waders in amongst them, as well as a few Common Seals hauled out here and there. Elsewhere, in Lytchett Bay there were 37 Redshank, 5 Greenshank, 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpiper and 1 Snipe on the flooded fields this morning. Waders were also the highlight in the Middlebere Channel where there were 4 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel, 5 Green Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank and 1 Greenshank. At Swineham a Green Sandpiper was on the Stilt Pools , the first migrant Wheatear of the autumn was on Hartland, in Middlebere there were 3 Spoonbill and 1 Great White Egret, 2 Spotted Redshank, 3 Green Sandpiper and 1 Marsh Harrier. Of note the Carey Ringing Station logged 5 Grasshopper Warbler, 42 Sedge Warbler and 4 Willow Warbler and a Kingfisher.

Black-headed Gulls foraging whilst Common Seals fight in the shallows – Wareham Channel – Alison Copland

Today provided a real taste of early autumn migration with a suit of classic early autumn migrants arriving this AM, most of which were logged during a dawn ringing session at Carey Secret Garden. You know things are going to be good when in the first few net rounds you catch 13 Grasshopper Warbler! This was then followed by 40 Sedge Warbler, 13 Willow Warbler, 4 Reed Warbler and best of all, the seasons first Pied Flycatcher. Elsewhere an adult Goshawk was seen bombing out across Lytchett Fields where there were 5 Common Sandpiper, 6 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 9 Black-tailed Godwit , 30+ Redshank and 1 Curlew. Yesterday, from the ham Common view point one of the White-tailed Eagles was seen catching a fish out in the Wareham Channel and today, from the same spot, there were 3 separate sightings of an Osprey catching a fish, as well as an Osprey hassling a White-tailed Eagle. A Roseate Tern was seen again on the Brownsea Lagoon with 2 Spoonbill.

Pied Flycatcher – Carey Secret Garden – Matthew Scraggs

Grasshopper Warbler – Carey Secret Garden 

It was good to get that dank, yucky murk out of the way, which allowed for some new birds to push on through this morning. There were 4 juv Willow Warbler ringed at Carey Secret Garden this AM, along with another migrant Garden Warbler, 4 Reed Warbler and 2 Sedge Warbler. There was what looked like an adult un-ringed Osprey in Middlebere this morning where the 3 Spoonbill and 1 Great White Egret remained. In Brands Bay the early forming Great Crested Grebe started with 4 there today along with 3 Whimbrel, 50 Curlew, 39 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank, c50 Redshank, 6 Dunlin, 1 Osprey distantly over Goathorn/Ower, 140 Med Gull and an increase to 7 Common Gull. The Brownsea Lagoon logged a juv Little Ringed Plover (scarce here) along with 2 Grey Plover, c15 Turnstone, c150 Dunlin and c300 Oystercatcher. the Holes Bay Wigeon was still there and both Peregrines were on the Asda Flats this morning.

(Un-ringed?) Male Osprey – Middlebere – Kate Plater 

You should never right off a good days birding because of the weather, because you just never know. Despite this mornings (and most of the days) foul weather there was plenty to be enjoyed if you were willing to brave the murk. From our Summer(!!) Safari Cruise this AM we logged 3 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, c200 Black-tailed Godwit and c100 Curlew  in the Wareham Channel with 3 Common Sandpiper and 1 Common Snipe in the mouth of the Frome. Female White-tailed Eagle G466 gave great views on the Gold Point shoreline at RSPB Arne and a Marsh Harrier was over Swineham GP. The Brownsea Lagoon was busy and saw 3 Spoonbill, c220 Dunlin, c30 Ringed Plover, c30 Turnstone, 1 Avocet, 2 Grey Plover, 17 Curlew, c70 Redshank, 4 Common Sandpiper, c50 Sandwich Tern, c20 Common Tern and 4 Med Gulls. Later this afternoon there were 3 Spoonbill (the same Brownsea birds?), 3 Spotted Redshank, 4 Green Sandpiper and 4 Greenshank. This morning there were 2 different Wigeon at two different locations, one in Lytchett Bay and one in Holes Bay suggesting there has been a minor early arrival of a couple of birds…well over a month early. Also on Lytchett Fields were 45 Black-tailed Godwit, 70+ Redshank, 5 Greenshank, 3 Curlew, 2 Whimbrel, 4 Common Sandpiper and 1 Dunlin.

Black-tailed Godwits – Wareham Channel

Today was a special day as it was the day our fourth and final Osprey chick ‘5H6’ properly fledged. This signals the beginning of the end of the 2024 Osprey breeding season, with the grand total of ZERO chicks roosting/sleeping on the nest tonight. Although they’ll be back a fourth for food over the coming weeks, we’ll now see less and less of the quartet as they start taking food off to various trees to eat, rather than on the nest. The season won’t be considered a total success until each of the family of six all migrate away safely towards the back end of August and early September, so until then, we’ll carry on enjoying their presence on the nest cam while we can, before loud begging calls get exchanged for autumn gales!

In Brands Bay this evening it was much of the same in terms of local waders with 14 Whimbrel, 107 Curlew, 49 Black-tailed Godwit, 47 Redshank, 11 Dunlin, 11 Med Gull and 3 Common Gull. Likewise in Holes Bay NW where there were 124 Black-tailed Godwit, c50 Redshank, 6 Oystercatcher and 6 Curlew which were joined by single Whimbrel, Dunlin and Turnstone in the morning. Also a Common Tern was flying around the NW sector and a total of 68 Little Egret were across the whole of Holes Bay. Last night there were 2 Nightjar and a single Barn Owl in the Upton CP SANG area.

Osprey chick ‘5H6’ listing off for his first proper flight

Up, Up and away Osprey chick 5H6 fly’s off over the woodland on his maiden flight

It was nice to be back to something more mild and dry, rather than damp and cold, and with it, lots of nice sightings from across the area. Starting chronologically, early this AM at Lytchett Fields 12 Greenshank was a season high for this year, also there were 75 Redshank, 14 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Curlew and c40 Lapwing. Also a morning watch at Brands Bay provided 84 Curlew, 5 Whimbrel, 32 Black-tailed Godwit, 61 Redshank, 2 Dunlin, 23 Med Gulls and 2 Common Gull. At Middlebere 2 Spoonbill remained plus there were still 5 Spotted Redshank and a Great White Egret there. At Swineham a Marsh Harrier was seen along with 4 Bearded Tit and 3 Whimbrel. From Rock Lea View, Lytchett Bay this afternoon one of the White-tailed Eagles was seen flying, a Hobby went over and a few Whimbrel were in the Bay. Male Osprey 022 was really out and about today being seen fishing in Middlebere several times during the day, as well as from our Sunset Safari Cruise this evening where CJ7 was also seen heading back up the Piddle Valley with a fish, plus, what we think was ‘new’ female Osprey ‘1H1’ getting chased by a Peregrine over the RSPB Arne shoreline. Plus, we think she was back at the nest site again this afternoon as CJ7 and 022 defended the nest for about 45 minutes from an intruding Osprey. Also from the cruise were plenty of Common Sandpiper on the north Brownsea shoreline, c200 Black-tailed Godwit in the Wareham Channel, c80 Dunlin plus an arrival of 40+ Turnstone. On the Stilt Pools at Swineham 3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls were still loafing about. Finally, our fourth and final Osprey chick ‘5H6’ (semi) fledged today, leaving the nest empty for a period of time, the first time it’s been empty since late March!! It didn’t take long for food to be delivered and there was soon a busy scene again as frantic feeding took place, but over the next few days we expect ‘5H6’ to fledge properly, and we’ll begin to see less and less of them on screen as they start taking fish to nearby trees instead of eating on the nest…..Sad times!!

Man about town – Male Osprey on parental fishing trip, Middlebere – Mark Wright

(Same) Man about town – Male Osprey on parental fishing trip, Middlebere – @twamers (Twitter)