These days Ospreys are getting more & more frequent in Poole Harbour, especially in the Autumn. Ospreys have been using Poole Harbour as an autumnal migration and stopover spot for many years. It also appears that the presence of juvenile Ospreys released by the reintroduction project in the recent pre-Covid years and the breeding pair in the last two years have also helped to attract Ospreys and encourage them to stick around. The vast majority of the sightings are around the Wareham Channel, RSPB Arne peninsula and neighbouring sites.
Ospreys do appear at Studland, especially Brands Bay and Littlesea, but it seems that this is most likely to occur when the other areas are very busy with other Ospreys. Today, two appeared in the late afternoon over the back of Brands Bay. The first was an adult and it quickly caught a fish & disappeared back over the Goathorn Peninsula. The second is also a moulting adult and it has a blue ring on the left leg. Unfortunately, the quality of the photo isn't good enough to read the ring number. However, comparison of photos show this isn't the juvenile 5EO that had been seen in a number of locations in Poole Harbour in early Sep.
