12th September
As inevitable as a Harry Maguire own goal, today's non-appearance of the customary September dawn overhead passage was shrugged off and the soon to be revealed dearth of grounded migrants made light of - if migration's for some reason vectored away from Portland there's no point in fretting about it. The 385 Meadow Pipits, 150 Swallows, 38 Siskins, 29 Yellow Wagtails and 23 Grey Wagtails logged making up the bulk of visible passage at the Bill were evidence that overhead happenings eventually got slightly beyond their pedestrian pace at dawn, but the only improvement on the ground was the discovery of a mini hot-spot at Coombefield/Thumb Lane were the first 2 Goldcrests of the autumn accompanied a Pied Flycatcher and double-figure totals of Blackcap and Chiffchaff; the best that could be mustered from the Bill were 2 Short-eared Owls at dusk. On the wader front, the recent good showing of Knot continued with 12 at Ferrybridge, where there were also 4 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Sanderling. Sea passage was reduced to just 33 Common Scoter, 5 Arctic Skuas and 4 Balearic Shearwaters through off the Bill.