June
30th |
Late or early migrants continue to trickle
through at the Bill, where there were 2 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs,
a Curlew, a Willow Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher
today. Seawatching there produced just 45 Common Scoter
and a few Manx Shearwaters. |
June
29th |
A
Nuthatch - a real Portland rarity with just five previous
records - was the unexpected highlight today at the Royal Naval
Cemetery at Verne Common. A lone Spotted Flycatcher was also
there, whilst elsewhere the only reports were of a Grey Heron,
a Chiffchaff and a few Sand Martins at the Bill.
Seawatching at the Bill produced nothing more than 8 Common Scoter,
5 Manx Shearwaters and a Sandwich Tern. |
June
28th |
Just
a handful of reports from the Bill today. On the sea another 150 Manx
Shearwaters passed through, along with 58 Common Scoter, 3 Sandwich
and 3 commic Terns, and an Arctic Skua. A northward
movement of 140 Swifts was noteworthy, but the only new
arrivals on the land itself were a Blackcap and a Willow
Warbler. |
June
27th |
Another
fly-over Bee-eater at Weston in the morning continued the
extraordinary run of records of this species in June. New arrivals
otherwise included 2 Chiffchaffs and a Grey Heron at the
Bill, and a Spotted Flycatcher at Weston. There was a good
evening passage of 340 Manx Shearwaters past the Bill, and a
total of 8 Balearic Shearwaters were again logged there through
the day. |
June
26th |
The
sea produced most of what little interest there was today: small
numbers of Manx Shearwaters were moving east off the Bill and a
total of 8 Balearic Shearwaters passed west there through the
day. On the land the only birds of note were a Grey Heron and a
Blackcap at the Bill. |
June
25th |
Odds
and sods at the Bill today included a Grey Heron, a Curlew,
a Grey Wagtail, a Robin and a Willow Warbler,
with seawatching there producing 148 Manx and 4 Balearic
Shearwaters, 100 Common Scoter and 2 Sandwich
Terns. |
June
24th |
The
run of Bee-eaters continued with a heard-only fly-over at the
Obs at midday. New migrants on the land included a Hobby and a Chiffchaff
at the Bill and a Spotted Flycatcher at Southwell, whilst
seawatching at the Bill produced 72 Common Scoter, 32 Manx
Shearwaters and 2 Curlew. |
June
23rd |
Highlight
today was another Bee-eater - the fifth in a fortnight - that
flew south over the Obs and on out to sea during the morning. That
aside, the only other reports were of 15 Manx and a Balearic
Shearwater, 12 Common Scoter and an Arctic Skua
off the Bill, and a lone Curlew on the land there. |
June
22nd |
Balearic
Shearwaters became more conspicuous off the Bill today: of the
total of 7 seen, at least 2 lingered offshore for some while feeding
amongst a fishing flock of Gannets and gulls. Also off the Bill there
were a few Manx Shearwaters and 32 Common Scoter. On the
land the best birds were 2 Curlews, 2 Reed Warblers, a Whinchat,
a Robin and a Spotted Flycatcher at the Bill, and
another Reed Warbler at Verne Common. |
June
21st |
Still
very little happening. A Whinchat and the first dispersing
juvenile Chiffchaff (this species doesn't breed at the Bill)
were the only noteworthy birds on the land at the Bill. On the sea
there were the first signs of autumn Common Scoter passage,
with a total of 24 flying west past the the Bill. |
June
20th |
Two
Curlews and a Grey Heron were the only new arrivals on
the land at the Bill, and the sea there produced just 2 Manx
and a Balearic Shearwater. |
June
19th |
The
only reports were from the Bill where there were a few Manx
Shearwaters offshore and a Sand Martin flying south. |
June
18th |
Another
very quiet day, with the only migrants reported being 2 Blackcaps,
a Reed Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher at the Bill (like
several of the 'new' migrants trapped in recent days, the Pied
Flycatcher was a female with a conspicuous brood-patch -
presumably a failed breeder already moving south). Two Great Skuas
and a Balearic Shearwater were the only noteworthy reports from
seawatching at the Bill. |
June
17th |
With
thick fog blanketing the island for most of the day birding was never
easy and only a handful of late migrants were discovered. Three more Reed
Warblers were at the Bill, where there was also a Mistle Thrush
and a Blackcap. Seawatching there produced 11 Manx
Shearwaters and 10 Common Scoter. |
June
16th |
There
was no sign of any Rose-coloured Starlings today and the only
common migrants noted were 4 Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler
and a Spotted Flycatcher at the Bill. Offshore, several Balearic
Shearwaters were reported flying west past the Bill. |
June
15th |
Two
of the Rose-coloured Starlings were still at Southwell today
although they were often rather elusive. Yet another Bee-eater
put in a brief appearance over Southwell and the Obs before it left
out to sea, and another new arrival was a Quail heard calling
and seen briefly between Barleycrates Lane and Reap Lane in the
afternoon. A late Lesser Redpoll was the pick of the
commoner migrants at the Bill, where there were also 2 Spotted
Flycatchers, a Curlew and a Chiffchaff. Elsewhere, 2
Canada Geese flew over Barleycrates Lane. |
Rose-coloured
Starlings - Southwell, June 14th 2002 © Martin Cade
|
June
14th |
Rose-coloured
Starling remained very much the bird of the moment, with a
remarkable 3 together found at Southwell late in the afternoon. At
least 10 Reed Warblers were dotted around the Bill, Southwell
and Weston, but the only other commoner migrants about the area were a
Curlew and a Blackcap at the Bill, and a trickle of Swifts
and hirundines moving north up the West Cliffs. Seawatching at
the Bill produced 7 Common Scoter, 2 Mute Swans, a Balearic
Shearwater and an Arctic Skua. |
Canada Geese -
Portland Bill, June 13th 2002 © Martin Cade
|
June
13th |
A
Rose-coloured Starling - one of the previous birds or a new
individual? - showed up briefly at Avalanche Road, Southwell, today,
and other scarcer visitors included 18 Canada Geese and a Mediterranean
Gull at the Bill and a Tree Sparrow at Barleycrates Lane.
Commoner migrants included 3 Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler
and a Turtle Dove around Weston and Southwell, and a Turtle
Dove and a Garden Warbler at the Bill. Manx Shearwaters
were still off the Bill in fair numbers, but the sea otherwise
produced just 5 Common Scoter. |
June
12th |
Common
migrants continue to trickle through, but today was the first
rarity-free day for over a week. A few hirundines were still
moving north up the West Cliffs, and single Hobbies passed
through at the Bill and Weston. The only grounded migrant of note at
the Bill was a lone Spotted Flycatcher, whilst tardy waders at
Ferrybridge included 10 Sanderling and 5 Dunlin. |
Bee-eater -
Portland Bill, June 11th 2002 © Martin Cade
|
June
11th |
The
day got off to a cracking start with a Bee-eater on wires
between the Obs and the Coastguard Cottages for a few minutes early in
the morning; unfortunately it was downhill all the way after that, and
the only new migrants found in the Bill area were a Blackcap
and a Willow Warbler. Offshore, Manx Shearwaters
remained conspicuous but the only other noteworthy sighting was of a
lone Great Skua. |
June
10th |
The
Rose-coloured Starlings couldn't be found today and it left to
another fly-over Bee-eater at the Obs - the second in three
days - to claim the honours as bird of the day; unfortunately, like
the previous bird, it didn't linger. In very windy weather the only
other new arrival on the land was a lone Willow Warbler
at the Obs. Interest was maintained on the sea with 9 Great and
5 Arctic Skuas, as well as plenty of Manx Shearwaters,
off the Bill, and a further 7 Great and 3 Arctic Skuas
at Chesil Cove. |
June
9th |
The
2 Rose-coloured Starlings were still present at the Bill
early in the morning but, after several hours of heavy rain either
side of midday, they couldn't be found again throughout the late
afternoon and evening. The only commoner migrants found before the
onset of the rain were a couple of Spotted Flycatchers at the
Obs. In increasingly windy weather Manx Shearwaters passed the
Bill in good numbers, and there were also 21 Common Scoter, 4 Arctic
and 4 Great Skuas and 3 Balearic Shearwaters there.
However, much stronger sea passage was reported from Chesil Cove where
the remarkable day-tally included 42 Arctic, 14 Pomarine
and 7 Great Skuas. |
Rose-coloured
Starlings - Portland Bill, June 8th 2002 © Martin Cade
|
June
8th |
The
2 Rose-coloured Starlings showed well all day at the Bill, and
there was more excitement there in the afternoon when a fly-through Bee-eater
was seen from the Obs. New common migrants at the Bill included 5 Spotted
Flycatchers, 3 Reed Warblers, a Lapwing, a Garden
Warbler and a Willow Warbler. |
Rose-coloured
Starling - Portland Bill, June 7th 2002 © Martin Cade
|
June
7th |
Once
again the Rose-coloured Starling proved tricky to catch up with
and was not seen until mid-afternoon when it turned up in the Strips
at the Bill; remarkably, it was then joined by a second individual but
both birds soon left the local Starling flock and were not seen
again before dusk. The only other reports from the area were of 3 Spotted
Flycatchers and a Chiffchaff at the Bill, small numbers of Manx
Shearwaters offshore there and an Arctic Skua and a Black
Swan at Chesil Cove. |
June
6th |
The
Rose-coloured Starling put in a brief early appearance at the
Bill, but it was then not seen again until the evening when it turned
up in Southwell (where many of the local Starlings gather to
roost). Late migrants around the Bill area included 4 Spotted
Flycatchers, 3 Chiffchaffs and a Sand Martin, and
seawatching there produced small numbers of Manx Shearwaters,
26 Common Scoter and 3 Arctic Skuas. |
Rose-coloured
Starling - Portland Bill, June 5th 2002 © Martin Cade
|
June
5th |
Although
the Bluethroat had moved on, rarity interest was maintained
with the discovery of a Rose-coloured Starling that showed well
in the Strips at the Bill during the afternoon; a Quail was
also heard calling briefly in the same area. Commoner migrants
included 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, a Lapwing,
a Turtle Dove and a Garden Warbler at the Bill, whilst
waders at Ferrybridge included 13 Dunlin, 3 Sanderling
and 2 Knot. |
Bluethroat -
Barleycrates Lane, June 4th 2002 © James Lidster and Martin Cade
|
June
4th |
There
was precious little change in the dismal common migrant situation, but
this was more than compensated for when a Bluethroat was
discovered at Barleycrates Lane; it showed well there throughout the
afternoon and was trapped and ringed in the evening (more
in-hand photographs). Commoner fare elsewhere included 4 Spotted
Flycatchers, 2 Wheatears, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap
around the Bill area and Weston. A Mediterranean Gull and an Arctic
Skua were the only birds to show from seawatching at the Bill. |
June
3rd |
The
motley selection of migrants today included 6 Whimbrel, 5 Swifts,
a Grey Heron, a Wheatear, a Whinchat and a Chiffchaff
at the Bill, and 3 Spotted Flycatchers at Southwell.
Seawatching at the Bill produced just 13 Common Scoter and a
few Manx Shearwaters. |
Rock Pipit -
Portland Bill, June 2nd 2002 © John Reeves
|
June
2nd |
Once
again, little to report. The few migrants on the land included a
couple of Reed Warblers, a Hobby, a Yellow Wagtail
and a Sedge Warbler at the Bill, whilst seawatching there
produced just a handful of Manx Shearwaters and commic Terns,
and a single Common Scoter. At Ferrybridge, where passage
waders have been absent for some days, 13 Sanderling and 4 Dunlin
were new arrivals, although the best sighting there was of a pair of Garganey
flying over. |
June
1st |
Slower
all round today. Late migrants were limited to a Turtle Dove
and a Spotted Flycatcher at Weston and a couple of Chiffchaffs
at the Bill, whilst the only oddities were a Tree Sparrow and a
Lesser Redpoll at Barleycrates Lane. In a stiff easterly
breeze, seawatching at the Bill produced just 4 Common Scoter,
10 Manx Shearwaters and 4 commic Terns. |