March 2007

March 31st

Hardly any change at all with virtually nothing on the move on land or sea. Odds and ends in the Bill area included 8 Wheatears, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Purple Sandpipers and a Blackcap on the land, a Manx Shearwater lingering offshore and the Great Northern Diver still settled off East Cliffs. Elsewhere there were the odd one or two more Wheatears and Chiffchaffs scattered around, a Mediterranean Gull settled off Chesil and a lone Red-throated Diver passing through on the sea there.

March 30th

Shockingly poor today with several visitors failing to record a single summer migrant on their wander round the Bill area. The only reports that did materialise were of 9 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Wheatears, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap at the Bill and further singles of Chiffchaff at Reap Lane and Wheatear at Blacknor. Seawatching produced 15 Common Scoter and 5 Manx Shearwaters passing the Bill.

March 29th

Quieter today in clearer, fresher north-westerlies. Overhead passage diminished to the merest trickle of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Meadow Pipits and finches over the Bill and a lone Merlin over Southwell. On the ground there were 40 Wheatears, 10 Chiffchaffs, 2 Goldcrests and singles of Redwing, Fieldfare and Blackcap at the Bill and singles of Redwing, Fieldfare and Willow Warbler at Avalanche Road. The sea produced a year-tick in the form of 3 Manx Shearwaters passing through off the Bill where 2 Red-throated Divers also passed by and the long-staying Great Northern Diver was still settled offshore.

Overnight moth-trapping at the Obs produced the first Turnip Moth of the year.

 

  

         Wheatear - Portland Bill, March 28th 2007 © Martin Cade

  March 28th

Another fine albeit rather hazy day saw plenty more birds on the move overhead but, Wheatears and Chiffchaffs aside, not too much on the ground. A couple of sample hour-long counts on the West Cliffs in the Barleycrates Lane area produced nearly 900 Meadow Pipits, 110 Sand Martins, 24 Linnets, 16 Swallows, 6 Goldfinches and a White Wagtail passing through, whilst the scatter of migrants on the ground included 100 Wheatears, 50 Chiffchaffs, 9 Redwings, 4 White Wagtails, 2 Blackcaps, a Black Redstart, a Fieldfare and a Goldcrest around the centre and south of the island. Six Shelduck and a lone Red-throated Diver were the only birds of interest spotted passing through in the murk off the Bill.

 

        

       

         Powdered Quaker and a few fly-by migrants: White Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Sand Martin - Portland Bill, March 27th 2007 © Martin Cade

  March 27th

Plenty more visible passage today but not so much grounded. House Martin and Tree Pipit were both firsts for the year passing through on the West Cliffs at Barleycrates Lane where a one hour sample count also produced totals of 752 Meadow Pipits, 46 Sand Martins, 36 Linnets, 16 Wheatears, 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 12 White Wagtails, 12 Goldfinches and 5 Pied Wagtails on the move northwards; a dozen Swallows and a Merlin were amongst an otherwise similar list of species logged passing through at the Bill where 'the' Marsh Harrier also appeared overhead early in the morning. On the ground, Wheatears were more numerous than yesterday (including 40 at the Bill) but Chiffchaffs were more thinly spread. Seawatching at the Bill produced 40 Common Scoter and a single Great Skua, whilst elsewhere there were 2 Shoveler settled off Chesil Beach and the Velvet Scoter was still in Portland Harbour.

Hummingbird Hawk-moths were on the wing at the Obs and in two gardens at Southwell, whilst overnight moth-trapping at the Obs produced the first Powdered Quaker of the year.

 

  

         Speckled Wood - Portland Bill, March 26th 2007 © Martin Cade

  March 26th

Whilst it wasn't quite at the level of the floodgates opening there was nonetheless a huge improvement in migrant numbers today (...there's something about Monday mornings!). Meadow Pipits and Chiffchaffs dominated with the centre and south of the island providing totals of around 3000 of the former arriving in off the sea and 100 of the latter grounded. Further totals from the same area included 50 Linnets, 30 alba wagtails, 18 Wood Pigeons, 15 White Wagtails, 7 Stock Doves, 5 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Cormorants, a Curlew and a few Chaffinches flying north and 10 Wheatears, 2 Water Rails (at Culverwell), 2 Goldcrests, a Black Redstart, a Blackcap, a Willow Warbler (at Southwell) and a Firecrest (at the Obs) on the ground. The only reports from elsewhere were of another Black Redstart near Portland Castle and singles of Common and Velvet Scoter in Portland Harbour. With the wind still a little too far into the north-east the sea remained disappointingly quiet with a single passing Red-throated Diver and two settled Puffins the only birds of note at the Bill (rather gallingly one of the Portland regulars who is staying for a few days across the water on the Cherbourg peninsular phoned to report good numbers of divers, Brent Geese, Common Scoter and Sandwich Terns on the move this morning on the other side of the Channel from us).

On the butterfly front the first Speckled Wood of the spring was on the wing at the Obs.

 

  

         Canada Goose - Portland Bill, March 25th 2007 © Martin Cade

  March 25th

It was a sad sign of the times that the birds of the day were a pair of Canada Geese that did a round of the Bill early in the morning; the only other reports from there were of 3 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Chiffchaffs, and a Wheatear on the land, 2 Rooks and a Kestrel arriving in off the sea and 5 Common Scoter and 2 Red-throated Divers passing through on the sea (where at least 1 Puffin was seen several times for the first time in ten days or so). Elsewhere the Velvet Scoter was still present in Portland Harbour.

 

  

  

         more Pied and White Wagtails - Portland Bill, March 24th 2007 © Martin Cade

  March 24th

Still precious little to report with 5 Wheatears, a White Wagtail, a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest the only migrants grounded at the Bill where there was also a small but unquantified passage of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, alba wagtails and Meadow Pipits arriving in off the sea and 4 wintering Purple Sandpipers were still present.

March 23rd

It would be no exaggeration to describe routine migration at present as being dreadful, with totals at the Bill today of just 8 Wheatears, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Redwings, 2 Goldcrests, a Redshank and a Fieldfare; a single Black Redstart was the only addition to an otherwise similar list of grounded migrants in the Reap Lane/Barleycrates Lane area. The sea fared no better with 4 of the 5 passing Common Scoter at the Bill heading west (the 'wrong' way at this time of year!). The only other news was of the settled Great Northern Diver still off East Cliffs at the Bill and the wintering Water Rail still at Culverwell.

March 22nd

Very disappointing today after a change in the weather - a clear, starry night giving way to an overcast and wet dawn - looked likely to have dropped more in the way of new arrivals. In the event the paltry migrant total at the Bill consisted of just 5 Goldcrests, 3 Wheatears, 3 Chiffchaffs, a Black Redstart and a Blackcap. The only other reports were of a Pheasant at the Bill, a Great Northern Diver settled off East Cliffs and 5 Guillemots, 5 Razorbills, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, a Black-throated Diver and the Velvet Scoter in Portland Harbour.

March 21st

A tiny improvement today including a decent scarcity in the form of a Continental Coal Tit that dropped in briefly early in the morning at Culverwell with a passing party of Great Tits. The common migrant tally at the Bill didn't get beyond 13 Wheatears, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Goldcrests and a Redwing, whilst elsewhere there were the odd few extra Wheatears and Chiffchaffs along with a White Wagtail at Weston and another Redwing at Barleycrates Lane. 

March 20th

Another pretty dismal showing of migrants today with nothing more reported than 4 Chiffchaffs, 3 Wheatears and a Goldcrest at the Bill, 5 Wheatears at Ferrybridge and a Chiffchaff at Reap Lane. The only other news was of a Red-throated Diver passing through off the Bill and a Mediterranean Gull in Portland Harbour.

March 19th

Although it wasn't quite as cold and windy as yesterday it was still unpleasant enough to keep most birders indoors. The only reports were of 'the' Marsh Harrier over the Bill again and at least 3 Wheatears and decent numbers of grounded Meadow Pipits there.

March 18th

The few people who did bother to venture out today had very little reward in a blasting, cold north-westerly. Wheatears just about reached double figures at the Bill where a Sand Martin passed through and 2 Purple Sandpipers were still present.

March 17th

Pretty dire today with an extremely negligible overnight arrival of migrants consisting of little more than the odd one or two Wheatears, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests here and there; as the morning wore on a light overhead passage of Meadow Pipits developed, Wheatears dropped in in better numbers (25 or more in the Bill area around midday) and a new Firecrest arrived at the Obs. The only other reports were of 9 Purple Sandpipers at the Bill, a Great Northern Diver settled offshore there and 2 Red-throated Divers and a Mediterranean Gull passing through on the sea.

Overnight moth-trapping at the Obs produced a Pearly Underwing and the first Red Chestnut of the year.

 

       

         Early Tooth-striped - Portland Bill, March 16th 2007 © Martin Cade

  March 16th

There was a slightly busier first few hours of the day after an overnight shower and overcast skies dropped a sprinkle of common migrants but nothing lingered long once the skies cleared again. Coverage of the south of the island between the Bill and Barleycrates Lane produced early morning totals of 40 Chiffchaffs, 15 Wheatears, 10 new Great Tits, 5 Redwings, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Goldcrests, a Fieldfare and a Firecrest on the ground and 150 Meadow Pipits, 25 alba wagtails (including several White Wagtails) and 15 Linnets passing through overhead. 'The' Marsh Harrier also appeared again over the centre of the island and a Merlin showed up at Easton Lane. A light offshore breeze spoilt seawatching, with nothing more than a Red-throated Diver and a Mediterranean Gull passing through off the Bill.

An Early Tooth-striped was a notable overnight capture in the Obs garden moth-traps (the only previous records are of singles in 1989 and 1990); immigrant interest was provided by singles of Pearly Underwing and Dark Sword Grass, whilst Small Quaker and Clouded Drab were both year-ticks

 

       

        

  Dotted Border, Dark Sword Grass and yesterday's Common Buzzard and Marsh Harrier - Portland Bill and Southwell, March 15th 2007 © Martin Cade (the moths) and Pete Saunders (the raptors)

  March 15th

Plenty more very fine weather today but, as in recent days, not the sort of conditions to expect much of an arrival of common migrants. The first Ring Ouzel of the spring was more or less on cue at Barleycrates Lane but otherwise there were just the odd ones and twos of White Wagtail, Sand Martin, Wheatear, Redwing, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest everywhere; the only unexpected newcomer was a Cettis's Warbler heard giving a couple of bursts of song at Bowers Quarry. On the sea an eastward passage of Razorbills (that included a sample count of 400 in 15 minutes) off the Bill was noteworthy but otherwise the only birds on the move there were 26 Black-headed Gulls and a lone Great Northern Diver. The only other news was of the Velvet Scoter still in Portland Harbour.

Hummingbird Hawk-moths today included 3 at Weston and a single at Southwell, whilst overnight moth-trapping at the Obs produced a Dark Sword Grass amongst small numbers of resident species.

Late news for yesterday: a Firecrest was at Royal Manor School and the first Small White butterfly of the year was on the wing at Barleycrates Lane.

 

      

  

      

  Hooded Crow and Oak Beauty - Portland Bill, March 14th 2007 © Martin Cade

  March 14th

A millpond-calm sea, clear blue skies and shirt-sleeves warmth lent an almost summer-like feel to proceedings today. On the bird front the highlight was an early morning Hooded Crow that was seen settled in Top Fields at the Bill before flying out to sea and then returning northwards. A Marsh Harrier (thought to be the same individual that appeared yesterday and twice last week) did another few circuits of the island, the first Puffin of the year was off the Bill in the morning and commoner migrants included 15 Wheatears, 7 Sand Martins, 4 Goldcrests, 2 Redwings, 2 Chiffchaffs, a White Wagtail and a Long-tailed Tit at the Bill and singles of Merlin, White Wagtail, Redwing and Chiffchaff at Barleycrates Lane. The sea produced nothing better than a few more Red-throated Divers: 3 past Chesil and 2 past the Bill.

A party of Harbour Porpoise numbering well into double figures (and thought possibly to involve considerably more animals than this) were lingering distantly off the Bill during the morning.

The first Painted Lady of the year was on the wing at Weston.

Oak Beauty and Dotted Border were recorded for the first time this year in the Obs garden moth-traps.

 

  

  

 

  Dotted Chestnut, Adder (with Slow-worm) and Juniper Shieldbug - Portland Bill, East Weare and Easton, March 13th 2007 © Martin Cade (the moth), Emma Cockburn (the reptiles) and Ken Dolbear (the shieldbug)

  March 13th

The pick of today's birds were a Marsh Harrier over the Bill during the afternoon, a Firecrest lingering on at the Obs and a slightly better arrival of commoner migrants including 25 Chiffchaffs, 4 Wheatears, 4 Goldcrests, a Merlin and a Redwing at the Bill and another Redwing at Barleycrates Lane. Three more Red-throated Divers and a Mediterranean Gull passed through off the Bill and 2 Slavonian Grebes and a Great Northern Diver were in Portland Harbour.

Moth numbers are picking up a little at the Obs where year-ticks in recent nights have included Early Thorn, Angle Shades and Common Quaker; a single Dotted Chestnut - only the fourth record for the island - was a more noteworthy capture in the traps last night.

Other wildlife highlights in recent days have included the discovery of Juniper Shieldbugs (a new species for the island?) in a small ornamental park at Easton and Adders in some numbers at East Weare.

March 12th

The forecast overnight cloud-cover didn't materialise until a little while into the morning although when it did finally show up it dropped a small flurry of alba wagtails, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and a single Firecrest (but, strangely, not a single Wheatear) at the Bill . Yesterday's Black Redstart was also still at the Bill along with 6 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Turnstones and a Ringed Plover on the land and 12 Common Scoter, 6 Red-throated Divers, 3 Brent Geese and a Velvet Scoter passing through on the sea.

March 11th

There was a hint of spring passage picking up offshore where 19 Common Scoter, 17 Black-headed Gulls and 10 Red-throated Divers passed through off the Bill but the land was as quiet as it has been in recent days with nothing much more than 10 Chiffchaffs, 5 Wheatears, 3 White Wagtail, 2 Black Redstart and 2 Blackcaps dotted about between the Bill and Ferrybridge. Seven Purple Sandpipers remained at the Bill and odds and ends lingering on in Portland Harbour included singles of Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe and Velvet Scoter.

Two Bottle-nosed Dolphins lingered about off the Bill for a while during the morning.

March 10th

If anything the weather has become a little too fair in recent days and grounded migrants are pretty thinly spread. Today provided little more than 2 Wheatears, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Black Redstart at the Bill and 2 White Wagtails, a Wheatear and a Blackcap at Barleycrates Lane, along with small numbers of Meadow Pipits, alba wagtails and Chaffinches passing overhead everywhere. The only other reports were of 3 Purple Sandpipers still at the Bill and a Mediterranean Gull passing through on the sea there.

Early Hummingbird Hawk-moths continued to feature with singles seen today at Verne Common, Chiswell and Southwell.

 

       

  

  White and Pied Wagtails - Southwell School, March 9th 2007 © Martin Cade

  March 9th

Another light sprinkle of arrivals today including 7 White Wagtails, 2 Wheatears and a Chiffchaff in the Reap Lane/Barleycrates Lane area, 3 White Wagtails at Southwell School, a Grey Wagtail over Weston, a Chiffchaff at Easton, a Fieldfare at Kingbarrow Quarry and 4 Wheatears, a Black Redstart, a Chiffchaff and a Firecrest at the Bill. The only other reports were of 2 Red-throated Divers and 2 Brent Geese passing through off the Bill and 2 Great Northern Divers and 2 Slavonian Grebes in Portland Harbour.

 

  

  

  Blackcap and Long-tailed Tit - Portland Bill, March 8th 2007 © Martin Cade

  March 8th

The fine weather continued and early migrants continued to trickle through. New arrivals included half-a-dozen Wheatears scattered between the Bill and Barleycrates Lane and 2 Bullfinches, a Chiffchaff, a Long-tailed Tit and a very early Blackcap at the Bill; there was also a small passage of Chaffinches overhead and one of yesterday's Firecrests remained at the Bill. In an offshore breeze the sea didn't come up with anything better than a Red-throated Diver and a Mediterranean Gull passing through off the Bill, whilst elsewhere there were still several Great Northern Divers, 5 Slavonian Grebes, a Black-throated Diver and a Common Scoter in Portland Harbour.

The recent flurry of Hummingbird Hawk-moth sightings continued with one seen today at Mallams.

 

  

  

  yesterday's Kidney-spot Ladybird and today's Marsh Harrier - Portland Bill, March 7th 2007 © Ken Dolbear (the ladybird) and Martin Cade (the harrier)

  March 7th

Another nice day with a tally of year ticks that included a Dartford Warbler at the Bill, a Wheatear at Reap Lane and singles of Swallow and Sand Martin flying north along the cliffs at Weston. Two new Firecrests joined the individual that arrived yesterday at the Obs, yesterday's Marsh Harrier reappeared and roamed widely around the island, White Wagtails included 2 at Weston and a single over the Bill whilst more than 30 alba wagtails and a trickle of small parties of Meadow Pipits passed overhead at the Bill; other odds and ends included a littoralis Rock Pipit at the Bill, 3 Common Buzzards lingering over the centre and south of the island and another single bird flying north at the Bill that looked as though it had just arrived in off the sea, a couple of Common Scoter passing through off the Bill, 8 Great Northern Divers, 5 Slavonian Grebes and a Black-throated Diver in Portland Harbour and 5 Pale-bellied Brent Geese again at Ferrybridge.

A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was on the wing at the Bill during the afternoon.

A Kidney-spot Ladybird found yesterday at Barleycrates Lane was thought to constitute a first record for the island.

 

  

  

  

  Firecrest, Marsh Harrier and Comma - Portland Bill, March 6th 2007 © Martin Cade

  March 6th

Despite the non-appearance of the long overdue first Wheatear of the spring there was plenty enough to keep interest going in what turned out to be easily the warmest and most pleasant day of the year so far. The first Firecrest of the year showed up at the Obs, where there were also 2 new Chiffchaffs and several new Robins and Blackbirds. A Lapwing was fresh in elsewhere at the Bill, Purple Sandpipers increased to 12 and the bird of the day was a Marsh Harrier that flew south down the island before returning northwards. A decent list of sightings from Portland Harbour included 12 Great Northern and a Black-throated Diver, 2 Slavonian Grebes and the Velvet Scoter.

The fine weather brought out quite a few common butterflies but there was no sign of last weekend's Large Tortoiseshell at the Obs.

March 5th

Precious little reward again today. The only reports were of a Goldcrest at the Bill, a lone Common Scoter passing through on the sea at the Bill, 5 Great Northern Divers, a Black-throated Diver and a Slavonian Grebe in Portland Harbour and another Great Northern Diver at Ferrybridge.

March 4th

A very meagre list today in dreadful wet and windy conditions. Seawatching at the Bill in the morning produced 290 Gannets, 150 Kittiwakes and 38 Fulmars passing by, whilst the only news was of 2 Kittiwakes, a Great Northern Diver and the Velvet Scoter in Portland Harbour.

 

              

                

  

   

  

  

  This evening's lunar eclipse and three record shots of the Large Tortoiseshell (which couldn't have chosen more inconvenient places to settle) with a Small Tortoiseshell for comparison - Portland Bill, March 3rd 2007 © Martin Cade

  March 3rd

In a veritable butterfly-fest at the Bill, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell were seen at various times during the day but pride of place went to a very mobile Large Tortoiseshell - the second recorded this year - that appeared for a few minutes in the morning in the Obs garden.

Another Hummingbird Hawk-moth was on the wing at Verne Common today.

The birds were something of a poor relation with the only reports being of 3 Purple Sandpipers and a Goldcrest at the Bill, a Red-throated Diver past on the sea at the Bill and 4 Slavonian Grebes, 3 Great Northern Divers and a Common Scoter in Portland Harbour.

March 2nd

There was a quite nice spring-like feel to the morning (before rain set in again during the afternoon!) but new arrivals consisted of little more than 2 Goldcrests and a Redwing at the Bill, another 2 Redwings at Southwell and another Goldcrest at Suckthumb Quarry. The wintering Water Rail was seen at Culverwell for the first time in some weeks, 5 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Rooks and a Turnstone were at the Bill and 4 Eider, 3 Common Scoter and 2 Red-throated Divers passed through on the sea at the Bill. 

A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was on the wing at Southwell this morning.

March 1st

New month, same old birds. The only slight change reported was an increase to 6 in Slavonian Grebe numbers in Portland Harbour. The Velvet Scoter was also still in the Harbour but the only other news was of 2 Purple Sandpipers at the Bill and 2 Goldcrests at Easton.