Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre: June 2001

Serin - Southwell, June 30th 2001 © Pete and Debby Saunders

June 30th Highlight today was a male Serin that visited the Obs garden in the morning, and a garden in Southwell in the afternoon. The only other interest was on the sea, where there were 51 Common Scoter, 4 Manx Shearwaters, an Arctic Skua, a Sandwich Tern and a Mediterranean Gull off the Bill. June 29th Once again, the only birds of note were on the sea, with 7 Common Scoter, 2 Manx Shearwaters, a Great Northern Diver and an Arctic Skua past the Bill in the morning. June 28th The sea produced the few birds reported, with 150 Gannets, 22 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Common Scoter, an Arctic Skua and a Sandwich Tern off the Bill. June 27th The only noteworthy birds today were 2 Manx Shearwaters, a Sandwich Tern, a Grey Wagtail and a Chiffchaff at the Bill, 14 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Sanderling and a Dunlin at Ferrybridge, and 2 Arctic Skuas in Chesil Cove. June 26th More of the same again today, with the Bill area producing just 7 Black-headed Gulls, a Curlew and a Chiffchaff. June 25th Back to form today, with the only birds reported being a Grey Heron, a Curlew and a Chiffchaff at the Bill, and 50 Manx Shearwaters milling around offshore there. June 24th Not before time, today saw the arrival of a decent June rarity in the form of a sub-adult Night Heron, although it proved to be only a very brief visitor. It arrived in off the sea over the Obs early in the morning, and was seen a few minutes later over the Top Fields heading towards Southwell; unfortunately it was not relocated. The only other birds of note were a Whimbrel and a Wheatear at the Bill, and a Common Sandpiper at Cheyne Weare. June 23rd The sea produced the only birds of interest today, with 10 commic Terns and 9 Common Scoter passing the Bill in the morning. June 22nd It's not getting any better! Today saw just a lone Buzzard and a few Swifts recorded at the Bill, and a single Manx Shearwater seen on a brief seawatch. June 21st Precious little action again today, with the only birds reported being single Reed and Sedge Warblers at the Bill, and 16 Manx Shearwaters offshore. June 20th A Serin flew over the Obs garden again early in the morning, and other sightings included a Ringed Plover, a Black-headed Gull and a Reed Warbler at the Bill. June 19th A Serin again put in a subliminal appearance at the Obs in the morning, and there were another 2 new Chiffchaffs at the Bill and a Buzzard over the north of the island. The land was otherwise quiet, and it was left to the sea, where there were 4 Arctic Skuas and a few Manx Shearwaters, to provide the only other interest of the day.

Guillemots - Portland Bill, June 18th 2001 © Martin Cade

June 18th It remained very quiet, although there was again just a hint of some movement taking place. Bird of the day was a Serin that was seen briefly over the Obs and at the dung heap beside the Bill Road in the morning. Also there were a Whimbrel, a Curlew, a Black-headed Gull, a Reed Warbler and another new Chiffchaff. A few Manx Shearwaters continued to linger off the Bill, and 11 Common Scoter also passed. June 17th The sea provided most of the interest today, with the highlight being the first Balearic Shearwater of the summer lingering off the East Cliffs at the Bill in the morning; also there were 25 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Arctic Skuas. The land provided just a few Swifts, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Whimbrel at the Bill. June 16th Two Reed Warblers and a Chiffchaff were new arrivals at the Bill, but the only other reports were of small numbers of Manx Sheawaters and an Arctic Skua offshore. June 15th Manx Shearwaters were again offshore in fair numbers, but the only other sightings of note were of 2 Whimbrel and a Reed Warbler at the Bill. June 14th Almost no news at all today, with an afternoon/evening movement of 200 Manx Shearwaters off the Bill being the only worthwhile occurrence. June 13th The summer doldrums continue, with the only noteworthy birds being 2 new Chiffchaffs and a Sand Martin at the Bill, a lone Manx Shearwater on the sea there, and 10 Turnstones, 5 Dunlin and a Bar-tailed Godwit at Ferrybridge. June 12th Still nothing much to show for plenty of effort, with the only migrants at the Bill being a Black Redstart and a Reed Warbler. The sea was scarcely more exciting, with 21 Common Scoter, 12 Manx Shearwaters and 5 commic Terns past the Bill. June 11th Five Sand Martins and a Reed Warbler were new at the Bill today, with seawatching there producing a few Manx Shearwaters, 7 Common Scoter and a late Great Northern Diver. June 10th New migrants today at the Bill included 2 Reed Warbler, a Sedge Warbler and a Blackcap, a Buzzard was also seen over Southwell in the afternoon. Waders at Ferrybridge in the evening included 29 Dunlin, 9 Turnstones, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Redshank. June 9th A Honey Buzzard flew north over the island during the late afternoon, after another unidentified buzzard sp. had flown north at midday. There was otherwise no great change in the migrant situation today, with the Bill area producing 3 Sand Martins, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a Curlew and a Yellow Wagtail. Seawatching produced just 2 Arctic Skuas and a Manx Shearwater off the Bill.

Reed Warbler - Portland Bill, June 8th 2001 © Martin Cade

June 8th Late migrants at the Bill today included 2 Reed Warblers, a Yellow Wagtail and a Spotted Flycatcher, and another 2 Spotted Flycatchers were at Reap Lane. Seawatching produced just a few Manx Shearwaters off the Bill.

June 7th Still no change today, with the only birds of note being a Sand Martin and a Sedge Warbler at the Bill, and a few Manx Shearwaters milling around offshore. June 6th Interesting birds are becoming fewer by the day, with the Bill area producing just a Whimbrel, a Reed Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher. A freshening wind in the afternoon stirred up plenty of Manx Shearwaters offshore, and by the early evening they were passing the Bill at several hundred per hour; single Arctic Skuas also passed both the Bill and Chesil Cove. June 5th The sea provided most of what little interest there was today, with 36 Common Scoter, 32 commic Terns, 26 Manx Shearwaters and a Great Skua off the Bill in the morning. Six Wheatears, a Reed Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher around the Bill area were the only noteworthy migrants on the land. June 4th Late migrants were thin on the ground again today. The Bill area held just 4 Wheatears, 2 Reed Warblers and a Yellow Wagtail, although a Hobby and an unidentified buzzard sp. also flew through during the course of the day. Seawatching revealed just 20 Manx Shearwaters off the Bill. Sanderling increased to 30 at Ferrybridge. June 3rd After several lean days there was a minor flurry of new migrants around the island, with the Bill area producing 7 Spotted Flycatchers, 4 Reed Warblers, 3 Wheatears, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Turtle Dove, a Black Redstart, a Sedge Warbler and a Garden Warbler. Manx Shearwaters continued to figure conspicuously offshore, with more than 600 off the Bill in the morning. On the falling tide in the evening at Ferrybridge there were 36 Dunlin and 17 Sanderling present, but no sign of the putative Kentish Plover reported there during the afternoon. June 2nd Two Hobbies flew north over Weston in the morning, but there was no increase in migrant numbers anywhere, with the Bill area producing just a couple of Spotted Flycatchers. Manx Shearwaters were fairly numerous offshore throughout the day, and 2 Arctic Skuas also passed the Bill. June 1st June hardly arrived with a flourish, with the only birds of note being another meagre sprinkle of late migrants at the Bill, where there were 70 Swifts, 2 Whitethroats, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a Turtle Dove, a Sand Martin, a Reed Warbler and a Willow Warbler.