Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre: December 2004

December 31st More of the same to end the year. Both the Chiffchaff and the Blackcap were still in the Obs garden, with the Bill area also producing 5 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Turnstones, a Pheasant and a Redwing. Offshore, the resident Scoter flock numbered 25, whilst a Great Skua and a Red-throated Diver passed through. Elsewhere there were 10 Long-tailed Tits and a Chiffchaff at Southwell. December 30th With the temperature having shot up overnight it felt almost spring-like and some of the birds on view were hardly seasonal. Single Chiffchaffs were new arrivals at the Obs and at Southwell (the latter joining a second individual that had arrived there a few days ago); the wintering Blackcap was still in the Obs garden and a Goldcrest was at Southwell. More appropriate sightings for the time of year included a Redwing at the Bill and 4 Red-throated Divers passing through offshore. Late news for recent days: a Chiffchaff was in a garden at Southwell on 25th, 28th and 29th. December 29th Calmer, duller conditions allowed for a better look at Portland Harbour, where there were now 7 Black-necked Grebes along with 2 Black-throated Divers, a Great Northern Diver and a Little Grebe. Five Red-throated Divers passed through off the Bill where the resident Scoter flock has dwindled to just 17 birds in recent days; 3 Redwings, a Blackcap and a Goldcrest were the pick of the sightings there on the land.

Great Skua - Portland Bill, December 28th 2004 © Martin Cade

December 28th After a stormy and wet night it was again clear and sunny today although a stiff north-west wind made birding difficult. A Great Skua was again lingering off the Bill but diver movement was restricted to just a single Red-throated passing through; 10 Purple Sandpipers were also on the shore at the Bill. Elsewhere there were 2 Black-necked Grebes off Sandsfoot Castle (only the second sighting in Portland Harbour this winter) and up to 3 Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge/Portland Harbour. December 27th A crisp, clear and sunny morning provided ideal conditions for divers to get moving and a total of 32 Red-throateds passed the Bill by early afternoon; a Great Skua was again offshore harrying the feeding gulls but the only other birds on the move there were 2 Wigeon and a lone Velvet Scoter. Elsewhere, 6 Redwings and a Blackcap were in the Obs garden, a Chiffchaff was at Shepherd's Dinner and 2 Red-throated Divers and several Guillemots were reported from Portland Harbour. Late news for 24th December: a Merlin was seen at Weston Street. December 26th A Great Skua lingered amongst the feeding gulls off the Bill during the morning but the only birds on the move there were 6 passing Red-throated Divers. At least one of the wintering Blackcaps was still in the Obs garden. December 25th Only a couple of short seawatches at the Bill to report on today, although the first did reveal the highest auk numbers so far this winter with a westward movement of between 100 and 150 per minute - almost exclusively Razorbills - for nearly an hour during the morning; numbers had declined to nothing more than a trickle in the afternoon. The resident Common Scoter flock was still present and single Red-throated and Great Northern Divers also passed through. December 24th A windy and at times very wet day that saw birding limited to the occasional peer outside from the Obs lounge. Kittiwake numbers continued to increase, with more than 600 feeding offshore during the morning, but the only other sightings were of the flock of 60 Common Scoter still offshore and the 2 Blackcaps still in the Obs garden. December 23rd The sea has been providing most of what little interest there's been in recent days and that proved to be the case again today. A substantial feeding flock of gulls and Gannets has been building up around the tide race off the Bill lately, with 300 Kittiwakes, 70 Gannets and 2 Mediterranean Gulls among larger numbers of Herring and Common Gulls there today; the flock of 60 Common Scoter remained offshore and 2 Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver passed by there. Elsewhere the 2 wintering Blackcaps were still in the Obs garden, a Little Egret and a Pheasant were at Grove Point and a Firecrest was at East Weare. December 22nd Only very limited coverage today in wet and windy conditions. The Common Scoter flock off East Cliffs increased to 65, 3 Red-throated Divers passed through off the Bill and a Redwing and a Blackcap were in the Obs garden. December 21st The only reports today were of the 2 Blackcaps still in the Obs garden, 4 Brent Geese and 2 Red-throated Divers passing through off the Bill, 55 Common Scoter settled off East Cliffs, 19 Little Egrets and 3 Shelduck at Ferrybridge and a Black Redstart at the Grove. Late news for recent days: a Ring-billed Gull was reported at Ferrybridge yesterday but there was no sign of it there today; Firecrests have been seen quite frequently at Verne Common recently where there have also been occasional sightings of Woodcocks at dusk (but there has been no sign of any Long-eared Owls there so far this winter). December 20th A hint of chill in the air seemed to have got a few birds moving on the land and sea today. Seawatching at the Bill produced a steady flow of passing auks (which have otherwise been in quite low numbers so far this winter) along with 22 Red-throated Divers, 10 Common Scoter, 6 Wigeon, 5 Teal, 2 Brent Geese and a Red-breasted Merganser; the resident flock of 50 Common Scoter were also still offshore. On the land 10 Lapwings passed overhead at the Bill, where there were also 2 Redwings and 2 Blackcaps. A Chiffchaff was a new arrival at Southwell where a lone Black Redstart was also present. December 19th Heavy rain overnight gave way to clearer conditions and a chilly north-easterly blow. The wintering Blackcap in the Obs garden was joined by a second individual but the only other new arrival there was a single Fieldfare. Three Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver passed through offshore where the wintering flock of Common Scoter were still present. Elsewhere there were 4 Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge. December 18th With the forecast heavy rain holding off for much of the day there was better coverage of the island today. The Bill area produced 10 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Turnstones, a Fieldfare and a Redwing, the Common Scoter flock remained off East Cliffs, 2 Red-throated and 2 Great Northern Divers passed through off the Bill, 5 Mediterranean Gulls were at Ferrybridge, 6 Redwings were at Portland Castle and 2 Eider, a Slavonian Grebe and a Mediterranean Gull were in Portland Harbour. December 17th A quite stormy day and the only reports were of the Scoter flock still off East Cliffs, another single Red-throated Diver passing through off the Bill and a Fieldfare at Culverwell December 16th The quiet weather of recent weeks gave way to wind and rain and there was precious little coverage of the island. The only news was of the 60 Common Scoter still off East Cliffs, a single Red-throated Diver passing the Bill and a Firecrest at Easton.

Blackcap - Portland Bill, December 15th 2004 © Martin Cade

December 15th Thrushes have remained on the move much later than usual this year and last night produced another heavy nocturnal passage of Redwings over the Bill, with 60 more passing through there after dawn. The only other reports were of a Lapwing at the Bill, the wintering Blackcap still in the Obs garden and 60 Common Scoter still off East Cliffs. December 14th Just routine fare today, with the best on offer being a Black Redstart at Weston, 5 Fieldfares, 3 Redwings, a Blackcap and a Brambling at the Bill, 60 Common Scoter and 2 Mediterranean Gulls lingering off East Cliffs and 5 Brent Geese and 2 Red-throated Divers passing through off the Bill.

White-fronted Geese - Portland Bill and Fortuneswell, December 13th 2004 © Martin Cade

December 13th An unexpectedly productive day, with the pick of the bunch being a small influx of White-fronted Geese: a lone bird wandered around the Bill area during the morning, whilst a party of 3 that arrived on a playing-field at Fortuneswell at midday later moved down the island and settled near the Windmill Stables off Weston Street. The land otherwise produced 3 Lapwings, 3 Redwings, a Golden Plover, a Snipe and a Blackcap at the Bill, a Black Redstart at Weston Street, a Pheasant on the shore below Grove Point and 400 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, a Pale-bellied Brent and 2 Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge. Seawatching at the Bill provided 7 Brent Geese, 3 Shelduck, 2 Eider and a Red-throated Diver passing through and 50 Common Scoter still settled offshore. December 12th Grey skies and a cold wind made for unpleasant birding again today, and the only news was of 750 Brent Geese and a Shoveler at Ferrybridge, 15 Redwings and 2 Fieldfares at Avalanche Road, 5 Redwings, 5 Fieldfares, 2 Lapwings, a Golden Plover and a Blackcap at the Bill and 50 Common Scoter still off the East Cliffs. December 11th More of the same at the Bill, where there were 4 Fieldfares, 3 Redwings, 2 Turnstones, a Snipe and a Blackcap on the land and 25 Common Scoter still lingering offshore. December 10th A surprisingly long and varied list from the Bill area today. Overnight, large numbers of Redwings could be heard passing overhead and a few continued to trickle through after dawn; 8 Snipe, 3 Fieldfares, 2 Golden Plovers, 2 Lapwings and a Blackcap were also logged on the land. The flock of 60 Common Scoter remained offshore, where a Mediterranean Gull also lingered and 12 Teal, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Red-throated Diver passed through. December 9th Precious little coverage today, with a fresh south-east wind and very gloomy skies having kept most visitors away. A Redwing, a Fieldfare and a Blackcap were in the Obs garden and 60 Common Scoter were still offshore at the Bill. December 8th The only news today was from the Bill where there was a Golden Plover and a Fieldfare on the land and 60 Common Scoter and a Mediterranean Gull lingering offshore.

December 7th A pleasantly mild and still day that produced another late Swallow over the Obs, a total of 6 Goldcrests scattered between the Bill and Easton, a Black Redstart at Weston, a Firecrest at Southwell, 2 Black-throated Divers in Portland Harbour, 3 Red-throated Divers passing through off the Bill and 60 Common Scoter settled off the East Cliffs. December 6th A Fieldfare was a new arrival at the Bill, where there were also 3 Purple Sandpipers and a Turnstone. The Common Scoter flock remained off the East Cliffs, a Mediterranean Gull was again lingering amongst the feeding gulls offshore, where a lone Red-throated Diver also passed through. December 5th One or two surprises to report, notably a Barn Owl seen last night beside the Bill Road near Culverwell and a late Swallow passing through at the Bill today. More routine sightings today included a Water Rail, a Blackcap and a Brambling at the Bill, a Firecrest at Southwell, 57 Common Scoter settled off the Bill, a Mediterranean Gull lingering offshore there and 2 Red-throated Divers passing through on the sea. December 4th The island was remarkably bereft of birds today, with the only news being of a new Goldcrest in the Obs garden and 50 Common Scoter settled offshore at the Bill. December 3rd A crisp, clear morning produced 5 Snipe and a Fieldfare as new arrivals at the Bill; the 2 wintering Blackcaps were still in the Obs garden and 25 Common Scoter and 2 Mediterranean Gulls were lingering offshore (the 2 Velvet Scoters haven't been seen there for a couple of days).

December 2nd The Black Brant (although its incomplete neck-ring might indicate it is a hydrid/intergrade) was again at Ferrybridge at midday. The only only news was of 2 Blackcaps, a Lapwing and a Redwing at the Bill and 40 Common Scoter still offshore there. December 1st Highlight today was a Black Brant amongst the Brent Goose flock at Ferrybridge early in the afternoon. There was otherwise poor coverage of the rest of the island, with the only news being of 6 Purple Sandpipers, a Blackcap and a Brambling at the Bill, the mixed Scoter flock still present offshore and 5 Eider flying past the Bill.