Portland Bill Bird Observatory @PortlandBirdObs Dorset @DorsetBirdClub is the venue for the IN FOCUS optics day this Sunday 16th February @DorsetBirdClub 01225 891352 for more info @opticronuk @SwarovskiOptik @ZEISSBirding @hawkeoptics Vortex - hoping for a few Divers pic.twitter.com/KOBMqpzqd8
— IN FOCUS SOUTH WEST (@MortimerKe93304) February 12, 2025
Another largely uninspiring few days to report, with the year total advancing almost as slowly as the weather looked like getting out of its rut of quiet, cool conditions accompanied by the dreariest of skies. The additions consisted of just 2 Teal at Ferrybridge and a Canada Goose through off the Bill on 7th and a Blackcap at Southwell on 8th, whilst apparent new arrivals included an uptick in Linnets at the Bill to 120 on 9th (hitherto, 30-40 there throughout the winter) and 2 new Chiffchaffs at Weston on 12th. Red-throated Divers continued to pass the Bill in fair numbers with a peak of 22 on 9th, whilst all the usual wintering divers, grebes, Purple Sandpipers, Black Redstarts and the like have been about whenever anyone's looked for them.
Barn Owls continue to be a regular feature all across the island, with reports during the last week from the Bill, Weston, Penn's Weare, the Grove, the Verne Moat and the Beach Road. As we mentioned back in January, the Bill birds were for a while very reliable in broad daylight - this little video clip was from an evening when three birds were in view simultaneously from the Obs patio - but just lately their emergence time seems to have got a fair bit later © Martin Cade: