The blanket of fog had cleared overnight but only to reveal that migration was at the lowest of ebbs. The odd singles of Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldrest and Firecrest were about at the Bill but several looked to be lingerers rather than new arrivals. A tiny bit more action overhead included 3 Lapwings along with a handful of pipits and wagtails. The sea was busier, with decent totals of 362 Kittiwakes and 182 Gannets through off the Bill along with 55 Common Gulls, 29 Cormorants, 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 7 Red-throated Divers.
4th March
The age old Portland early spring blight of a warm air/cold sea induced pea-souper enveloped the island today and severely impacted efforts to get amongst what seemed to be the very few migrants that made landfall. A small arrival of Meadow Pipits was evident but a lone Blackcap in the Obs garden mist-nets was the only other obvious arrival. Two Red-throated Divers through offshore soon after dawn represented the only sea passage logged before the fog clamped down.
3rd March
A gentle headwind was just enough to drop a steady arrival of passerines today, with Meadow Pipits featuring in numbers for the first time this spring and a few Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests at least briefly grounded at the Bill. The inbound Meadow Pipit tally over the Obs reached well into three figures, with plenty more visible in the distance heading along West Cliffs where there was unfortunately no meaningful coverage; a few Pied and/or unidentified alba wagtails were tagging along, with 2 Golden Plovers and singles of Wood Pigeon, Grey Wagtail and Siskin also logged at the Bill and the season's first Sand Martin through at Barleycrates Lane. On the ground, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests totalled 10 and 5 respectively at the Bill, where there looked to be a few extra Stonechats about and the overwintering singles of Cetti's Warbler and Firecrest also put in appearances. The sea was quiet, with 5 Red-throated Divers the best of it off the Bill.
A nicely pollened Chiffchaffs amongst the new arrivals at the Bill...
...where the overwintering Cetti's Warbler made the day-sheet for only the second time this year - it measures up to be a female so wouldn't have been expected to burst into song and give itself away in that manner but if a bird like this can escape detection for so long in the vicinity of the Obs it does make you wonder how many other similarly furtive scarcities make landfall here and end up completely overlooked © Martin Cade:
Meadow Pipits made up the numbers overhead but the odd tag-along like this Golden Plover provided some additional interest © Martin Cade:
2nd March
Today's mildness and sunshine was so pleasant that it wouldn't really have mattered if there was nothing about, but a few more prompt migrants capped off proceedings very nicely. With so many Wheatears having already made it into the country our first ones seemed almost tardy by comparison but the first 3 at the Bill were very welcome nonetheless; passerine interest otherwise concerned just the odd few new presumably migrant Robins, Wrens and the like showing up in the Obs garden mist-nets. The sea was more rewarding on the numbers front, with the first up-Channel passage of Kittiwakes evident off the Bill, where 280 passed by during the first couple of hours of the morning; 7 Shovelers, 4 Common Scoters, 3 Red-throated Divers and a Curlew also passed by during the same watch - hardly a seawatch of Dungeness proportions but we'll take it.
It really is something when Wheatear passage is already so advance by 2nd March that our first one isn't even an adult male © Jodie Henderson:
Having sensibly held off on a trip to see it in yesterday's grotty conditions, Jodie's visit today to the Radipole Red-rumped Swallow was blessed by far more appropriate cloudless skies and warm sunshine © Jodie Henderson:
Great to be back at @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social even for a very fleeting visit this morning. Enjoyed the wintering flock of Purple Sandpipers and a steady up-channel passage of Kittiwakes before a day with swans at Abbotsbury enlivened by occasional visits from a White-tailed Eagle
— Ben Sheldon (@sheldonbirds.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:39 PM
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25th February-1st March
Continuing mild conditions, albeit turning increasingly blustery at times, saw just about enough signs of early migration to keep momentum going, with 2 Blackcaps on 25th, another new Chiffchaff on 27th and the year's first Rook to see out the end of February. Two Firecrests at the Bill and 2 Goldcrests at Southwell were new arrivals on 1st March, with overwintering singles of each also still about at the Obs. The rest of the winter fare remained in-situ with the only oddity being another flyby of a White-tailed Eagle on 26th. Interest on the sea remained particularly poor, with the year's first singles of Manx Shearwater on both 26th and 27th the only sightings of note. Lastly, mild, sunny conditions on 25th saw both Comma and Brimstone added to the butterfly year list.
We completely missed out on the small arrival of migrant moths that reached other parts of southwest England in recent nights, with our moth-traps providing us with nothing more than a handful of residents. A couple of these were species of minor interest because we don't see them at the Bill all that frequently: Small Eggar is a relatively recent colonist whose larval nests have been found at several sites around the north of the island but not yet at the Bill, whilst Spring Reveller Diurnea fagella is a moth we've often pondered on the origins of - the females are flightless so you'd assume that if the assiduous collectors of the Victorian age couldn't find it then it wasn't here then and never was going to be in the future; however, since 1989 occasional males have been trapped at the Obs and more recently have been caught in some numbers in moth-traps further up the island - surely they can't all be strays from the mainland and the moth must now be established, in which case how and when did the first females get here? © Martin Cade:
One of our more elusive winter visitors is the Water Rail currently residing at Culverwell which, barring a few squeals, is barely detected from one week to the next. A few attempts were needed to finally capture it out in the open via a remote trail camera © Jodie Henderson:
And finally, we nipped over to Weymouth at the end of the afternoon to have a look at the spectacularly early Red-rumped Swallow found by James Lowther at the north end of Radipole Lake. Despite the bird showing ever so well and coming right overhead at times a combination of the leaden sky, shocking light and us not having a decent camera to hand ensured we secured no more than the odd record shot of our first hirundine of the year © Martin Cade:
16th-24th February
After a long barren spell the gradual introduction of milder and more more settled conditions has perked up interest no end, with 24th seeing the arrival of 2 Fieldfares and singles of Chiffchaff, Firecrest and Greenfinch at the Bill, 11 Stonechats and a Black Redstart at Reap Lane, a wandering Marsh Harrier overhead and 17 Common Scoter through offshore (...together with a handful of Redwings, Song Thrushes and Robins, and singles of Oystercatcher and Curlew logged overnight by the nocmig recorder at the Obs). Aside from routine winter fare, highlights during the preceding days concerned a released White-tailed Eagle overhead at Weston and Chiswell on 20th and a extremely unexpected island rarity in the form of a Nuthatch near Nicodemus Knob on 22nd.
After a few days when Lesser Black-back Gulls constituted the only signs of inbound passage at the Bill...
...a flurry on 24th that included Marsh Harrier, Chiffchaff and Firecrest was very welcome indeed © Jodie Henderson and Martin Cade:
8th-15th February
Whilst yet more unsettled weather severely interrupted time spent out in the field, there was still the distinct impression that little change had occurred in the assembly of birds present. A Short-eared Owl on the 12th was a surprise find after a winter without a single record but otherwise it was mostly the current regulars, with up to 13 Purple Sandpipers and the Grey Heron present at the Bill, 11 Black-necked Grebes and the Black-throated Diver in the Harbour plus a total of 55 Brent Geese at Ferrybridge. Clear skies on the 12th saw the year's second Red Admiral on the wing, whilst recent days have seen a large pod of Common Dolphins lingering offshore.
The Short-eared Owl present on the 12th of February © Jodie Henderson
31st January-7th February
A very unsettled period of weather for the beginning of February saw little in the way of new arrivals, with a single Yellowhammer on the 1st and a flyover White-tailed Eagle on the 7th the only oddities to report. Among the regular winterers, up to 11 Purple Sandpipers and 3 Turnstones were present at the Bill whilst the Grey Heron continued to frequent the observatory ponds. On the sea, Red-throated Diver numbers reached a maximum of 43 on the 2nd whilst 2 Shelduck past by on the 4th. Windier conditions at the end of January saw 12 Little Gulls present at the cove, with both the Red-necked Grebe and Black-throated Diver regularly seen in the harbour. Sunny intervals on the 4th saw the first Peacock butterfly on the wing whilst belated news of the first Hummingbird Hawkmoth came from the 22nd of last month.
Recent windy conditions have provided plenty of detritus for the local Ravens to begin their necessary nest building and repairs © Jodie Henderson
Whilst both the Black Redstart and Grey Wagtail remain at Church Ope Cove © Jodie Henderson
Pretty unsatisfactory views of this morning's White-tailed Eagle as it rounded the tip of the Bill, causing plenty of chaos among the local gulls © Jodie Henderson
29th-30th January
A steady couple of days, with a Red-necked Grebe in Portland Harbour, 5 Teal through off the Bill and a Redwing at the Obs (all on 29th) the best of the not-so-regulars. The Grey Heron and 10 Purple Sandpipers continued at the Bill, as did the Black Redstart at Reap Lane and the Black-throated Diver and a customary selection of other divers and grebes in Portland Harbour.
Routine fare included Red-throated Divers and Purple Sandpipers at the Bill, and the Portland Harbour Black-throated Diver...
...whilst five Teal through off the Bill were not so expected © Pete Saunders:
28th January
Nice sunny, quiet conditions were very welcome and allowed for plenty of coverage today. Little Gulls continued to provide interest, with 1 off the Bill and 2 in Portland Harbour. A Little Grebe was also a good record from the Harbour - formerly a familiar sight both there and at Ferrybridge, this species has lately become very infrequent at both. The day's other new arrivals were a Grey Heron at the Bill, where a second Reed Bunting joined the long-term winterer. Another 14 Red-throated Divers passed by off the Bill, where 9 passing Common Scoter was a higher total than of late.
It's always good to see a nice, close Black-throated Diver like this long-stayer in Portland Harbour © Phil Cheeseman:
birds had dispersed back in the harbour today, just a couple of GND off portland castle and maybe 3 off hamm beach and a BNG too, all distantly. main novelty was the first dabchick i have seen for a while at osprey quay
— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) January 28, 2026 at 4:01 PM
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26th-27th January
Some decent numbers again during the continuing stormy conditions, including Red-throated Diver totals off the Bill of 32 on 26th and 41 on 27th, and Great Northern Divers increasing to 15 in Portland Harbour on 27th. Other odds and ends of note included single Little Gulls off the Bill on both days.
The blasting southerly wind on 27th saw Great Northern Divers and Black-necked Grebes congregate in the relative shelter along the south side of Portland Harbour © Pete Saunders:
25th January
The calm after the storm revealed a few displaced Little Gulls today, with 3 lingering at Chesil Cove and another through off the Bill. The damp, dreary conditions weren't the best for extensive fieldwork, but other sightings from the day included 4 Great Northern and a Black-throated Diver in Portland Harbour and 2 Red-throated Divers through off the Bill.
Late news for yesterday, 24th: 40 Little Gulls passed through at Chesil Cove during the afternoon.
Always a treat after winter storms, these Little Gulls were showing nicely at Chesil Cove...
...where there was the infrequent sight of one of them being in second winter plumage © Martin Cade:
24th January
Wild weather but some rewarding birding today, with aggregations of 11 Great Northern Divers and 7 Great Crested Grebes in the sheltered waters along the south side of Portland Harbour. Six Common Scoters and a Red-throated Diver passed by off the Bill where 2 Purple Sandpipers and 3 Turnstones were on the clifftop near the Lobster Pot Cafe.
Some of the Great Northern Divers and Great Crested Grebes in Portland Harbour, and the Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones at the Bill © Pete Saunders:
13th-23rd January
Since we're getting concern for welfare messages from folk worried about our wellbeing in the light of there not being any updates here for so long, we'd like to assure everyone we're fine and just getting on with a hatful of admin and maintenance jobs - bird-wise, there's just been so little going on that it hasn't been worth posting an update. The only slightly out of the ordinary event was a movement of Redwings and Fieldfares between 14th and 19th that was presumed to involve returning birds that had been displaced by the cold weather over Christmas/New Year; relatively few were seen by day but the nocmig recorder at the Obs logged as many as 152 Redwing calls on the night of 17th/18th. The only addition to the year list has been a Cetti's Warbler at the Bill on 17th that we're guessing is most likely a winterer that had remained undetected for several weeks. Most of the other routine winterers have remained in situ, with the sea coming up with a Little Gull at Chesil Cove on 22nd and a peak total of 33 Red-throated Divers through off the Bill on 17th.
A chance encounter with one of the local Barn Owls on 16th © Verity Hill:
12th January
Besides a few of the regulars there was a nice little event during the afternoon when the year's first 3 Little Gulls joined the feeding Kittiwakes off the Bill.
Some of this afternoon's Little Gull action © Martin Cade:
The Purple Sandpipers remain a popular attraction at the Bill tip © Pete Saunders:
Red-breasted Mergansers Portland Harbour
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) January 12, 2026 at 3:39 PM
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10th-11th January
A weekend of two halves: Saturday was the nicest day of the year to date with ample opportunities to get amongst a few of the wintering passerines that have been keeping their heads down in recent weeks; Sunday was a shocker as milder but very wet and windy conditions blew in. Singles of Snipe and Redwing at the Bill on 10th were the only left-over cold weather visitors reported. Winterers putting in appearances on 10th included a Reed Bunting at the Bill, 2 Firecrests at Broadcroft and 2 Little Egrets and singles of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest at Penn's Weare. Routine fare included 10 Purple Sandpipers at the Bill on 11th and 10 Red-throated Divers through on the sea there on 10th.
A few of the winterers uncovered on 10th - Reed Bunting at the Bill, 2 Firecrests at Broadcroft and Blackcap and 2 Little Egrets at Penn's Weare © Martin Cade:
7th-9th January
After a quiet couple of days when the only interest concerned singles of Golden Plover and Snipe at the Bill on 7th, the 9th saw a little more of note off the back of Storm Goretti, with 50 Redwings north over Osprey Quay, 2 more Redwings settled at Portland Castle, singles of Golden Plover, Woodcock and Fieldfare at the Bill and a lone Teal settled off the Bill.
Redwings weren't exactly numerous last autumn and have been all but non-existent so far this winter so more than 50 on 9th was particularly noteworthy © Pete Saunders:
The usual divers and grebes continue on in Portland Harbour - this Great Northern Diver was off Portland Castle on 9th © Pete Saunders:
3rd-6th January
A crisp but very birdable few days saw a few more cold weather refugees pitch up around the island. There were no particular surprises but Goosanders included a new drake at Ferrybridge on 4th and a group of 5 there on 6th. Daily Golden Plovers peaked at 9 at the Bill on 5th, with 1-3 of both Lapwing and Snipe also nearly daily; a Whimbrel at Ferrybridge on 4th was presumably the individual that's been wintering a little further up the Fleet.
Full blown drake Goosanders aren't at all frequent in these parts so the Ferrybridge bird on 4th was a treat © Pete Saunders:
A few of the Golden Plovers on 5th © Verity Hill:
Wader numbers have been on the up at Ferrybridge in the last few days - perhaps as a result of the shoreline being quite frozen in places further up the Fleet © Pete Saunders:
And a couple of recordings from the the nocmig recorder that we deployed at the Obs last night for the first time in several weeks. Having been quiet - and unseen - for several weeks, Barn Owls have suddenly got really noisy in the vicinity of the Obs - the recorder logged 142 calls between 11pm and dawn (...that's the Obs Quarry Little Owl calling away in the background, with another individual joining in for good measure):
Pre-dawn Golden Plover(s) passing overhead:
1st-2nd January 2026
The year's started as uneventfully as last year ended, with a fair selection of the winter regulars on offer but little in the way of significant newcomers. The Goosander has continued to drop in from time to time at Ferrybridge, where a Pale-bellied Brent Goose on 1st and 3 Grey Plovers and 2 Shelducks on the 2nd have also been of note. A Ringed Plover was new at the Bill on 2nd, the long-staying Red-legged Partridge put in an appearance there for the first time in many weeks and a few Red-throated Divers have continued to pass by offshore. Elsewhere, a Black Redstart was at Reap Lane on 1st and a customary selection of divers and grebes have been on offer in Portland Harbour.
The Pale-bellied Brent and Grey Plovers at Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders:
The Black Redstart at Reap Lane © Alan Mayell:
With not overmuch to entertain us at the Bill we couldn't resist some more wild geese in the run up to New Year and popped up to see the group of semi-local Bean Geese at Winterbourne Monkton - great birds and we still haven't lost hope for some turning up/flying over at the Bill! © Martin Cade:
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