A fantastic record at Lytchett Bay this afternoon, with a winter plumage Forster’s Tern reported from Rock Lea Viewpoint, last seen near the Sherford mouth. Interestingly, the description matches that of a tern seen by one of the crew members on our Spring Safari Cruise this morning on a buoy off Hamworthy beach, so we’re very keen to receive any photos of terns seen from the boat today. Then, later this evening, just as it was getting totally dark, it appeared on our Brownsea Lagoon webcam in amongst the tern roost. What a Poole Harbour record!

2 Common Sandpiper on the Quay also made for a nice start to the cruise this morning, with the harbour bustling with activity. Aerial interactions between Osprey 022 and two White-tailed Eagles over Arne as we tracked down the Wareham Channel were an undeniable highlight, as well as a distant Hobby over Arne Moors. At least 3 Marsh Harrier were active over Keysworth and Swineham, and 1 Red Kite flew south over Arne Moors. 20+ Swallow and 10 Sand Martin were over Swineham, with vocalisations of Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, 2 Sedge Warbler, 3+ Cetti’s Warbler and Reed Bunting adding to the spring atmosphere. Brownsea Lagoon was busy, with 40+ Sandwich Tern and at least 20 Common Tern present, as well as 2 Greenshank, 60 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Avocet, 15 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Dunlin and 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose. There were 3 Wheatear seen on Brownsea sea wall, and 7 Sanderling on the beach. Elsewhere, more warbler activity at Lytchett Bay View this morning, including 1 Garden Warbler, 3+ Reed Warbler, 2 Willow Warbler and 1 Sedge Warbler. Also in Lytchett Bay, 1 unringed Osprey was seen hunting this afternoon, with 10 Whimbrel, 3 Greenshank and couple of early Swift amongst the hirundines. At Morden Bog, 5 Woodlark and 1 Wheatear were seen, as well as 1 Cuckoo heard.

Today was also the last day at BoPH for our brilliant Events Manager Joe, who will be heading over to Lundy Island for his new position as the Bird Observatory Warden in a few weeks time. He’s been an absolute asset to the charity over the last 3 and a half years, and we wish him the best of luck in his new role – Lundy are lucky to have him!

Flat-calm conditions in the Wareham Channel this morning

After the laying of Osprey pair CJ7’s and 022’s first egg yesterday evening, the pair got straight down to business today, sharing incubation duties on and off throughout the day. All seems in good shape for another laying in the next couple of days. The White-tailed Eagle pair were also around today too, with G466 and G463 seen flying over Coombe Heath, RSPB Arne. Near Godlingdston Heath 2 Tree Pipit were singing, 4 Wheatear were at Greenlands Farm, the Barnacle Goose was still at Swineham, a Cuckoo was calling on Slepe Heath and there were singles of Whinchat, Whitethroat and Wheatear on Hartland.

White-tailed Eagle G466 – Over Coombe Heath – Mark Wright

White-tailed Eagle G463 – Over Coombe Heath – Mark Wright

Male Osprey 022 incubating on the nest

Well, she kept us waiting, but female Osprey CJ7 finally laid her first egg of the season this evening, and what better time to do it than a Friday tea time when hundreds of people could tune in. Luckily for us we were watching at the time and were able to send the link out via social media, but between the two cameras we reckon around 300 people watched the moment live. Although CJ7 arrived on March 31st, it seems her natural laying cycle tends to be around now, with her first egg being on April 23rd last year. Anyway, all being well we should see a second egg around Monday and hopefully a third (and who knows……a fourth) next week some time. Incubation will now be around 37 days, and during that time both CJ7 and 022 will adopt incubation duties. So, lets all keep everything crossed for a successful season ahead. Of course, 1 pair doesn’t constitute the reestablishment of a population, so we’re now also looking forward the return of of some of our 2021 youngsters that were released as part of the reintroduction, which all being well will return in May and June.

Elsewhere around the harbour House Martin have really arrived in numbers with several hundred moving through during the course of the day. At Lytchett Bay an adult male Common Redstart was in scrub at at South Beach, Studland a female Pied Flycatcher was in scrub. At Swineham a Ruff was on the Stilt Pools along with 4 Little Ringed Plover and a Yellow Wagtail. A White-tailed Eagle flew over Wareham train station this afternoon, in Holes Bay south there were 4 Whimbrel and at Morden Bog 2 Cuckoo were calling and 3 Tree Pipit were singing. A Ring Ouzel was in the Ulwell Gap, an Osprey passed over Brownsea where the last remaining Avocet seemed to be courting.

Spring is pressing on and we’re almost in May! There are more good birds on the way and it won’t belong until the first Swifts arrive. Until then we’ll have to make do with the busy arrival of Swallow and Sand Martin that continued to arrive during the course of today, and it even seems some House Martin are back on territory already now. Whimbrel were seen at several sights with 5 in Holes Bay, 5 in Lytchett Bay 3 off Shipstal Point, 3 in Brands Bay and 6 in Middlebere. 3 different White-tailed Eagle were in and around the Wareham Channel. The Peregrine pair on Barclays are either still incubating or may even have newly hatched young? At Swineham 3 Little Ringed Plover were on the pool north of the gravel pit and a Garganey was on the Stilt Pool this evening. A Common Whitethroat was in scrub next to Rock Lea viewpoint and a Cuckoo was at RSPB Arne, with another cuckoo at Lytchett Bay along with 1 Spotted Redshank, 3 Ringed Plover and a newly arrived Common Sandpiper. 

Common Whitethroat – Slepe Heath – Mark Wright

The atmosphere for our Spring Safari Cruise was set this morning with the continuous movement of Swallow low over the harbour as we made our way up the Wareham Channel. The sounds of Mediterranean Gull were hard to miss as they cut through the thousands of Black-headed Gull now active over the Gull islands in the channel, along with 5+ Sandwich Tern using the area to feed. There were 2 Marsh Harrier were active near Swineham, and the high water on the scrapes attracted a lone Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper, along with 1 Barnacle Goose amongst the 3 Egyptian Geese present. Brownsea Lagoon provided views of 5 Spoonbill, 50 Black-tailed Godwit, 10+ Bar-tailed Godwit and 20 Avocet, with numbers of Sandwich and Common Tern continuing to rise. Today’s list of spring migrants also featured 1 Wheatear moving the sea wall of the lagoon and the first local Whinchat of the year reported from the Hyde’s Heath trail at RSPB Arne today. This afternoon, 1 White-tailed Eagle and 1 Red Kite were also seen from Morden Bog.

Spoonbills – Brownsea Lagoon – Alison Copland

Huge fall today at Portland – in fact a staggering 470 birds were ringed at the Observatory by midday! Turning to the Harbour, migrants arrived in the form of a reeling Grasshopper Warbler on Wareham Common and Willow Warbler recorded in good numbers across the recording area.  There was late news of two singing Cuckoo at Middlebere briefly on Friday, the first of the year for Poole Harbour. The gorgeous weather encouraged Woodlark into full song across heathlands and 2 Spotted Redshank was still present from Rock Lea View. There were 4 Common Sandpiper at Lytchett Fields with a Sedge Warbler and 14 Whimbrel and a Common Sandpiper were at Holes Bay while Wheatear were thinly spread with individuals at Lytchett Bay, Holton Lee and Arne. Venturing beyond the recording area, a Hoopoe occupied the cricket field in Swanage. Upton Skylines enjoyed 2 Yellow Wagtail and a circling Red Kite. A White-tailed Eagle was logged over the northern fringes of Poole Town as well as the western shorelines of Arne/Hydes Heath through the day. At Swineham this evening there were over 1000 hirundines this evening with c820 Sand Martin, c205 Swallow and 25 House Martin, also 1 Cuckoo, 3 Sedge Warbler and 6 Reed Warbler. There are still a few Spoonbill kicking about with 1 on Brownsea and 2 in Middlebere.

Wheatear – Lytchett Bay – @nikodogtwite

Mid-April often delivers the next wave of migrants and that rung true today with the harbours first Common Whitethroat of the year in the PCW Drain, and there was a stunning adult Yellow Wagtail on Wareham Common with Lytchett Bay seeing its first Reed Warbler of the spring. A Hobby was over Hartland, Swallow, Sand Martin and House Martin were logged passing in small numbers at numerous locations around the harbour. Off Hydes Heath, RSPB Arne, the White-tailed Eagle pair were seen out in the Wareham Channel, one chasing down a Canada Goose. Our Osprey pair were mega busy this morning nest building and bringing in material to the nest, possibly suggesting that CJ7 could be ready to lay her first egg any moment now.

Yellow Wagtail – Wareham Common – Joe Parker

Umm, the less said about today the better! Another wet and windy day, although bright horizons are just around the corner according to the mort recent forecast. The best (so far) of today was 4 Wheatear at Hartland Stud and 14 Sand Martin flew through Lytchett Bay. It didn’t seem too many people were out birding, but those that were need congratulating for perseverance.

Wheatear (yesterday) – Hartland – Peter Moore