1st October

A fair spread of birds again today with a Hoopoe in the Moorfield Road horse paddocks stealing the show rarity-wise; yesterday's Turtle Dove was still at the Bill, with a second individual also dropping in at Moorfield Road, whilst among the less regulars there were 3 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Merlins and singles of Mallard, Golden Plover, Yellow-legged Gull and Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Bill and at least 1 more Great Spotted Woodpecker at Easton. The slight improvement in common migrant numbers detected yesterday was maintained, with both Blackcap and Chiffchaff around the 40 mark at the Bill.

Overnight immigrant moth interest included another Radford's Flame Shoulder at the Obs (the third there in recent nights) and the year's first Vestal at the Grove.

Searches for yesterday's Wryneck drew a blank on that front but did turn up this Hoopoe in an adjacent horse paddock 



Linnet numbers are beginning to build and with any luck good-sized flocks should become a familiar sight around the island for the next few weeks; this group were some of the 100 in the Crown Estate Field and another 300 or more were knocking about around Helen's Fields:


It's been a good year for seeing Bottle-nosed Dolphins off the Bill: the crew of this plush yacht were treated to what must have been great views of today's party bow-riding alongside the vessel as it headed along East Cliffs this morning:


It's fortunate that Vestals have a highly characteristic jizz as last night's first for the year was somewhat scale-deficient:


Come the totting up for the year we'd be surprised if it isn't by far the best season ever for Gold Spot at Portland; the first for the year just sneaked in at the end of May so a single at the Grove last night was not only the first for several weeks but also ensured that we have records from six months of this year photos and video © Martin Cade: