The first newly fledged Goshawk of the season was photographed at Holton Lee this morning. Where it’s come from is an unknown but surely this bird hasn’t dispersed far?! The raptor was also briefly glimpsed over Lytchett Fields about half on hour later.  Lytchett Bay also featured Great Crested Grebe, 1 Common Sandpiper, 9 Greenshank and 18 Black-tailed Godwit, with a further 4 Common Sandpiper, 15 Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe and 2 Little Ringed Plover on Lytchett Fields. An evening session out around the Wareham Channel area produced female White-tailed Eagle out over the gull islands, 4 different Marsh Harrier including the newly fledged juvenile, up to 15 Common Sandpiper in the mouth of the Frome and 5 Yellow-legged Gulls on the Swineham Scrape. There were also 2 hunting Hobby over Arne, male Osprey 022 was seen with a fish and Peregrine were logged on the cranes at Poole Quay and over Brownsea. Off Arne there were 2 Whimbrel and a single Ringed Plover. Finally, on the Brownsea Lagoon today was 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 50 Dunlin, 4 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper and 104 Common Redshank. 

Juvenile Goshawk – Holton Lee – Tony Furnell

Another extremely hot day, with brief showers and thunderstorms showing up this afternoon. As the storm moved in, hundreds of hirundines were seen foraging over Wareham, mostly consisting of Sand Martin, as well as Swallow and a few House Martin. On the rising tide at Studland this morning, 3 Brent Geese, 4 Whimbrel, 69 Curlew, 31 Mediterranean Gull (including 4 juveniles), 2 Common Gull were counted between the House Boats and Brands Bay, as well as the usual stream of Common Tern and Sandwich Tern. At Lytchett Fields decent numbers of waders are gathering now and this evening there were 15 Green Sandpiper, 9 Greenshank and 4 Common Sandpiper. Also, today a newly fledged juvenile Marsh Harrier appeared from one of the Wareham Channel nests which is fantastic news.

It’s only a matter of days now until the Osprey chicks fledge, and they are really demonstrating just how ready they are. They are strengthening their muscles through wing flapping and helicoptering, meaning that they are taking off from the nest for just a fraction of a second before re-landing, very almost ready for their first flight…

Huge temperatures today largely restricted birding to the cooler hours of the day. That said, a midday visit to Lytchett Fields was rewarded with 9 Greenshank and a large Little Egret flock, c.30 strong, dropped into the bay. We’re gradually starting to see wader numbers increase now as the first returning birds stage in the harbour on their journeys south. Brownsea are seeing an increase in Common Redshank numbers and Brand’s Bay early doors welcomed the first returning Common Gulls (8) back in the harbour along with a supporting cast of 66 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Whimbrel in with the 111 strong Curlew flock (also increasing by the day), 4 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Great Crested Grebe.

Green Sandpiper, Lapwing & Common Sandpiper (left to right) – Lytchett Fields yesterday – Ian Ballam

White-tailed Eagles G801 & G812 were both present but very sedentary in the Wareham Channel this morning. It seems that the only birds to brave being active in todays weather were adults tirelessly feeding their hungry chicks. This included adult male Osprey 022 who was fishing upstream from Giggers Island this morning, where the local Marsh harriers could also be seen hunting over the reed bed. The same was true of the Corfe Peregrines, one of which was hunting over Slepe Heath with it’s single young in constant pursuit.

Elsewhere (and despite the lack of water) the scrapes and meadows around Swineham held 55 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Lapwing, 1 Curlew and 1 Greenshank.

There’s been no further sign of yesterday’s Caspian Tern after its reappearance at Stanpit, Christchurch yesterday evening.

Brownsea Lagoon, Sunrise – Nikki Tutton

Brownsea Lagoon featured its first Caspian Tern in 10 years. There have only been four confirmed Poole Harbour records previously, with all but one of these attributed to Brownsea Lagoon. The rarity, presumably the recent Stanpit Marsh bird which departed at 11am this morning, was picked up by the Dorset Wildlife Trust team around 11:45am and hung around until 2pm before flying north-east towards Evening Hill.

It was great to hear that the Lytchett Bay colour-ringed Greenshank (RN-GB) has returned back for its 8th season winter! This individual was ringed as a juvenile at Seabrook, Montrose Basin, Scotland on 29th September 2015 and has been a seasoned visitor to Lytchett Bay ever since. There were also good numbers of juvenile Common Terns at Brands bay this morning along with 200+ Mediterranean Gulls accompanied by a handful of Curlew and a lone Whimbrel.

Caspian Tern – Brownsea Lagoon – Dorset Wildlife Trust digiscope

The heat is getting a bit brutal, but the breeze that picks up around midday certainly helps cool things down. This morning the White-tailed Eagle pair decided to go for a wander with the male G812 heading back north with the female G801 (worryingly) following him. However, she got as far as Blandford and got cold feet and did a u-turn, heading straight back to the harbour. Phew! No doubt he’ll be back soon. In Holes Bay yesterday over 100 Little Egret were roosting in the Pergins Island roost which is a great mid-summer total, with numbers continuing to build during August. Also in Holes Bay this morning were 42 Redshank and 77 Black-tailed Godwit. At Lytchett Fields, there were 2 Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 30 Lapwing, 6 Greenshank and 58 Common Redshank. A couple of days ago a young Common Redstart was logged (the first of the season) along with an early Yellow Wagtail over Lytchett Fields yesterday.

Little Egret and corvid flock – Pergins Island (yesterday) Martin Adams

Good numbers of waders were reported at Lytchett Fields today, with 78 Redshank, 59 Lapwing, 11 Green Sandpiper, 5 Greenshank, 2 Snipe, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Curlew and 1 juv. Little Ringed Plover present. Also reported at Lytchett Fields were 3 Common Tern, as well as an early Yellow Wagtail and the first Common Gull of the “autumn”. This morning, the 2 White-tailed Eagles seen from yesterday evening’s boat were still present on the Arne shoreline – a promising sign that the new male (G812) may stick around fo longer. A Caspian Tern has also been cause for excitement up at Stanpit Marsh, with hopes that it may put in an appearance on Brownsea Lagoon, however, there are no signs as of yet.

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White-tailed Eagles (yesterday evening) – Arne shoreline – Garry Hayman

This morning, female White-tailed Eagle G801 was once again back in her favoured area of the Wareham Channel, flying over the gull islands, but sadly the male she was with yesterday morning, G812, had already left the area by this morning and traveled back north……..However. Having gone back to a favoured area further north, only to realise the female he’d been hanging out with there had gone, he promptly did a u-turn this evening and arrived back in the Wareham Channel to hook up with G801 again! So we once again have 2 White-tailed Eagles back again….but for how long this time? Hopefully longer than 12 hours. This evening we had a private bird boat charter which ventured up the Wareham Channel where both White-tailed Eagles were on view, plus, male Osprey 022 was seen to catch a fish, also some of the local Marsh Harrier were active at the top of the channel. There were 7 Common Sandpiper in the mouth of the Frome and c50 Black-tailed Godwit were feeding on the mud. There were 2 of the local Peregrine on the cranes at Poole Quay and off Shipstal 17 juvenile Mediterranean Gull were roosting on the water with the local Black-headed Gulls. On the dried up Swineham scrape there were 5 adult Yellow-legged Gull and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. In the Lower Piddle Valley a Hobby and an adult female Kestrel were hunting insects and feeding on the wing. The strangest (and perhaps most worrying) find of the day was an adult Gannet off Redhorn Quay, Brands Bay. If it had been blowing a gale, then perhaps not so unsual, but with Bird flu about, could it potentially be a sick individual?

White-tailed Eagles G801 and G812 – Wareham Channel 

Juv Mediterranean Gull – Shipstal Point

Our Poole Harbour Osprey family looking grand on the webcam this afternoon

Another hot day which drew in another White-tailed Eagle, this time a 2nd cal year male known as G812. He was released on the Isle of Wight in 2021 and today he joined the (currently) resident female G801 where they were seen soaring together high over the Wareham Channel around midday. Whether he sticks around or not is a different question as these young male eagles seem prone to explore as many areas as possible, regardless of whether there’s a lonely female present. At Lytchett Fields there were 71 Common Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 10 Green Sandpiper, 53 Lapwing, 10 Teal and 2 Little Ringed Plover. For the first time this season, male Osprey 022 has been seen fishing regularly out in the Wareham Channel on and off throughout the day. Yesterday he delivered seven fish to the nest, so he’s obviously upping his fishing efforts, perhaps to keep the chicks well fed and hydrated during this hot spell.

White-tailed Eagles G801 and G812 over Wareham Channel – Paula and John Thorpe

White-tailed Eagles G801 and G812 over Wareham Channel – Paula and John Thorpe

White-tailed Eagle and Med Gulls over Wareham Channel – Paula and John Thorpe