10th November

Increasingly heavy showers throughout the morning left little opportunity for any comprehensive check of the Bill area today, with the lingering Hen Harrier the only sighting of note among the smallest trickle of overhead passage in the brief moments of dry weather. Elsewhere, 4 Little Egrets passed over Verne Common and 20 Greenfinches were at Ferrybridge.

9th November

Today's birding was certainly a case of quality of quantity, with just a few good birds to save what was otherwise a fairly bleak day for both overhead and grounded migrants. Nowhere was this better exemplified than in the day's ringing activities, where a Pallas's Warbler trapped in the Crown Estate Field was one of only 9 new birds ringed all morning, with the Obs garden nets failing to catch a single new migrant! Away from the nets, variety was little improved, with singles of Firecrest, Fieldfare and Common Snipe logged alongside the reappearance of yesterday's Hen Harrier. Overcast conditions saw reduced numbers overhead, with 970 Woodpigeons, 495 Stock Doves, 365 Starlings, 185 Chaffinches, 3 Redpoll and a Lapwing over the Bill. Elsewhere, the lingering Yellow-browed Warbler remained at the Railway Cuttings, with an additional 2 individuals reported from a private garden in Wakeham.

Pallas's Warbler just trapped in the Crown Estate Field

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 9, 2025 at 9:13 AM

8th November

Today's lovely sunshine and mildness were the prompt for plenty of fieldwork from which the rewards were certainly varied. After a clear, moonlit night grounded arrivals weren't hugely plentiful but amongst the light spread of routines at the Bill 4 Black Redstarts and singles of Hen Harrier, Woodcock, Siberian Chiffchaff and Hawfinch were of note; both the Snow Bunting at Southwell and the Yellow-browed Warbler at Wakeham also remained on station. It was considerably busier overhead, with 8500 Wood Pigeons, 2630 Starlings, 1530 Stock Doves and 450 Chaffinches the big totals over the Bill, where another Hawfinch and a Cirl Bunting provided some quality; single Crossbills also passed over at Thumb Lane and Wakeham.

Today's star turn was provided by this Crimson Speckled moth that proved to be twitchable for an hour or more once it settled after being serendipitously flushed up during our wanders around the Crown Estate Field mist-nets © Martin Cade:

Bird-wise, there was a varied return from the day's fieldwork but star turns weren't quite at the level that was hoped. A late Wheatear was nice but you'd have imagined it could just as easily have been a Desert or Pied © Nick Hopper...

...whilst, compared with the returns from a certain other South Coast bird observatory, our sprinkle of Chiffchaffs made us very much the poor relation in the phyllosc department © Jodie Henderson:

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 8, 2025 at 7:04 PM

This afternoon's Hen Harrier south over Southwell Quarries, Portland 8 Nov. And this morning's GWE west over Tidmoor, The Fleet - having come overland from Chafey's/Radipole direction. One day I really must try and take some sharp photos. @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

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— Steve M (@steveweynature.bsky.social) November 8, 2025 at 5:39 PM

7th November

Whilst it was always going to be a challenge to live up to the excesses of yesterday's birding, it was nevertheless another pleasant morning, with a steady and varied throughput of birds during the first few hours of the day before the onset of some fairly substantial rain saw things unfortunately come to a rather abrupt end before the middle of the afternoon. Goldcrests and the like were clearly arriving in quite a different manner to yesterday, with a dawn fall being replaced by a steady arrival in off the sea throughout the morning; numbers were lower than yesterday, but Chiffchaffs were more of a feature and a new Cetti's Warbler figured amongst the arrivals; further variety on the ground was provided by the continuing Snow Bunting on East Cliffs and Yellow-browed Warbler at Wakeham. The presence of rain in the Channel seemingly scuppered a good many of the morning's overhead migrants intentions to depart, with a stronger passage of many over New Ground than was apparent at the Bill; cumulatively, minima of 4750 Wood Pigeons, 755 Starlings, 345 Goldfinches, 305 Stock Doves, 135 Chaffinches, 70 Skylarks, 32 Bramblings, 12 Crossbills, a Lapwing, a Ring Ouzel and an additional Snow Bunting were among the totals logged. Some wildfowl movement offshore included 4 Brent Geese, 3 Pintail and a Pochard through off the Bill, whilst another duck worth a mention (18 months ago it was mooted as a likely unassisted arrival but it's utterly overstayed its welcome!) was the long-staying Mandarin that was noticed on the ornamental duck pool at Southwell for the first time in several months.

It's not often we're blown away by a video of birds but Nick Hopper's little mobile phone sequence of some of this morning's migrating Wood Pigeons at New Ground sees this now quite routine event from such a different perspective than we're used to seeing it the Bill that we were really gripped by it - great stuff! © Nick Hopper:

The East Cliffs Snow Bunting © Debby Saunders:

Also today, Dave Foot popped us through a message to say that on further reviewing video footage of the Stone Curlews he found at the north of the island on 15th October he'd noticed that one of them was colour-ringed © Dave Foot...

...We made a tentative enquiry to the guys at the MOD Dstl Stone-curlew Conservation Project wondering if it might be one of their birds and had an instant response confirming that indeed it was: it had been ringed as a nestling at Porton Down, Wiltshire, on 24th August 2021. Very nice!

Weather enforced early curtailment of ringing activities today but not before another pretty fair arrival of late migrants was tapped into at the Bill: total of 41 included 12 Goldcrests and 6 Chiffchaffs + the sixth Cetti's Warbler of the autumn and the first Black Redstart of the year

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 7, 2025 at 3:36 PM

The Snow Bunting at Portland. Just hopped up on a rock right in front of me. @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social @dorsetbirds.bsky.social #UKBirding

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— Steph Murphy (@stephmurphy.bsky.social) November 7, 2025 at 2:40 PM

6th November

Wow, what a day. After a spell of unsettled weather there was high anticipation for today's calmness which coupled with an overcast sky delivered in bucketloads. The star turn came in the form of Portland and Dorset's first Black-faced Bunting that was trapped soon after dawn in the Crown Estate Field; running that a close second came a Pallid Swift that was first spotted heading south at Nicodemus Knob before later settling down over the Bill where it showed outstandingly well for a good part of the afternoon. These goodies arrived in tandem with a really good arrival of commoner migrants that included a big drop of Goldcrests on the ground, together with a strong overhead passage of pigeons, finches and others. Goldcrests numbered more than 100 at the Bill alone, with further interest there coming from the likes of 10 Reed Buntings, 5 Black Redstarts, a Whinchat and a Firecrest; elsewhere, a/the Snow Bunting was on East Cliffs near Southwell, a Yellow-browed Warbler at Wakeham and a Golden Plover and a Wheatear at Tout Quarry. Visible passage over the Bill included 3600 Wood Pigeons, 1590 Starlings, 480 Goldfinches, 440 Chaffinches, 385 Linnets, 185 Stock Doves, 140 Skylarks, 125 Meadow Pipits, 29 Siskins, 14 Redwings, 14 Bramblings, 8 Redpolls, 6 Swallows and singles of Greylag Goose and Tree Pipit, with 8 Crossbills an addition to the tally over the Heights. Two Shelducks and singles of Red-throated and Great Northern Divers through off the Bill were the best of what little little passage there was on the sea.

With a radical change in their status afoot there was almost an inevitability about a Black-faced Bunting eventually turning up in a net in the Crown Estate Field and so one duly did. Today's bird was presumably a young female and so was right at the subtle end of what's possible with this species - its rather olive drabness made it oddly distinctive in the hand but we'd imagine it'd be quite an easy bird to pass off if seen briefly/poorly/distantly in the field © Duncan Walbridge (top) and Martin Cade (other details):

The Pallid Swift was showing fantastically well at times © Martin Cade:

A ripping ringing day at the Bill: the Black-faced Bunting a top notch rare but 45 Goldcrests also an exceptional total for November out of the day total of 108 new birds; Skylark a rarely-ringed highlight amongst the lower totals.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 6, 2025 at 6:46 PM

Black-faced Bunting @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social early morning - the second two images probably give a better indication of true colour - another first for Dorset in a remarkable year for this species in Western Europe:

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— alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social (@alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social) November 6, 2025 at 6:42 PM

The Pallid Swift @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social showed incredible well on over the Top Fields with 3 Swallows at lunchtime.

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— alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social (@alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social) November 6, 2025 at 6:20 PM

Pallid swift on Portland today @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social #ukbirding #dorsetbirds @rarebirder.bsky.social 🦉

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— Simon 📹 🎸📷 (@therockinbirder.bsky.social) November 6, 2025 at 5:49 PM

Late afternoon/early evening along Wakeham Railway Cuttings my first Yellow-browed Warbler for this Autumn. portandwey.blogspot.com/2025/11/6-no...

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— Port and Wey (@portandwey.bsky.social) November 6, 2025 at 6:08 PM

Dark-bellied Brent Geese flying up the Fleet to Ferrybridge, Dorset. Click to see the whole photo.

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— Alick Simmons (@parliamentarygoose.bsky.social) November 6, 2025 at 5:31 PM

5th November

There was certainly nothing by way of fireworks generated from the majority of today's fieldwork, with singles of Redwing and Siskin at the Bill where the sea was busy with regulars but precious little else; however, a large falcon that scooted through over the Bill during the morning certainly had the potential to be a good deal more interesting should it reappear and show for longer/better than it did.

The ID of briefly and relatively poorly seen juvenile large falcons is well beyond our pay grade: this morning's bird was clearly a Saker or Lanner type - maybe Lanner's favoured? - but this tricky pair also have the additional fly in the ointment of Heinz 57 escaped hybrids to consider so unless it appears again we doubt we'll get any further with it © Martin Cade:

4th November

A day that went downhill as it advanced, with a mild and bright morning giving way to an increasingly windy, dreary and wet afternoon. There was precious little sign of arrivals on the ground, but overhead the skies were clear enough for 450 Goldfinches, 150 Starlings, 105 Linnets, 95 Jackdaws and lower totals of a few other customary late movers to be tallied over the Bill and 45 Cormorants to head over Portland Harbour. Likely winterers at the Bill included 2 Purple Sandpipers, a Cetti's Warbler and a Black Redstart, whilst sheltered spots around the island still held small numbers of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and Firecrests. There was plenty to see out to sea but a lone passing Red-throated Diver was the only bird of note off the Bill amongst the melees of feeding Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks.

3rd November

It's not a difficult task to single out the highlight from today's birding, with a confiding Snow Bunting along the East Cliffs the star of yet another windswept and otherwise uneventful day. With overhead passage reduced to just 300 Starlings, 100 Goldfinches and a handful of Chaffinches, it was left to the sea to provide the remainder of interest, with singles of Sooty Shearwater and Great Skua through off the Bill. 

The Snow Bunting put on a good show © Martin Cade:

A few moths from Freshwater Bay @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social on Saturday night - Flame Brocade (locally common here) , Feathered Ranunculus (very common) and Rusty-dot Pearl (3 seen):

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— alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social (@alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social) November 3, 2025 at 7:41 PM

2nd November

Clear skies - albeit still with a pretty brisk westerly blowing - saw overhead migrants get going again today, with 1630 Wood Pigeons, 435 Starlings, 279 Goldfinches, 125 Stock Doves, 103 Chaffinches and 19 Siskins making up the bulk of the numbers over the Bill, where 2 late Swallows, a Merlin and Brambling also passed through. The Pallas's Warbler lingered on at Avalanche Road/Thumb Lane and a/the Caspian Gull was again at the Bill but it was otherwise relatively mundane on the ground, with Dark-bellied Brent Geese increasing to 720 at Ferrybridge, 2 Pale-bellied Brents, 2 Grey Plovers, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Sanderling and a late Wheatear also there, and a Black Redstart at the Bill. The sea was again carpeted in feeding Kittiwakes, auks and the like, but passing singles of Great Northern Diver and Little Gull were the only additions of note off the Bill.

The Pallas's Warbler at Thumb Lane (top) © Duncan Walbridge and Avalanche Road (bottom) © Simon Craft:

Pallas's (Leaf) Warbler at Avalanche Road, @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social today - I've had a relatively poor autumn for birds, with limited time, so this little jewel may be the highlight:

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— alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social (@alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social) November 2, 2025 at 9:48 PM

1st November

Despite the interference of several periods of rather heavy rain, today's birding was not entirely without merit, with a few nice scarcities uncovered among the various lingering migrants seeing out the current windy conditions. The sea was once again a hive of activity, with thousands of auks and small gulls feeding close off the Bill, with 12 Eider and a single Great Skua providing the only variety among the numbers. It was a similar picture from Chesil Cove, save for the addition of a Grey Phalarope and Red-throated Diver also passing through. Elsewhere, a 1st winter Caspian Gull present in the flock below Culverwell was believed to be a different individual to one sighted past the Bill earlier in the day, the Pallas's Warbler and Ring Ouzel were still present at Avalanche Road and the Fig Tree Quarry respectively and a few Firecrests popped out of cover here and there.

We really have no idea how many different Caspian Gulls have been logged at the Bill this autumn as the situation begun to get muddied around the time double figures had been reached; however, it was interesting to note that today's bird had a noticeable limp which was also the case with one of the birds a month or so ago - probably nothing in that but it could just be the same bird resurfacing © Martin Cade:

Very few moths on a night of howling southerlies but what there was at the Obs included three singles of note: Ni Moth, Small Marbled and Blair's Mocha

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 1, 2025 at 10:04 AM

31st October

Bar a short, sharp spell of very heavy rain during the morning, today's mix of a stiff southerly and patchy sunshine was enough to provide interest on land and sea. On a day when other grounded arrivals looked to be few and far between there was a surprise in the form of the autumn's first Pallas's Warbler that showed up at Avalanche Road; the odd Firecrest here and there, a Purple Sandpiper at the Bill and a Black Redstart at Reap Lane were the only other discoveries amongst the lightest of scatters of Redwings, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and the like. The sea got lots of attention and for periods was hard work what with there being such a huge feeding aggregation of Kittiwakes and auks offshore that had at least 3 Arctic Skuas and singles of Manx Shearwater and Great Skua lingering in their midst.

Two nice photographs of the Pallas's Warbler that rather misrepresent how it was showing - on our visit during the afternoon we saw it for a couple of seconds immediately we walked into the Hump and then spent a further three hours searching for it without getting as much as another glimpse! © Thomas Miller:

There was such a big feeding flock off the Bill today that the various Arctic Skuas attracted were having an absolute field day © Pete Saunders:

Also at the Bill tip, it was nice to see an obliging Purple Sandpiper back in residence © Pete Saunders:

Today we were extremely pleased to finally receive from the printers a large consignment of our long, long overdue 'annual' report - so long overdue in fact that it covers the last four years! We'll soon be mailing copies out to all who were Obs members during this four year period - if you're one of these folk and you happen to call at the Obs in the next few days do please pick up your copy as anything that saves us from even a little bit of the monumental amount of packing, franking and mailing we'll be doing will be very welcome!

30th October

A perfectly birdable if largely uneventful morning gave way to an increasingly unpleasant afternoon as an onshore gale set in - seemingly setting the tone for the next few days. Overhead passage again provided the day's numbers, although they were considerably down on recent totals, with 970 Wood Pigeons, 75 Chaffinches, 115 Meadow Pipits, 115 Redpolls and a single Yellowhammer the best of it at the Bill. Quality and numbers were again lacking on the ground, with a spread of Firecrests around the centre of the island and singles of Water Rail and Black Redstart at the Bill providing the only particular interest amongst the thin spread of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and the like. The increasing wind did nothing for the sea, with little more than 3 Arctic Skuas and the first Fulmar for a while through off the Bill.

Redpolls are certainly the birds of the moment: we've long since beaten their all-time ringing record - in fact today's 16 ringed saw to it that the previous best annual total has been more than quadrupled this year - and we're sure that when we find enough time to check the logs we'll be able to confirm that this year's vismig totals are also the highest ever © Martin Cade:

Still ticking over on the ringing front - at least until the afternoon when the ever-increasing wind became too much of an issue. 41 new birds included another 16 Redpolls that takes their annual total into three figures - previous highest year total only 24! 5 more Reed Buntings best of the rest.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 30, 2025 at 3:01 PM

29th October

Although the occasional mizzly outbreak cropped up from time to time today had far more positives going for it, not least the wind dropping right away. In truth, migration was hardly rip-roaring but some decent visible passage, including 780 Goldfinches, 460 Linnets, 240 Chaffinches, 180 Meadow Pipits, 114 Redpolls and 46 Siskins over the Bill, along with a nice patch of 8 Firecrests and a Woodlark at Coombefield/Thumb Lane (that made up for the almost complete absence of warblers and the like amongst the arrivals at the Bill) and 2 Great Northern Divers, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Sooty Shearwater through off the Bill provided at least some interest on all fronts. Other odds and ends worth a mention included a late Yellow Wagtail over the Bill, singles of Yellow-legged Gull and Ring Ouzel on the ground there and 500 Kittiwakes and 250 Mediterranean Gulls lingering offshore.

Although they've been in ones and twos quite widely in the last few days, today's eight Firecrests in the Coombefield area was a notable influx © Duncan Walbridge:

Welcome amelioration in the weather allowed for fuller ringing activities at the Bill today. 43 birds trapped; 17 of the new birds were Redpolls and the one control was another Redpoll that had first been ringed at Thorpe Marsh, South Yorkshire, on 26th September - nice!

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 29, 2025 at 6:11 PM

Very small uptick in migrant moth activity at the Obs last night with singles of Vestal and Migrant Sable presumed new arrivals; only tiny numbers of other migrants

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 29, 2025 at 12:39 PM

28th October

It got worse today! The blustery westerly airflow seems to be doing less and less for us every day with, for example, an all-day mist-netting effort in the Obs garden (...only stoic visitors would be that barmy) returning the sum total of just one new bird ringed. A handful of routine finches and the like on the move overhead did include a lone Crossbill, whilst odds and ends from around the Bill area included singles of Little Egret, Merlin and Water Rail; additionally, a single Manx Shearwater passed by on the sea there.

27th October

A day of rather low quality, with the continuing brisk northwesterlies doing no favours for the increasingly needy fieldworkers. Overhead passage accounted for all the numbers, with 3900 Wood Pigeons and 1300 Starlings the high totals at the Bill, where 14 Redpolls and 2 Crossbills were as interesting at the variety got. Two Ring Ouzels, 2 Merlins and singles of Cetti's Warbler and Firecrest were scattered about the Bill, with a Water Rail and a Firecrest at Church Ope/East Weare.

26th October

For the most part another vismig day, with the stiff wind a continuing irritation for both the ringers and the seekers of grounded migrants. A Richard's Pipit over the Obs was the highlight of the morning's overhead passage at the Bill, where 4650 Wood Pigeons, 430 Goldfinches, 235 Chaffinches, 105 Redpolls, 26 Siskins, 21 Bramblings, 20 Reed Buntings, 14 Crossbills and a Woodlark were the pick of the high totals and/or quality. Grounded arrivals weren't at all plentiful but a Caspian Gull provided some quality at the Bill, where singles of Cetti's Warbler and Firecrest were also new amongst the thin spread of commoner fare. Apart from reduced but still at times quite impressive gull numbers offshore there was little of note on the sea.

The Richard's Pipit flew quite low right over the Obs garden and the sound recorder picked up the single call it uttered really well; unfortunately, it was just a single call and those couple of seconds of the recording were bookended by all manner of noisy chit-chat from the birders/asylum inmates on the patio - here we've just copied the call three times to make it easier to take on board...

...by the time we grabbed a camera it was already most of the way over to the Pulpit Pub but you sort of get the idea © Martin Cade:

It's always been the case that the vast majority of Caspian Gulls at Portland are found by well-informed observers who takes the trouble to look for them - any number of other birders walk past the gull gatherings and maybe give the birds a cursory scan but they never seem to spot the Caspians! It only took Thomas a few scans through the Culverwell gulls this weekend before he spotted today's second winter bird this afternoon - we're not at all sure there's actually been a bird in this plumage at Portland before © Thomas Miller:

Amongst the day's vismig action another Woodlark was nice © Thomas Miller:

Our voyages around the Crown Estate Field mist-nets have become very stop-start affairs of late, what with having to carefully scrutinize every non-calling Reed Bunting that drops in or flies over for fear of overlooking a Black-faced Bunting! © Martin Cade:

Ferrybridge 26 Oct Knot 3, Bar-wit 3, Grey Plover 2, Curlew 1 Pale-bellied Brent 2 Colour Ringed Brent 4C Wheatear 1 on Chesil pushing west. Sea Campion and sea pinks still in flower. @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

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— Steve M (@steveweynature.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 2:54 PM

Still slow on the ringing front - as much because the strength of wind restricted opportunities. Another Cetti's Warbler at Culverwell (photo Alan Pomroy) was the 5th ringed this autumn which is a new record annual total here (previous highest 4 in 2018 and 2022). Otherwise just 18 new birds today.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 10:32 PM

And so, another Portland autumn comes to an end... www.instagram.com/p/DQSG4DnjDJ...

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— Joe Stockwell (@joestockwell.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 6:44 PM

25th October

Another difficult day with the strength of the wind an issue throughout. Overhead passage had looked likely to be the day's salvation but, sadly, fell short of expectations, with 2000 Wood Pigeons, 1400 Starlings, 355 Goldfinches, 225 Chaffinches, 85 Siskins, 51 Redpolls, 26 Crossbills, 7 Bramblings and some under-par totals of other regulars a relatively poor return at the Bill. On the ground it was considerably quieter than of late, with many sheltered spots of cover almost devoid of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests; a scatter of Black Redstarts and Firecrests were again the best of the less regulars. Sea passage was almost non-existent although good numbers of gulls including 500 Mediterranean Gulls, 200 Kittiwakes, 80 Common Gulls and 30 Black-headed Gulls were feeding offshore.

The last dawn of 'summer' didn't really come up to expectations - pretty for sure but not as filled with overhead passage as had been hoped...

...pigeons trickled out in small flocks...

...but as a spectacle a single flock of c1000 departing Starlings stole the show © Martin Cade:

Ringing returns well down at the Bill with the day's only noteworthy event amongst just 17 new birds being the ringing of the two Chiffchaffs required to first equal and then overtake a record: more Chiffchaffs have now been ringed during this September and October than in any previous whole year!

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 25, 2025 at 11:20 PM

24th October

It remained way too windy to permit enjoyable fieldwork today but a steady passage developed overhead that could at least be tapped into from some sheltered spots. Totals at the Bill included 1330 Wood Pigeons, 245 Starlings and 120 Goldfinches, with 3 Crossbills and a Grey Plover providing a modicum of interest amongst the lower totals. Grounded arrivals looked to be few and far between and included little more of interest than a thin scatter of Black Redstarts, Redwings and Firecrests everywhere and a lone Yellow-legged Gull at the Bill.

23rd October

Unlike yesterday, there were no great expectations for today's birding prospects in a 40mph northwesterly and the day's list struggled to get beyond the entirely routine. Totals from around the Bill included 6 Wheatears, 2 Black Redstarts and 2 Firecrests, with additional overhead counts of 200 Wood Pigeons, 2 Golden Plover, 2 Siskin and a single Brambling.  

Yesterday's Cirl Bunting gives us an opportunity to alert folk to a Dorset-wide colour-ringing project initiated by Luke Phillips. We already know from ordinary metal-ringing that their recolonisation of the Dorset coast has resulted in some interesting movements - a nestling from the east Cornwall/west Devon population has turned up at West Bexington and there's been another movement between Littlesea, Weymouth, and Durlston; frustratingly, further metal-ringed birds have been seen at other sites but it's not proved possible to read their ring numbers in the field. Luke's project aims to shed further light on what's afoot with the Cirls, with the use of colour-rings enabling individual birds to be more easily identified in the field. Our bird is the sixth to be colour-ringed in the county so far this summer and autumn so keep an eye out - yesterday afternoon Jodie stumbled across our bird that had already moved hundreds of metres away from the Crown Estate Field where it had been trapped and her photo shows how relatively easily the rings can be seen/read in the field. Please report any sightings to Luke lukephillips0988@hotmail.com or via CR Birding © Joe Stockwell, Martin Cade and Jodie Henderson:

22nd October

There was a slight feeling of injustice about proceedings today: it was the loveliest of days both for migration and for birding, with plenty to sift through both on the ground and overhead but, whilst things like a Siberian Chiffchaff at Reap Lane and the year's first Cirl Bunting trapped in the Crown Estate Field were nice oddities, it really felt like the sort of day when something far better should have been uncovered. On the ground, for the most part variety was greater than pure quantity although the better quality cover was still stuffed with Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests, and there were still plenty of big gatherings of off-passage Meadow Pipits and Linnets; elsewhere, seasonable fare of the likes of Stonechats and Reed Buntings were liberally spread and likely amounted to some really decent totals, whilst a spread of Firecrests and a Short-eared Owl provided some quality and singles of Yellow Wagtail, Redstart and Whitethroat were among the late-ish migrants logged. The conditions were so benign that a lot of visible passage was progressing at a height that made it tricky to tap into but 345 Linnets, 320 Wood Pigeons, 290 alba wagtails, 225 Chaffinches, 195 Starlings, 175 Goldfinches, 100 Swallows, 70 Skylarks, 60 Redpolls, 60 Siskins, 19 Cormorants and 10 Bramblings were among the movers logged from the Obs, with several Crossbills among the loggings from viewpoints further up-island. At least 1000 Mediterranean Gulls were an impressive spectacle off the Bill but there was little actual passage underway offshore.

In contrast to last year, Siberian Chiffchaffs have been few and far between so far this autumn so a nice view of this one at Reap Lane was welcome © Nick Hopper:

We sometimes wonder if we get the mix of science and social care quite right on the Obs patio: by virtue of it being an outstanding birding spot it does attract a succession of visitors that encompass the whole spectrum between downright dysfunctional and utterly inspired - which lends itself to creating an environment where bird recording isn't necessarily everyone's priority; whilst they were discussing how they might make their day worthwhile by listing the Fig Tree Quarry Ring Ouzel or the Obs Quarry Wryneck, we wonder how many of those present this morning actually heard any of these migrants that Joe was recording over their heads: 

Cirl Bunting trapped in the Crown Estate Field

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 22, 2025 at 11:43 AM

Perfect mist-netting weather and some nice late season variety trapped at the Bill today. The Cirl Bunting the best but 13 Redpolls, 8 Stonechats and 6 Reed Buntings were all good totals along with 22 Goldfinches and 13 Chiffchaffs. Late pulse of 18 Swallows and a House Martin a surprise.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 22, 2025 at 4:54 PM

21st October

 After several days of inclement weather, visible migration was back on track today, with a steady stream of migrants overhead at the Bill including 1200 Starlings, 435 Goldfinches, 380 Linnets, 150 Meadow Pipits, 70 alba wagtails, 63 Siskin, 50 Redwing, 40 Chaffinches, 9 Crossbills, 9 Redpolls, 7 Greenfinches, 3 Brambling and singles of Golden Plover and Fieldfare. With the nagging wind lingering on, quantifying the grounded migrants at the Bill was less straight forward, but amongst a noticeable decrease in Chiffchaffs and increase in Goldcrests, new arrivals of note included 5 Firecrests, 4 Wheatears and singles of Merlin, Ring Ouzel, Whinchat, Black Redstart and Cetti's Warbler - along with the long-staying Wryneck - with a Siberian Chiffchaff at Thumb Lane and several more Firecrests and another Ring Ouzel there and at other spots further up-island. Sea interest waned, with a lone Great Skua as good as it got off the Bill.

Moving Starlings were the feature of the morning's visible passage over the Bill, with a constant procession of flocks heading southwest © Martin Cade...

...not before time, we also tapped into a modest number of Crossbills, although why it's taken this long to see more than just the very occasional single when they've been moving along the mainland coast in quantity for literally months remains a mystery © Joe Stockwell:

With better coverage of the extremities of the island today's total of two Ring Ouzel would likely have been increased © Joe Stockwell:

Where have all the maurus Siberian Stonechats gone? Today's late-ish Whinchat was nice but it did bring to mind that it's umpteen years since there's been a maurus on Portland - in fact, it's so long ago that off the top of our head we can't even remember when the last one was; surely, another must be massively overdue © Joe Stockwell:

Ringing attempts resumed today at the Bill after a couple of days of weather interruption. 88 ringed a decent catch but changes afoot with Chiffchaffs down to just 3 new; Goldcrests still arriving with 11 new but a good hit on Linnets saw them tops with 31. Fourth Cetti's W of the autumn a highlight

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 21, 2025 at 6:38 PM