Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre: 12th August

Passage is struggling to get beyond the routine at the moment with daily small flurries of departing summer migrants but not a hint of birds of more distant origin. Today's samey tally at the Bill included 40 Willow Warblers, 9 Tree Pipits, 3 Yellow Wagtails, a Garden Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher, with another couple of Pied Flycatchers in the middle of the island. At Ferrybridge, a Marsh Harrier passed over and later departed to the south from the Bill, whilst wader totals increased a little and included 133 Ringed Plover, 82 Dunlin, 5 Sanderling and 3 Common Sandpipers.

This morning's Marsh Harrier over Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders:

After a slow start, Wheatears have been getting a little more numerous in recent days © Geoff Orton:

We're struggling to cope with the bug numbers during the current hot spell: the moth-traps have been rammed and take an age to work through, whilst by day there seems to be just so much about that we're getting the feel that we're missing things amongst the numbers - surely there'll be the odd Southern Migrant Hawker or Long-tailed Blue tucked away somewhere? Splashes of colour are everywhere - Jersey Tiger © Roy Norris...