Still not much to report on the migrant moth front but the first Rusty Acorn Piercer Cydia amplana of the year from the Obs traps this mrng - a former rarity that may or may not be established here these days
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 26, 2024 at 8:40
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26th July
25th July
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24th July
The first Grasshopper Warbler of the autumn from the Crown Estate Field nets this mrng - slightly oddly, a worn adult and not a sparkling fresh youngster
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 24, 2024 at 7:00
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The Ferrybridge wader selection included singles of Little Ringed and Grey Plovers © Martin Cade:
23rd July
Wakeham Meadow this afternoon and only my second Black Mining Bee (Andrena pilipes) I have seen on Portland. This is a nationally scarce species in the UK and is probably why the last one I saw was in June 2018 at Church Ope Cove. youtu.be/uMNtHg_8jgs?...
— Port and Wey (@portandwey.bsky.social) Jul 23, 2024 at 20:05
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21st-22nd July
Pretty hopeless at the Bill today: 7 Sand Martins through overhead and 53 Common Scoter, 24 Manx Shearwaters and 9 Black-headed Gulls through on the sea.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 21, 2024 at 22:28
22nd July
Still very quiet. Three Yellow-legged Gulls, 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Turnstones and 2 Arctic Skuas passed by off the Bill where a Willow Warbler was new on the land. The Ferrybridge wader tally consisted of 14 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plovers and singles of Whimbrel and Turnstone.
20th July
...and this Oystercatcher that was at the Bill in early May - it was ringed at Dawlish Warren, Devon, in July 2022 (and seen there subsequently until at least February 2023); it was actively looked for after the first sighting - and surely wouldn't have been missed for long beforehand as there are so few Oystercatchers at the Bill - but couldn't be found again so we're none the wiser as to whether it was a late migrant or just on a brief foray from Dawlish © Jodie Henderson:
19th July
18th July
A reminder for PBO members of our AGM taking place at the Obs this Saturday, 20th July For those interested there'll be a short pre-meeting walk to inspect a recent land purchase that'll be formally announced at the AGM - this walk will commence at the Obs at 3.45pm...
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 18, 2024 at 16:49
...the AGM will commence at 4.30pm and will be followed by the customary BBQ and other refreshments Should the Obs carpark be full there'll be overflow parking available in the Crown Estate Field drive.google.com/file/d/1hDg-...
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 18, 2024 at 16:54
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Two Roseate Terns that pitched in from time to time amongst the loafing gulls at Ferrybridge were a not altogether surprising highlight today, with the wader tally there consisting of 18 Ringed Plovers, 6 each of Curlew and Dunlin, and singles of Whimbrel, Sanderling and Redshank. At the Bill a brisker breeze saw to it that the day's visible migrants was considerably more active than many of yesterday's, with few of the 50 or so Sand Martins and miscellaneous tag-alongs overhead lingering long in the increasingly hot sunshine; grounded arrivals looked to be entirely absent there. The sea ticked over largely uneventfully, with 29 Common Scoter, 4 Yellow-legged Gulls, 3 Balearic Shearwaters and 2 Manx Shearwaters lingering and 2 Arctic Skuas, a Whimbrel and a Puffin through off the Bill.
If you like your fill of gratuitous physical violence you can always eschew Strictly Come Dancing for the Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge © Martin Cade:
17th July
Really pleasant conditions with barely a waft of a breeze saw Sand Martins get moving in some quantity during the morning when more than 200 passed through at the Bill; both Swifts and Swallows were represented in this southbound trickle although both in far lower numbers. Sadly, what was favourable for the diurnal movers had also no doubt been good for their nocturnal counterparts that saw no reason to pause their migration on our headland, with just a single new Sedge Warbler of note at the Bill; at least 3 Yellow Wagtails scattered about were presumed to be dispersing from the mainland rather than planning a cross-Channel movement; whilst further interest on the land concerned a/the Great Spotted Woodpecker at Wakeham (where it's evidently been ensconced since 15th), singles of Redshank and Common Sandpiper at the Bill and 3 Black-tailed Godwits and a Sanderling amongst the meagre wader selection at Ferrybridge. Given the balmy conditions not much was expected of the sea so the first 2 Balearic Shearwaters for a while, a passing presumably non-local Puffin and a single Yellow-legged Gull were a fair reward amongst more routine fare off the Bill.
The migrant moth situation perked up a little with an arrival (presumably an arrival rather than a hatch?) of Silver Ys evidenced by fair catches in all of the garden moth-traps around the island - the highest of these was 69 at the Obs; other routine migrants were represented in low single figure totals, with an Olive-tree Pearl at the Obs the night's only minor scarcity.
A few of the day's Sand Martins paused for a while allowing for a small take from the Crown Estate Field mist-nets but the majority were very active migrants that scorched straight through; all of those handled and all of those seen well overhead were sparklingly fresh youngsters like this one - hopefully the adults are well underway with their second brood now that these first-brood youngsters have been sent on their way © Martin Cade:
🩵🪶👏With the beautiful sunrises & sunsets that we have encountered this summer whilst monitoring up at the colony; we have now had a top count of 37 Little Tern Fledglings!! A great number with hopefully more to follow.
— Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project (@LittleChesil) July 17, 2024
Photo Credit: Neil Price pic.twitter.com/ZOsVhxc2Wy
16th July
Slowly improving conditions but the birding remained uneventful today: after a shearwater-free spell a few Manx got moving off the Bill + at least 1 lingering YLGull there. 4 Sand Martins the day's only passerine migrants there. Ferrybridge: 7 Sanderling.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 16, 2024 at 22:37
Moth migrants still extremely sparse and for the most part of the lowest quality so the first Scarce Bordered Straw of the year a little unexpected from the Obs moth-traps last night
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 16, 2024 at 9:56
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4 species of skipper today, a lady told me she had an essex but suspect it was a poorly marked lulworth. there never seems to be a complete gap between 1st/2nd gen dingy here pic.twitter.com/5qN2cuXiTc
— andy (@andy33082645) July 16, 2024
a few of the other species seen today, whilst grayling seem to be having a bumper season the buddleia were eerily empty. also a snap of one of a handful of silver studded blue and a ringlet (seem to have eluded my camera recently). some other common species seen but none of note pic.twitter.com/CjFCkbrSCA
— andy (@andy33082645) July 16, 2024
6-10 chalkhills (all male) in tout and a couple on the slopes below the prison visitors entrance, no doubt will be all over the island shortly pic.twitter.com/NqCtARYTn3
— andy (@andy33082645) July 16, 2024
15th July
Largely rained off today with a small influx of at least 8 Yellow-legged Gulls the only event of note at the Bill.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 15, 2024 at 23:09
The first of the juvenile Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls have been arriving at Ferrybridge over the past few days
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jul 15, 2024 at 10:40
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The 2 Sanderling on the harbour's edge at Ferrybridge this morning
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jul 15, 2024 at 10:42
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Juvenile and 3rd calendar year Yellow-legged Gulls at the Crown Estate Field, Portland this morning. pic.twitter.com/3wCPi7ZHza
— Keith Pritchard (@portlandbirder) July 15, 2024
Coincidence or something more? Two Storm Petrels ringed @PortlandBirdObs, Dorset on the 3rd of this month were in Skokholm's South Haven ten days later pic.twitter.com/lTUnM2w1WZ
— Skokholm Island (@SkokholmIsland) July 15, 2024
14th July
Portland Harbour and The Fleet Ferrybridge: 0630 onwards; Greenshank, Sanderling 8, Ringed Plover 2, Turnstone, Dunlin 8, Little Tern 40+ 🦉#birds #ukbirding #ornithology @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social
— Dorset Bird Tours (@dorsetbirdtours.bsky.social) Jul 14, 2024 at 17:11
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12th-13th July
12th July
A very quiet day, as much because other commitments saw to it that there was precious little serious fieldwork. 7 Swallows, 5 Sand Martins and 2 Grey Herons left to the south at the Bill.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 12, 2024 at 22:25
13th July
Waders, Swifts and hirundines might have been moving for a while but nice to see the first Sedge Warbler of the autumn this mrng
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 13, 2024 at 8:01
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Good passage of terns off the Bill this mrng: 39 Sandwich, 25 commics and a Little; 28 Common Scoter and 2 YLGulls lingering + 5 Shelducks and 2 Whimbrel thru. Trickle of Swifts and hirundines still departing overhead but no other grounded migrants beside the Sedge Warbler.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 14, 2024 at 0:17
11th July
10th July
chalkhill blue & silver studded blue from tout today pic.twitter.com/BePy2GtD4M
— andy (@andy33082645) July 10, 2024
big numbers of grayling now on the wing at tout, masters of camouflage! pic.twitter.com/1tWqQlan03
— andy (@andy33082645) July 10, 2024
its been a bit of a learning curve realising that not all lulworths exhibit crescents, just the last bright one a small skipper. pic.twitter.com/zQG7Ad4h28
— andy (@andy33082645) July 10, 2024
hardly rare but a forrester moth from today, nice enough looking pic.twitter.com/pN6Cn7kztr
— andy (@andy33082645) July 10, 2024
9th July
Ferrybridge this morning 0600-0800 54 Dunlin, 7 Common Sandpiper, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Turnstone, Knot, 4 Sandwich Tern, 8 Swift south
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jul 9, 2024 at 8:11
Uptick in wader numbers as a result of today's yet more rain accounted for most of the day's land migrants: 6 Redshank (per JW) were additional to @debbyseamist.bsky.social's Ferrybridge nos + 2 Whimbrel thru at the Bill. Sea: 116 Com Scoter thru off the Bill + 17 Manx and 1 Balearic.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 9, 2024 at 22:42
Dunlin at Ferrybridge this morning
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jul 9, 2024 at 10:24
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This juvenile Little Tern was having a go at fishing, Ferrybridge #ChesilLittleTerns
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jul 9, 2024 at 10:21
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One of the day's Whimbrel - this one at Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders:
7th - 8th July
7th July
A bit of a shocker at the Bill with no reports from the land and almost all sea interest fizzling out to the extent that there were just 2 Manx logged all day!
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 7, 2024 at 22:22
Ferrybridge this morning 7 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Whimbrel , Redshank, 7 Sandwich Tern
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jul 7, 2024 at 7:23
Black-tailed Godwits at Ferrybridge this morning
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jul 7, 2024 at 17:14
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8th July
Still struggling for migrant interest at the Bill despite unexpectedly bird-able/net-able conditions: nothing by way of new passerines; single Common Sand the only wader; just 2 Manx and a Balearic from the sea
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 8, 2024 at 21:59
Ferrybridge this morning 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, Sanderling, 2 Dunlin, Curlew, 2 Sandwich Tern, Great Northern Diver east
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jul 8, 2024 at 7:32
There's already a summering - immature? - Great Northern Diver in Portland Harbour so the appearance of another individual - this one in summer plumage - over Ferrybridge this morning was very unexpected © Pete Saunders:
6th July
Portland Bill - 0815 to 1030 Sea-watch Manx Shearwater 2, Little Tern 6, Common Scoter 4 offshore, Kittiwake 3, Common Tern 6, Sandwich Tern 4, Fulmar 2, Shag 3 🦉 #birds #ornithology #ukbirding #seabirds
— Dorset Bird Tours (@dorsetbirdtours.bsky.social) Jul 6, 2024 at 16:39
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Ferrybridge this morning 20+ Common Sandpipers along the harbour, flock of 12 Shelduck west, 3 Turnstone, Dunlin
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jul 6, 2024 at 7:48
We couldn't recollect such a large aggregation of what eventually proved to be 23 Common Sandpipers along the Harbour shoreline this morning and were too footballed-out to take the time to check the stats but Grahame Walbridge has kindly reminded us that in days gone by there were actually several considerable higher counts: the Dorset county record total is 55 along the Harbour shore on 20th August 1983, whilst other good totals include 30 there on 18th July 1986 and 34 on East Cliffs at the Bill on 30th August 1974 © Pete Saunders:
The flock of a dozen Shelducks over Ferrybridge isn't a bad total either © Pete Saunders:
1st-5th July
Advance notice of this year's AGM that will be held at 4.30pm on Saturday 20th July - all members welcome. Post-meeting refreshments will be provided and there'll be a short pre-meeting walk to check out some recent land purchases drive.google.com/file/d/1hDg-...
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 1, 2024 at 16:26
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1st July
A little influx of Common Sands saw at least 4 logged at the Bill but otherwise it remained quiet today, with singles of Balearic Shearwater and Yellow-legged Gull the best from the sea.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 1, 2024 at 23:52
Black-tailed Godwit and Common Sandpipers at Ferrybridge this morning
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jul 1, 2024 at 16:58
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2nd July
Most of today's interest was on or over the sea, with a Cattle Egret west off the Bill still a scarcity for here; also 45 Med Gulls, 25 Manx, 12 Com Scoter, 5 Balearics and a juv Yellow-legged Gull lingering and an Arctic Skua through. Land: 3 Sand Martins south + Common Sand and Blackcap new.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 2, 2024 at 22:47
3rd July
Another 6 Storm Petrels trapped at the Bill tip between midnight and 2am. Sea fairly quiet all day: 6 Balearics and a Yellow-legged Gull lingering off the Bill early morning but just a few Manx, Med Gulls and Com Scoters from later watches. Land: 2 Redshanks at Ferrybridge & a Grey Wag over the Bill
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 3, 2024 at 22:42
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4th July
Hopeless in increasingly windy conditions: 2 Balearics through off the Bill the only report worth a mention.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 4, 2024 at 23:59
5th July
Remained very quiet today with a minimum of 3 Balearics offshore and singles of Pom and Arctic Skuas also through on the sea.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jul 5, 2024 at 23:18
30th June
First juv Yellow-legged Gull of the season off the Bill this evening along with the only Balearic Shearwater of the day; sea otherwise uneventful. Trickle of departing Swifts, 4 Whimbrel, a Sand Martin and a Grey Wagtail the best from the land. Summering GNDiver still in Portland Harbour.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jun 30, 2024 at 22:14
30 June - Silver Washed Fritillary at the Naval Cemetery, Portland. No photo but underside of hind wing seen well when perched. @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social New Ground/Verne Bee orchids mostly finished but Pyramidals everywhere. Gentians starting. Burnet moth sp larva and Mother Shipton #teammoth
— Steve M (@steveweynature.bsky.social) Jun 30, 2024 at 16:46
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Three more Black-tailed Godwits at Ferrybridge this morning © Pete Saunders:
In what's proving to be a rather indifferent breeding season for a lot of species it was good to see today that one of the pairs of island Buzzards has a nest full of seemingly thriving youngsters © Steve Mansfield:
29th June
Many thanks to Don Ainsworth for just popping us through his photos of the Red-footed Booby off the Bill on Monday afternoon - grippingly it was settled not far off Pulpit Rock! These were taken at 14:48 so a few hours before it turned up settled on a boat off Purbeck during the evening.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jun 29, 2024 at 21:59
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No surprises today and no sign of a return in Balearics with just a single - along with 26 Manx - off the Bill this mrng; Med Gull nos continued to increase offshore + 18 Com Scoter settled and 7 Mallards and a Whimbrel thru. Singles of Ringed Plover and Grey Wagtail the best from the land.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jun 29, 2024 at 23:25
Ferrybridge this morning 140 Med Gulls, Black-tailed Godwit (ad)
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jun 29, 2024 at 7:29
This morning's Black-tailed Godwit at Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders:
28th June
Seems like most of the Balearics have headed off across Lyme Bay - just 11 from various watches at the Bill today; also c150 Manx through west off there. A Greylag Goose overhead the best from the land today.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jun 28, 2024 at 23:17
27th June
An exodus of Balearics today with just 2 logged off the Bill; freshening wind through the afternoon saw a few dozen Manx getting moving offshore. Steady trickle of Swifts sw over the Bill through the mrng. First Grayling of the yr on the wing at Tout Quarry
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jun 27, 2024 at 22:03
Roseate Tern just gone east off the Bill
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Jun 27, 2024 at 7:46
Little Ringed Plover south over the Bill 0620, Wheatear about as well
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) Jun 27, 2024 at 7:06
After a few weeks of not really bothering with systematic recording we've been giving the nocmig recorder a few outings this week as the early autumn wader season gets underway. Waders might have proved to be hard to come by but there's been some entertainment in the form of Guillemots audible through each night. We could get far better recording of these seasonable vocalisations by going over to the auk colony on West Cliffs but the weather's been so calm and birds so noisy that the nocmig recorder deployed at the Obs - several hundred metres from the sea - has been picking up some of the action as the little jumplings and their attendant parents are carried away eastwards on the tide off East Cliffs. In this sequence from just before midnight last evening the adults are presumably making the braying calls (this is the same call they use to call the youngsters off the cliffs) to keep in touch in the darkness with the youngsters that can be heard giving bursts of their shriller piping calls; we don't know how many youngsters left the cliffs last evening but the last contact calling between them and the adults was faintly audible way off in the distance at 03.25am:
The warm and increasingly humid nights earlier this week saw moth interest pick up quite dramatically. A good selection of local specials are now on the wing including Samphire Knot-horn Epischnia asteris...
The main interest from our point of views concerned the selection of strays and dispersers that are customary in this sort of weather. The most interesting of these was what looks to be a Yarrow Pug from John Lucas' garden at Southwell; we do have at least one now long-ago previous record for the island that maybe ought to be revisited but it looks as though any records for Dorset are good ones - the county website mentions only 6 records in total: