31st January

Portland Bill Merlin 1.

Blacknor Black Redstart 1. 

30th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1e, Great Northern Diver 1etc, Merlin 1, Water Rail 1, Purple Sandpiper 4, Black Redstart 1, Chiffchaff 1.

29th January

Portland Bill Chiffchaff 2.

28th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1e 2w, Velvet Scoter 1w, Purple Sandpiper 5, Redwing 1, Black Redstart 1, Chiffchaff 3; + Common Dolphin 6, Harbour Porpoise 4.

27th January

Blacknor Black Redstart 1.

26th January

Portland Bill diver spp 2w, Purple Sandpiper 9, Redwing 1, Black Redstart 1, Chiffchaff 2.

Fortuneswell Black Redstart 1.

Chesil Cove Red-throated Diver 1.

Portland Harbour Great Northern Diver 1, Slavonian Grebe 1, Black-necked Grebe 12, Common Scoter 1.

25th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1e, Short-eared Owl 2, Chiffchaff 2.

Pennsylvania Castle Firecrest 1.

Wakeham Chiffchaff 1.

Chesil Beach Red-throated Diver 2, Common Scoter 2.

24th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 4e, Lapwing 1, Purple Sandpiper 9.

Southwell Black Redstart 1.

23rd January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 3e, Purple Sandpiper 3, auk spp c5000e, Black Redstart 1.

Wakeham Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Chiffchaff 2.

Easton Jay.

Fortuneswell Black Redstart 1.

Chesil Cove Black Redstart 1.

Portland Harbour Black-throated Diver 1, Great Northern Diver 1, Slavonian Grebe 1, Black-necked Grebe 6.

The Black Redstart at the Bill this morning © Pete Saunders:

22nd January

 

A reminder that there's an InFocus field day at the Obs between 10am and 4pm tomorrow, Sunday 23rd January.

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1e, Purple Sandpiper 1, Redwing 1, Chiffchaff 2.

Reap Lane Fieldfare 1.

Pennsylvania Castle Firecrest 1.

Blacknor Black Redstart 1.

Portland Harbour Black-throated Diver 1, Great Northern Diver 1, Slavonian Grebe 1, Black-necked Grebe 14.


21st January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 2e, Purple Sandpiper 6, Chiffchaff 3.

Chesil Cove Black Redstart 1.

Portland Harbour Great Northern Diver 1, Slavonian Grebe 2, Black-necked Grebe 5.

20th January

Portland Bill Chiffchaff 2.

Southwell Chiffchaff 2.

Portland Harbour Great Northern Diver 1, Slavonian Grebe 1, Black-necked Grebe 8.

19th January

Portland Bill Chiffchaff 1.

Ferrybridge Black Brant 1, Dark-bellied Brent 190, Dunlin 250, Knot 2, Bar-tailed Godwit 5.

The Black Brant and two Knot at Ferrybridge this morning © Pete Saunders:


18th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 2e, Purple Sandpiper 9.

Pennsylvania Castle Great Spotted Woodpecker 1.

There's plenty of owl activity to get amongst just at the moment but the majority of it is passing most visitors by. The Southwell Barn Owl(s) are regular performers but catching up with it/them usually requires a late-ish visit to viewpoints beside the Eight Kings Quarry or the footpath between Bill Hill and the barn. The Bill Short-eared Owls are often even more tricky and have rarely been getting out on the wing until way after sunset - yesterday they finally appeared at 5.30! © Pete Saunders:



17th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 4e, Short-eared Owl 2, Redwing 1, Chiffchaff 2.

Southwell Blackcap 1.

Blacknor Chiffchaff 1.

Ferrybridge Shelduck 1 Pale-bellied Brent 2.

Portland Harbour Black-throated Diver 1, Great Northern Diver 1, Slavonian Grebe 1, Black-necked Grebe 11.

16th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1, Purple Sandpiper 8.

Ferrybridge Mute Swan 2e, Pale-bellied Brent 1e, Grey Plover 1e.

Portland Harbour Great Northern Diver 1, Red-necked Grebe 1, Slavonian Grebe 1, Black-necked Grebe 6.

The Pale-bellied Brent over Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders:

15th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1w, Merlin 1, Purple Sandpiper 5, Redwing 1, Chiffchaff 1.

Southwell Chiffchaff 2.

Easton Redwing 1.

One of the Chiffchaffs at Southwell was showing so well that it was possible to read enough of the ring number to discover that it was an individual ringed at the Obs between 7th and 11th October last autumn - with any luck it'll linger long enough for the number to be read in full © Debby Saunders:


14th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1e, Redwing 1, Chiffchaff 1. 

13th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1e 1w, Purple Sandpiper 5, Chiffchaff 2; Common Dolphin 8.

Chesil Cove Black Redstart 1.

Pennsylvania Castle Chiffchaff 1, Goldcrest 2; Red Admiral 1.

Hamm Beach Great Northern Diver 1e.

The Great Northern Diver over Hamm Beach © Pete Saunders...


...and the Red Admiral at Pennsylvania Castle © Martin Cade:

12th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 5w, Great Northern Diver 1, Common Scoter 1etc, Purple Sandpiper 4, Short-eared Owl 2.

Chesil Cove Black Redstart 2.

Ferrybridge Goosander 1.

Portland Harbour Black-throated Diver 2, Great Northern Diver 3, Red-necked Grebe 1, Slavonian Grebe 1, Black-necked Grebe 8.

11th January

Portland Bill Purple Sandpiper 8, Redwing 1.

Ferrybridge Knot 5e.

Portland Harbour Black-throated Diver 3, Great Northern Diver 2, Slavonian Grebe 2, Black-necked Grebe 1, Curlew 1.


 

10th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1e 6w, Common Scoter 2w, Short-eared Owl 2, Redwing 1.

Blacknor Black Redstart 1.

Chesil Cove Black Redstart 1.

One of the Southwell Barn Owls that's now into its fifth week in residence in its box © Nick Stantiford:

9th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 2e, Common Scoter 1etc, Merlin 1, Purple Sandpiper 9, Short-eared Owl 2.

Pennsylvania Castle Firecrest 1.

Blacknor Black Redstart 1.

Chesil Cove Black Redstart 1.

Ferrybridge Shelduck 1, Bar-tailed Godwit 5, Kittiwakes 1.

Portland Harbour Black-throated Diver 2, Great Northern Diver 1, Red-necked Grebe 1, Slavonian Grebe 1 Black-necked Grebe 8, Red-breasted Merganser 70.


Purple Sandpiper action at the Bill © Pete Saunders and the rather unwell-looking Kittiwake at Ferrybridge © Debby Saunders:




8th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1e 1w, Common Scoter 2etc, Merlin 1.

7th January

Portland Bill Common Scoter 5w.

Pennsylvania Castle Firecrest 1. 

6th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1e 30w, Great Northern Diver 1w, Brent Goose 2w, Chiffchaff 1.

Pennsylvania Castle Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Goldcrest 1.

Chesil Cove Black Redstart 1.

Portland Harbour Great Northern Diver 1, Slavonian Grebe 1, Black-necked Grebe 1.

Ferrybridge Pale-bellied Brent 3. 

5th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1e 1w, Common Scoter 3etc, Merlin 1, Short-eared Owl 2, Chiffchaff 1.

Chesil Cove Black Redstart 1.

Portland Harbour Black-throated Diver 2, Slavonian Grebe 1, Black-necked Grebe 4.

4th January

Portland Bill Red-throated Diver 1e, Common Scoter 3etc, Purple Sandpiper 1, Chiffchaff 1.

Chesil Cove Black Redstart 1.

Portland Harbour Black-throated Diver 2.

3rd January

BOOKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT Back in December we posted a message regarding our plans for a wholesale change of direction with our bookshop and have now got the bit between our teeth with this project. We contacted everyone that we believed still had stock in the shop for sale on a commission basis and several folk got in touch regarding putting their books aside for later collection; if you haven't got in touch but wish us to put your books aside please let us know by the end of this week at the latest or we'll assume that you don't want them. Sad to relate, it's looking like an awful lot of the secondhand stock we have left is all but unsaleable 'rubbish' so it will end up in a skip rather than stay on the shelves for another ten years, however, if you want your books do let us know now!

Portland Bill Common Scoter 3etc, Purple Sandpiper 5, Chiffchaff 1.

Easton Jay 2, Brambling 1.

Chesil Cove Black Redstart 1.

Portland Harbour Red-throated Diver 1, Black-throated Diver 1, Black-necked Grebe 4, Gannet 1, Pale-bellied Brent 1, Goosander 1, Kittiwake 1, Razorbill 6, Guillemot 1.

Black-throated Diver and Goosander at Portland Harbour © Pete Saunders:




Purple Sandpiper at the Bill © Geoff Orton:


And gleaned from a local Facebook page news of both Jay and Brambling in a garden at Easton today (...makes you wonder what else might be lurking out of view in private gardens!) © Joanna Dolbear:

2nd January

Portland Bill Common Scoter 4, Merlin 1, Purple Sandpiper 6, Turnstone 1, Black-headed Gull 1e, Chiffchaff 1.

Ferrybridge Pale-bellied Brent 1, Shelduck 1, Bar-tailed Godwit 5, Short-eared Owl 1.

Portland Harbour Black-throated Diver 2, Great Northern Diver 1.

1st January 2022

Portland Bill Common Scoter 3etc, Merlin 1, Purple Sandpiper 3, Kittiwake >1000, Short-eared Owl 2, Chiffchaff 1.

Portland Harbour Great Northern Diver 2, Slavonian Grebe 3, Black-necked Grebe 5.