Good news time!

Because we don’t get enough of that, do we? And here it is. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/25/its-spectacular-volunteer-dorset-divers-see-summer-of-surging-seahorses Yes, you saw it right, seahorses are thriving on the Studland side of the harbour, and there’s a colony down at Harbourside too. I’ve only ever seen one, and sadly, it had been caught by an equally endangered sea eagle, but life's like that sometimes and knowing that they are there is amazing enough for me.

If I put this in context, then my delight might make more sense to you. We had an oil spill in the Harbour back in March 2023. Widespread doom and gloom were forecast by the usual suspects who decided that the normal oil spillage from boats on the Quay was a sign of how far the leak had spread. Only, as our lovely Harbour Commissioner pointed out gently, if it had managed to refine itself on the way over!

Then they said that a particularly loved seal had died as a result of pollution. He used to clamber on people’s paddle boards and hitch a lift, as opposed to the one who lives on the other side of Bournemouth and knocks people off their paddle boards, apparently for fun. There was only one small problem. He’d actually died from bird flu two weeks before the oil spill. Still tragic, but it puts the risks in proportion, doesn't it?

It's now 2 years after the so-called disaster, and I’m not saying it wasn’t good, but we have this. https://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/sightings/harbour-update-24-07-2025/ You don’t need to read all about our gorgeous birds if they're not your thing, but the bit that mattered to me was the part about the four peregrine chicks nesting on the roof of Asda, because we regularly see them flying over our garden. Yes, actually flying over our garden in a little Victorian housing estate turned heritage area set between two busy roads! We see kestrels too and buzzards from the hospital and swans flying over in the early morning and at night, which is amazing. You hear the whumph, whumpf of their wings and look up, and they are big. I mean, really, really big. We’ve seen the ospreys hunting too, and owl feathers on Harbourside and the oyster catchers and so many other summer birds.

When I look out of my bedroom window in winter I often see murmurations of starlings. If you believe in the spiritual side of life, then when a starling visits you, it’s a sign of positive changes, community and resilience. They’re also often seen as good luck symbols, and are associated with coming good things and positive transformations. I’ll happily take all of those every single day, thanks, but I think there’s a faint chance that their daily visits could just possibly have something to do with the mealworms in two varieties on our bird feeder in the front garden. We take some with us when we go down to the Harbourside and enjoy watching the young birds who come to us and chatter happily. I’d love to know what they were telling us about their travels and adventures, wouldn’t you?

Wouldn’t it be lovely if I could send you all positive changes, community and resilience? I can’t, but I can tell you about positive changes because people worked hard to clear the oil spill and make a fantastic habitat with the help of National Lottery money. Someday, I may even buy a ticket for it! I’m not one for gambling, but I do feel I ought to.

So see you on Tuesday, and here’s a wild area on reclaimed land to think about when days look bleak. Beneath the surface, it’s building rubble and landfill from the 1960’s. It’s also an amazing habitat and an equally amazing place for humans to cycle or walk, or sit on one of the many seats that don’t get vandalised. There’s a music festival there this weekend, so we’ll hear it in the distance and I’m looking forward to the Abba Tribute Band. I shall sit in the garden with a cold drink and enjoy it and it won’t cost me a penny!

Here’s hoping for nice things for all of you as well.