With guides with scopes positioned out all over the reserve this weekend, we searched for raptors! Down on combe heath, Osprey fished and perched in the dead trees both days, hobby too were seen all weekend, sunday saw a female sparrowhawk and saturday a female marsh harrier. On saturday, brilliant views of an osprey fishing out of the double decker hide and a kingfisher was seen hunting sligtly smaller fish today.
The best viewpoint for the weekend was the osprey west track observatory; both days hardly a minute passed without osprey being seen fishing perching or eating sometimes 4 at once! Buzzard, kestrel and 3 peregrine falcon were also spotted. A lovely surprise today when I discovered the tawny owl has returned to his old winter roasting spot by the car park.
Lets not forget all the other wildlife seen though; dartford warbler, stonechat, redstart, willow warbler, greenshank, spoonbill, raft spider, grass snake and 28 little egret in one tree!
Which is the "west track observatory"? Is that open to the public?
Unfortunately it isn't open to the public, it is accessable only with a guide (every wednesday whilst the osprey are here we visit the spot on our free wednesday guided walks which start at 10am) hope this helps.
Rob
Information Assistant
Arne
Thanks Rob. Unfortunately Wednesdays clash with other commitments which is a shame. Is it ever accessible at weekends?
Only during advertised events I'm afraid, keep an eye out on our events listings.
Hi Robert on a similar thought I have seen where Ospreys often seen in the Wareham channel area,would the best place to see that from the double decker hide.
You can see osprey pretty much from anywhere on the reserve; they often fish in the middlebere channel, inbetween the reserve and long island, which can be viewed from the shipstal view point and sometimes on a high tide directly in front of the double decker hide. Actually in the wareham channel it would be best to approach from the other side of the harbour, but where exactly I'm afraid I wouldn't be sure....Hope this helps anyway.
Thanks Robert as always as helpful as possible,think the Shipstal view point a very good place and when we were there about August 20th spent a lot of time watching one in a tree close to what we assumed to be a mock nest,the trouble is of course you really need to watch behind you as well which would be over towards Long Island I would guess.