26th September

A crisp and clear start to the day saw many birds on the move for the first few hours post-dawn before the arrival of thick cloud cover from the north that persisted for the rest of the day saw things come to a rather abrupt halt. House Martins dominated overhead, with 2000 through east off the Bill and at least as many again arriving over West Cliffs and lingering over the fields; 550 Meadow Pipits, 500 Swallows, 82 Siskin, 37 Chaffinches and the first Redpolls and Reed Buntings of the autumn were also logged at this time. Things on the ground were decidedly quieter with Chiffchaffs in their lowest numbers of the week; 2 Firecrests, 2 Whinchats, the first presumed migrant Song Thrush of the autumn, a Reed Warbler and a lingering Dartford Warbler were the best that could be mustered from the Bill, with several Spotted Flycatchers and Firecrests also scattered around Southwell. Wader-wise, 2 Knot, 2 Sanderling and a Curlew Sandpiper were at Ferrybridge. Numbers on the sea remained high even if variety was limited; over 3000 auks and 200 Kittiwakes made up the bulk of the numbers, with 18 Common Scoter, 5 Arctic Skua, 2 Teal and singles of Great Northern Diver and Balearic Shearwater also logged.

The House Martins were swarming like midges for a while before vanishing in an instant once the cloud rolled in © Martin Cade:

One of several Spotted Flycatcher at Southwell © Ralph Todd:

We were a little disgruntled when this flock of 26 interesting-looking black shapes coming over the Bill proved not to be the Glossy Ibises they perhaps ought to have been but a large but altogether more prosaic party of migrating Cormorants © Martin Cade:

A NE wind but with cloud from the east since dawn @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social A total of 377 birds of 16 species were ringed with 307 being those of House Martins,all being juveniles with none being trapped more than once. Also. 35 CC,25 Bcap & 5 Goldcrest. 1100+ birds ringed in the last 5 days.

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) September 26, 2025 at 6:47 PM

25th September

We're on repeat at the moment: there's plenty about and migration's pretty entertaining but the content has become a wee bit samey, with Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in abundance everywhere and hirundines streaming through overhead but not a great deal changing by way of variety. With fuller coverage of the hinterland we wouldn't be at all surprised if the all-island Chiffchaff and Blackcap totals weren't well in excess of 500 each, whilst House Martins numbered in excess of 1000 just along one flight line off the Bill with just as many again uncounted along West Cliffs. A good deal of the rest of visible passage was poorly enumerated, but 50 Siskins, the first 13 Jackdaws of the season, 9 Grey Herons, 5 Golden Plovers and singles of Lapwing, Osprey, Hen Harrier and Hobby provided worthwhile variety overhead. On the ground, 2 Dartford Warblers were the pick of the new arrivals at the Bill. Auks again featured in quantity offshore, with 9 Pintail, 7 Arctic Skuas, 5 Wigeon, a Shoveler and a Grey Phalarope the best of the rest off the Bill.

No Brown Shrike or Dark-sided Flycatcher from today's heavy duty flog around the south of the island but there was a nice lot of routine migration underway - Lapwing, House Martin, Sand Martin, Chiffchaff and Dartford Warbler © Joe Stockwell:

And later in the day, the Osprey making a beeline for France way up high over the Obs © Martin Cade:

No change in the weather @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social NE wind, gusty at times ,hot again in the afternoon. 125 birds were ringed with CC 48 and Blackcap 16 main species. 25 House Martin and 8 Swallows netted amongst the big numbers around most of the day. 2 each of Spot.Fly and Goldcrest of note.

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) September 25, 2025 at 7:46 PM

24th September

With the conditions remaining largely unchanged there was a slight case of diminishing returns among the assemblage of migrants present today, although this still left very little to complain about. Chiffchaffs were once again the most numerous migrant on the ground with 200 through at the Bill and some really big aggregations in the more extensive cover around the centre of the island; 2 Wrynecks - a reappearing bird at the Bill and a new arrival at Barleycrates Lane - provided some quality, whilst a scatter of 4 Firecrests and the autumn's first Bullfinch were amongst the decent selection of other arrivals on offer. The day's most impressive numbers were overhead, where a strong passage of c5000 House Martins provided quite a spectacle at the Bill; quantities of Meadow Pipits were oddly absent, but plenty of Swallows and Sand Martins, 60 Siskins and 2 late Swifts were amongst the other overhead movers. Hardly less impressive were the 4500 auks through off the Bill - a huge total for this early in the autumn - that dominated the returns from the sea; 550 Kittiwakes, 200 Mediterranean Gulls, 61 Common Scoter, 4 Arctic Skuas, 2 Balearic Shearwaters and singles of Shoveler and Arctic Tern provided further interest there.

Although Chiffchaffs were still really well represented on the ground, today's overhead passage was more impressive and dominated by huge multi-layered flocks of House Martins streaming through on a broad front into the continuing brisk northeasterly © Martin Cade:

Whilst there have been plenty of later records in the past, today's Swifts could well end up being the last ones we see this year © Jodie Henderson

Amongst all the hype about what a decent few days we've been having it's easy to lose sight of just how dreadful the numbers of some formerly common migrants are these days; for example, there were just four Wheatears, one Redstart and no Whinchats logged on the day-sheet today - Chiffchaff seems to be a species that's adapted to the ways of the modern world very quickly and very successfully but there are an awful lot of other things we should perhaps be really concerned for © Geoff Orton:

Same strongish NE wind early on @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social declining pm but with 18 degrees and then increased cloud. 155 birds of 14 ringed, CC 70, B'cap 23, Swallow 35, House M 4. A new Barn Owl early on and retrap Wryneck from 2 days ago popular shown by Asstant Warden, Jodie Mae Henderson.

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) September 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM

Good to know that at least some of scarcities that pitch up on godforsaken migration headlands thrive after they arrive: this Wryneck just retrapped in the Crown Estate Field has increased its weight by 12% in just two days

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) September 24, 2025 at 1:05 PM

23rd September

Whilst not quite at the same frenetic pace as yesterday, today was another exceedingly pleasant day with a modest fall of grounded migrants at dawn that was followed by a steady trickle of new arrivals that lasted well on into the early afternoon. At least another 200 Chiffchaffs passed through at the Bill, with some impressive aggregations of many dozens each found later in areas of cover throughout the island; Blackcaps were probably equally numerous although typically less conspicuous, whilst Meadow Pipits and Swallows numbered well into the many hundreds overhead. Impressive variety everywhere included lots of the expecteds: an overflying Glossy Ibis at the Bill tip was the highlight, with a Treecreeper at Thumb Lane and the likes of 10 Firecrests and 2 Cetti's Warblers also dotted about. Auks continued to dominate offshore, with 2800 through off the Bill in the two hours after dawn; the first 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese of the autumn, along with 3 Dark-bellied Brents, 3 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Arctic Skuas, 2 Wigeon and singles of Great Northern Diver and Teal also passed by there.

For the first few hours of each morning, it's currently all about every bit of cover hopping with Chiffchaffs moving inexorably through into the breeze, whilst Meadow Pipits and hirundines stream by overhead © Martin Cade:

Amongst today's hirundines this leucistic Swallow was quite a sight © Jodie Henderson:

Autumnal Equinox sunrise at @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social this morning with light NE wind, sunny all day with 173 birds of 20 species ringed at three sites. 1st Whinchat of the year ringed with again Chiffchaff 79 & Blackcap 44 highest. 3 Firecrest and Cetti's warbler 'cream' of birds for the day.

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 7:52 PM

nice to see a few migrants around the island again, butterflies coming in off too, one clouded yellow at the bill tip

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) September 24, 2025 at 1:49 AM

22nd September

Dawn brought the first single digit temperature of the autumn along with a brisk northeasterly and clear skies - a mix that proved to be the precursor to the best arrival of migrants of the year to date; it was not a big overnight fall that saw the trees leaping with birds at daybreak, rather, it involved an impressive throughput of mainly hirundines, Meadow Pipits and Chiffchaffs that quickly gathered momentum after sunrise. With minimal coverage away from the mist-nets during the peak of the movement it was difficult to be sure of numbers, but conservative estimates of 500 Chiffchaffs, 1000 Meadow Pipits and 2000 mixed hirundines passed through at the Bill alone. The very varied selection of other arrivals there included the likes of 100 Blackcaps, 50 Stonechats, 15 Whitethroats, 15 Goldcrests, 10 Firecrests, 3 Lapwings, 3 Pied Flycatchers and singles of Grey Heron, Hobby, Cetti's Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler and Wryneck (the latter an addition to the lingerer that was still about). The few reports received from other sites suggested there was plenty more of the same throughout the island. Offshore, another strong movement of auks included 600 through off the Bill, where a Black Tern also passed by.

One of the day's Pied Flycatchers © Jodie Henderson:

An excellent day for the leaving and new ringers at PBO @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social , 341 birds of 23 species ringed at 3 sites. CC predominant at 155,Bcap42,with Meadpip44& Swallow42 taped.A new Wryneck and Cetti's warbler cream of day apart from crests, 7 Firecrests and 9 Goldcrest . My 1st day !

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) September 22, 2025 at 6:55 PM

21st September

A wholesale change in the weather saw anticyclonic conditions set in and the breeze shift into the northeast for the first time in weeks. In some ways the complexion of the birding didn't change that much: it ticked along on the ground without there being a huge arrival of migrants, it was quieter overhead than anticipated and another avalanche of Kittiwakes ensured there was plenty to see over the sea. A pleasant change was the arrival of a scarcity even if that proved to be a blink and you missed it sort of event when an Alpine Swift over the Obs shot through so quickly that even folk who were indoors were left floundering/dipping in its wake when they couldn't get outdoors quickly enough to see it. A reappearance of the long-staying Wryneck - in the field this time - also provided some interest for the weekend visitors. On the migrant front, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs totalled well past 50 each at the Bill alone, but further variety was a little more limited than might have been hoped, with the likes of singles of Pied Flycatcher and Firecrest in the Thumb Lane area as good as it got for the less frequents. Overhead passage was less than compelling: the likes of hirundines and Meadow Pipits were numerous but certainly not abundant, whilst there was little else of particular note amongst the tag-alongs. For a while Kittiwakes were pouring past over the sea - 2500 passed the Bill in barely more than two hours after dawn, with 200 Mediterranean Gulls, 10 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Arctic Skuas and a Great Northern Diver also through there; additionally, a Red-throated Diver was settled off Chesil.

The lingering Wryneck was a little more obliging today, providing the first in-field views since it was ringed on 8th September © Martin King:

20th September

With the winds not picking up until well into the afternoon and the majority of the morning's rain showers managing to miss us entirely, there was certainly plenty of opportunity to tap into some migrants before conditions deteriorated rapidly and profoundly as a blasting gale swept in the coldest air of the autumn to date. Sadly for us, the calm before the storm failed to turn up much more than the lightest of spreads of routine grounded arrivals, with 3 Pied Flycatchers and a Firecrest at Thumb Lane, 2 Whinchats, a Common Sandpiper and a Spotted Flycatcher at the Bill and 6 Little Stints at Ferrybridge the best of the less frequents. Under an increasingly overcast sky overhead passage was limited to a steady trickle of Swallows but nothing else in quantity. The sea provided numbers both before and after the wind picked up, with c700 Kittiwakes, c100 auks, 26 Sandwich Terns, 21 Balearic Shearwaters and 5 Arctic Skuas among the totals from the Bill.

19th September

After what has felt like an interminable wait, today finally saw migration back in full swing with a varied selection of new arrivals culminating in, for example, by far the best hirundine totals of the season to date and the highest ringing total of the whole year (...not that that was difficult after such a poor spring). Hirundines were the stand-out spectacle of the day over the land, with perhaps 10,000 through over the island as a whole, whilst over the sea another minimum of 1000 Kittiwakes through to the west was impressive; overhead, singles of Dotterel and Osprey through at the Bill provided the day's scarcity interest. Grounded arrivals were a tad disappointing: variety was well up to par for mid-September but the likes of 50 Chiffchaffs and 20 Blackcaps at the Bill were paltry totals for this juncture; additionally, a Wryneck that surfaced at the Bill having been completely unseen for a full ten days since it was first ringed was either a master of staying under the radar or, more likely, a good example of how lousy coverage is in this era of so many naturalists only going outdoors on the prompt of the news services or social media.

If increasing mental decrepitude hadn't so addled the faculties of the two observers who tapped into the Dotterel migrating over the Bill we might have been able to furnish blog visitors with lovely flight shots and sound recordings of that exciting event; as it is we're stuck with an Osprey as photo highlight of the day - at least that wasn't devalued by having a plastic White-tailed Eagle lurking in the background © Martin Cade:

 

However, the migration event of the day was really the wealth of hirundines swarming the Bill - they really were a spectacle to behold © Martin Cade (settled) and Jodie Henderson (flying):

Grounded arrivals really weren't in the sort of numbers that might have been hoped for after three weeks of turbulent weather, but the likes of Whinchats were still nice to see © Jodie Henderson:

On the ringing front, one of the day's most interesting happenings was the capture of this young male Sparrowhawk that had first been ringed a week ago at Durlston Head © Kat Hampton:

Our long weekend at @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social off to the perfect start with this re-trapped Wryneck. First rung on the 9th, not seen again until today @rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

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— Tim Phillips (@southhamsbirder.bsky.social) September 19, 2025 at 8:44 AM

18th September

Much calmer conditions but in all other respects a very similar day to yesterday, with the majority of migration interest again on the sea. The gull-fest at the Bill continued, with a huge flock of large gulls congregating just off the East Cliffs that included 500 Lesser Black-backed Gull; another pulse of 1000 Kittiwakes also streamed out west. Other birds on the move out to sea included 58 Balearic Shearwaters, 23 Common Scoter, 2 Bonxie, 2 Sooty Shearwaters, a Yellow-legged Gull and an Arctic Skua, whilst the burgeoning group of Grey Phalaropes at Chesil Cove had reached 6 by the end of the afternoon. The land wasn't entirely without interest, with a small flurry of 10 new Chiffchaffs at the Obs being joined by amongst others a Garden Warbler; a Black-tailed Godwit was a peculiar grounded arrival at the Bill, a Caspian Gull was again settled there and the 2 Little Stints were still at Ferrybridge.

Off the Bill, some of the Balearic Shearwaters were nice and close..

...although the only Sooty that passed while we were at the Obelisk was typically that bit further out:

However, it was the gulls - particularly the c500 Lesser Black-backs and c1000 Kittiwakes - that provided the real spectacle during the seawatch © Martin Cade:

Five of today's six Grey Phalaropes at Chesil Cove © Daniel Law

17th September

A mild, windy and comprehensively dreary day with pretty well all attention given to the sea. The Bill was really difficult to cover with movement in both directions throughout the day, but faintly respectable totals of 1200 Kittiwakes, 44 Balearic Shearwaters, 33 Common Scoter, 17 Arctic Skuas, 9 Sooty Shearwaters, 7 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Arctic Terns, a Grey Phalarope and a Caspian Gull were eventually accumulated; a cursory pre-dusk look at Chesil Cove revealed 2 settled Grey Phalaropes but no word has been received of the day's fuller totals from there. Odds and ends from the land included the 2 Little Stints still at Ferrybridge.

The Caspian Gull settled off the Bill © Jodie Henderson:

16th September

A rather unexpectantly pleasant day with warm sunny spells and much abated winds seemed to tempt out a long string of visiting birders ready to assist our needy cause; unfortunately, improved coverage did no more than confirm the general dearth of migrants that had been suspected during recent turbulent weather. Aside from the reappearance of the lingering Dartford Warbler, a total of 18 Wheatears, 11 Stonechats, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Caspian Gulls, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Yellow-legged Gull and a Whinchat were the day's only grounded migrants at the Bill; an equally meagre tally from the sea there included little more than 147 Kittiwakes, 6 Balearic Shearwaters  and 2 Sandwich Terns. There was very little change in evidence at Ferrybridge, with the lingering 2 Little Stint again among the expected selection of waders there.

15th September

It's very rare that a big blow does us any favours at all and today's 50+mph storm was a case in point, with fewer rewards from the sea than on most of the far less turbulent days just lately: 2 Storm Petrels, 2 Arctic Terns and a Little Gull through at Chesil Cove and 7 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Arctic Skuas, a Sooty Shearwater and a Great Skua through off the Bill were the sum total of worthwhiles from the main watchpoints. Birding on the land was hard work in the blown-out conditions, with the lingering Pied Flycatcher at the Bill and the 2 lingering Little Stints at Ferrybridge the only reports of note.

14th September

The briefest of respites from the constant wind of recent weeks was extremely welcome even if it lasted just a few hours. It did permit the most extensive coverage of the land for a while although, disappointingly, it was overhead passage rather than a flurry of grounded arrivals that provided the numbers, with 400 Meadow Pipits, 63 Yellow Wagtails, 48 Grey Wagtails, 11 Tree Pipits, 9 Chaffinches and a Marsh Harrier amongst the returns at the Bill. Meagre fare on the ground included 25 Blackcaps, 2 Reed Warblers and singles of Little Egret, Caspian Gull, White Wagtail, Garden Warbler and Pied Flycatcher at the Bill and 2 Little Stints and singles of Caspian Gull and Little Tern at Ferrybridge. Two phases of Balearic Shearwater movement off the Bill - first during the calm and later in the increasing wind of the afternoon - totalled 302, with 110 Kittiwakes and 2 Arctic Skuas amongst the also-rans there.

Red sky in the morning and all that - the old adage proved to be very prescient since dawn might have been lovely and still but by late morning the wind was howling again and it wasn't long after that before yet more rain set in © Martin Cade:

The Marsh Harrier spent a little while quartering the stewardship crops in the Crown Estate Field...

...where it did us a small favour by putting the frighteners on the Red-legged Partridge that had hitherto only been seen about four times in the four months or so that it's been here! © Martin Cade: 

The Ferrybridge Little Stints have become more obliging as their residence has continued © Joe Stockwell:

The first of today's two Caspian Gulls was a pretty standard 'sat in a field doing nothing in particular' view in the East Cliff fields below Culverwell...

...however, the views of the second bird at Ferrybridge was super useful since it was flying around for 10 minutes or more and accorded much more with the sort of long range seawatch view that we reckon we must be overlooking off the Bill; we hadn't really taken on board before quite how much they look like giant first winter Med Gulls - the white underwing coverts, crisp tail pattern, black primaries and black secondary bar all came together to convey a real Med Gull look to this bird. Nice! © Martin Cade:

Much improved overnight mothing on a calm night at the Obs although the feeling was that most of the migrant catch involved things surfacing after recent inclement weather rather than new arrivals; 9 Convolvulus Hawks the pick of the catch, 285 Rush Veneers their highest total of the year.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) September 14, 2025 at 11:32 AM

13th September

Another windswept day that could so easily have been written off as yet more of the same had it not been for the dogged perseverance of those out in the field revealing small pockets of migrants among the sheltered spots around the island. Whilst not in any real quantity, a total of 2 Spotted Flycatchers at Broadcroft, 2 Firecrests at Pennsylvania Castle and a noticeable uptick in Chiffchaffs everywhere all hinted at some recent arrival, with a Whinchat on the Slopes and the lingering Pied Flycatcher at Culverwell the only other grounded migrants of note. Further scrutiny of the gull flock below Culverwell revealed 2 more Caspian Gulls and 3 Yellow-legged Gulls, with the former assumed to be another 2 birds not previously encountered, whilst 3 more Caspian Gulls dropped in at Ferrybridge later in the day. At sea, totals of 193 Kittiwakes, 102 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Bonxie were logged at the Bill, with a Grey Phalarope appearing at Chesil Cove. Turn over in the Ferrybridge waders looked to have ground to a halt, with 6 Knot, 4 Sanderlings, 2 Little Stints and a Curlew Sandpiper again the best on offer.

Today's passerine migrant encounters were very welcome after another barren period, with these Spotted Flycatchers showing particularly well at Broadcroft © Martin Cade:

With a bit of perseverance today's Grey Phalarope was spotted by most folk who had a look for it - whether it's a long-term but elusive lingerer or a new arrival remains to be seen © Pete Saunders:

This evening's Arctic Tern at Ferrybridge © Thomas Miller:

Today's Caspian Gulls included a Netherlands-ringed bird in the Culverwell gull flock © Martin Cade...

...and three birds that dropped in separately during an extended late afternoon watch at Ferrybridge; one of these was also colour-ringed so may or may not have been the Bill bird from earlier in the day ©  Thomas Miller:

Our weekly visit to Yeolands Quarry revealed plenty - probably several dozen in total - of Red-veined Darters still in residence © Martin Cade:

12th September

With the land still too blown out to reveal much in the way of passerine migration, it was of some consolation that there were rewards to be had from staring out to sea, with the undoubted highlight being a juvenile Sabine's Gull settled close in off Chesil Cove. At the Bill, totals of 63 Balearic Shearwaters, 27 Kittiwakes and an Arctic Skua were the best from the morning seawatch, with a renewed pulse of movement in the evening seeing a further 175 Balearics, 45 Kittiwakes, 20 Manx Shearwaters and an Arctic Skua pass through. Elsewhere, a Pied Flycatcher remained at Culverwell, 2 Common Sandpipers were at the Bill, a Grey Phalarope joined the Sabine's Gull off the Cove and 2 Little Stints, a Curlew Sandpiper and a Yellow-legged Gull were at Ferrybridge.

The Sabine's Gull was showing very nicely at Chesil Cove © Pete Saunders (stills) and Martin Cade (video):

Whilst it helps to have a Caspian Gull afficionado in your midst - German science probably has an appealing compound word for this sort of practitioner, something along the lines of Ein Autistischenverstandfurcacchinnans - it does seem that there's some sort of cachinnans event going on since all three of today's settled birds looked to be different to the six logged over the last two days. In this series of photos the settled birds are the three individuals in the fields below Culverwell, with a flight shot of one of these - or even another? - from an earlier seawatch © Thomas Miller:

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) September 12, 2025 at 12:36 PM

Very quiet moth-trapping at the Obs this week but still odd morsels of migrant interest incl 3 Convolvulus Hawks last night, Toadflax Pearl and Pediasis contaminella yesterday 11th and 2 Striped Hawks on Tuesday 9th

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) September 12, 2025 at 11:58 AM