With July arriving at the end of the week and the temperature forecast to drop, a short break from the summer heat wouldn’t go a miss, especially if some rain can be provided too. We’re already seeing some more autumn movers with more Green Sandpipers turning up today with 1 at Coombe Heath, Arne and another at Swineham. Also at Coombe Heath a Hobby drifted over, spooking a roosting Nightjar on the heath. At Swineham a territorial Redshank pair were active and vocal near the footpath, suggesting they had young near by. An Osprey drifted north over Sandy Lane, Upton this morning and there are still 4 White-tailed Eagle in the Wareham Channel area, with several sightings from the Ham Common viewpoint throughout the day.

Common Redshank – Swineham – Peter Moore

Common Redshank – Swineham – Peter Moore

Green Sandpiper – Swineham – Peter Moore

Marsh Harrier – Swineham – Peter Moore

There were more signs of autumn migration getting underway today with a mighty fine full summer plumaged Spotted Redshank in Middlebere. These early Spotted Redshank tend to be females which leave the breeding grounds in the north earlier than the males, leaving them behind to raise the chicks. Middlebere, Lytchett Fields and (when it’s open) the Brownsea Lagoon are often the best places to try and see full breeding plumaged Spotted Redshank this time of year. There was also 44 Curlew and a Greenshank in Middlebere which would also suggest a possible early returners. The same 4 White-tailed Eagle were in and around the Wareham Channel area today with birds coming and going across the area with individuals seen in Lytchett Bay, over Middlebere and at Morden Bog.

Spotted Redshank – Middlebere – Garry Hayman

It’s getting very warm again! Perfect for Nightjar watching, which is why it was no surprise that they were incredibly active on our Nightjar walk at Slepe Heath last night. A minimum of 8 were seen, but there was lots of territorial chasing, wing clapping, singing and calling going on. Just spectacular to watch against a warm, glowing sunset over Poole Harbour. Also on Slepe Heath was 1 Cuckoo, 3-4 Dartford Warbler, a Kestrel family in a box and a Glow Worm to top off the walk. The 2 over-summering Eider were in Poole harbour entrance, 3 White-tailed Eagle were ‘loitering’ around the Wareham Channel area and there were 2 Hobby high over the Piddle Valley.

Nightjar walk on Slepe Heath last night

Sunset over Slepe Heath

Of all places, it was Sainsbury’s car park in Wareham as to where it was all happening today. Well, for 30 seconds at least with a lunch run around midday resulting in an Osprey carrying a fish flying over the car park heading towards the nest site, then no less than 10 seconds later a White-tailed Eagle flew in the opposite direction heading towards Swineham. There were actially 4 White-tailed Eagle in the Wareham Channel today, G466, G463, G801 and G416. There was also another intruder Osprey at the nest site today, this time around 09:25, but only a brief sighting by our team meant we couldn’t sex it, or see if it was ringed.

Female Osprey CJ7 mantling over the nest this AM when the intruder passed high overhead 

Having been in West Dorset since late last week, female White-tailed Eagle G466 returned today and joined younger female G801 in the Wareham Channel, whilst male G463 stayed away and was up along the Frome Valley for most of the day. There was some more Osprey mischief this morning when yesterdays un-ringed female Osprey visited a harbour nest platform, only for our male ‘022’ to then appear a few minutes later. They stayed on the nest together for around 25 minutes before he then returned to CJ7 at the nest site. He was probably just following her to make sure she didn’t cause any mischief, but this is great that we have another female hanging around because as soon as our male 374 reappears again she may be able to ‘woo’ him pretty quickly. July and August could be exciting. There were also c60 summer-plumaged Black-tailed Godwit in Middlebere which suggests some failed breeders are already moving back south and arriving here in the harbour.

Un-ringed female Osprey and 022 at different nest platform early this morning. 

There was some excitement at the Osprey nest site today when an un-ringed individual appeared around 4pm. Both CJ7 and 022 responded in the typical way, both mantling low on the nest as the ‘intruder’ passed over head. What we couldn’t see on the camera was that off screen an on off 45 minute aerial chase and battle commenced around the valley with CJ7 dive bombing and chasing the new bird out of the area. This wasn’t too unsurprising because early this morning an un-ringed female Osprey landed on a different harbour platform. It’s very likely that this was the same bird at the nest site today trying her luck. The big question is, was this the un-ringed female from earlier in the year? We haven’t looked at the photos closely enough yet, but this is great news, as all it will take is our new male ‘374’ to re-appear and for this new female to still be around and we could be looking at a new harbour pair! Elsewhere there were 2 White-tailed Eagle in the Wareham Channel.

There were more signs of ‘autumn arrivals’ today with the first returning Spoonbill of the autumn seen flying over Hydes Heath, towards Middlebere. Although there have been between 1-3 for most of the spring and early summer there haven’t been any sightings for a few weeks suggesting this is a returning bird. Also on Hydes Heath there were 2 Cuckoo and an un-ringed Osprey flew over. It was good to see the released juvenile Peregrine from Barclays doing well, as it sparred with it’s sibling this afternoon.

Un-ringed Osprey – Hydes Heath – Alison Copland

Nightjar – Holme lane – Garry Hayman

Barclays Peregrines – Poole – Ren Goad

Mid-June….a very quiet time indeed. Sweltering heat made things tricky but along the Piddle Valley a Marsh Harrier Headed high west over the Osprey nest area and a Hobby was active there too. The mid-summer gathering of Great Crested Grebe began in Brands Bay with 15 present and another 8 in the Wareham Channel and the female Eider was in Studland Bay north. There were 3 different White-tailed Eagle around the Wareham Channel, although strangely, the female of the pair, G466 has gone for a very long wander way into West Dorset. At Lytchett Fields a single Ringed Plover was present, a Cuckoo was at Coombe Heath RSPB Arne and a Hobby was at Hydes Heath.

IMPORTANT: It was announced by the Dorset Wildlife Trust today that unfortunately several dead birds were found on the Brownsea Lagoon with suspected Bird Flu. All have been sent for testing and the nature reserve is now currently closed until further notice.

Male Osprey 022 near nest site – Alison Copland