Saturday 18th, 2026.
After seeing so many beautiful photos of the Red Spotted Bluethroat during the week, I decided I’d get up early to try and see it for myself. So, I was up at 6 a.m., washed, had breakfast, and headed to Wareham for the third time. I managed to grab the last parking spot near the Rugby Club and began the fairly long walk down to the gravel pits. On the way, I chatted with a couple of people heading back who told me the bird had been showing well, but there were already over 15 people queued along the narrow path, and it was only about 7:20! My excitement dipped a little after hearing that. When I reached the dirt track at the start of the GPs, I met a couple with a Welsh accent who asked if I was going to see the bird. They’d come from Tenby and made a weekend of it, planning to visit Arne later.
The weather was lovely, and it was pleasant walking down the track and along the river, surrounded by birdsong. As I rounded a corner, my heart sank a bit seeing all the people ahead, I’m not keen on big crowds. Still, some folks moved and I found myself near the front, though not quite there, as a few photographers were lying on the path with others kneeling behind them. Turns out they’d been there since 5:30 that morning.
Then a gap opened, and through my binoculars I had an incredible view of a small, robin-sized bird with long legs, a vivid blue throat and breast, and a bright red spot. What a stunning little bird , and a fantastic lifer! I snapped a couple of rough record shots; maybe I could’ve done better if I’d stayed put, but having seen it, and with so many others waiting for their turn, I thought it best to make room.
Lifer Red Spotted Blue Throat
After spotting the Blue Throat, I headed over to Middlebere for a wonderful walk across the heath and down the track to the Middlebere hide, taking a slow meander to refamiliarize myself with the area. The sunny, warm morning was alive with birdsong from Chaffinches, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, and Willow Warblers along the track, and on the heathland, Meadow Pipits, Blackbirds, and Dartford Warblers added to the chorus. As I made my way to the hide, I was hoping to see a bird I hadn’t encountered in a while—not for lack of presence, but because I hadn’t sought it out around the Poole Harbour area. Secretly, I’d been wishing one would turn up at my local patch, Longham Lakes, but one can dream. The Ring Ouzel didn’t make an appearance, but I did add three more birds to my county list: Willow Warbler, Cuckoo; my first sighting of the season, and a wonderful Sedge Warbler singing openly in the brambles behind the old barn by the National Trust Cottages. Unfortunately, my camera battery died on the way down the track, so the only photos I managed were of a Meadow Pipit, an Orange Tip, and a Speckled Wood.
Meadow Pipit
