January 2005

January 31st

Yesterday's Waxwing was still around although it was quite mobile; the favoured spot for it today seemed to be a couple of small hawthorn trees on the roadside at Haylands. Another individual was also reported on East Weare. In quiet, mild weather there was plenty to see elsewhere around the island, with 3 Black-throated Divers, 3 Eider and a Red-necked Grebe in Portland Harbour, a Mediterranean Gull at Ferrybridge, a Chiffchaff at Weston, 8 Redwings at Easton and another at the Bill, 19 Common Scoter off East Cliffs and 2 Red-throated Divers, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and a Great Crested Grebe passing through off the Bill.

The party of Bottle-nosed Dolphins (at least 5 adults and a calf) were again off East Cliffs at the Bill for much of the day.

                                                 

              

 Waxwing - near Royal Manor School, January 30th 2005 © Martin Cade

  January 30th

Highlight today was a settled Waxwing that showed on and off throughout the day in the vicinity of Royal Manor School between Weston and Easton. Portland Harbour was busier than it has been, with 4 Black-necked and a Red-necked Grebe, 3 Eider and 2 Black-throated and 2 Great Northern Divers on view during the morning, whilst nearby there were 5 Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge. Elsewhere there were 4 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Siskins at the Bill, a Red-throated Diver passed through on the sea there and a Chiffchaff was at Weston.

January 29th

Just typical winter birds today, with 4 Black-necked and a Red-necked Grebe in Portland Harbour, 3 Purple Sandpipers at the Bill, 21 Common Scoter off East Cliffs and a single Red-throated Diver passing through off the Bill. Late news for yesterday: a Chiffchaff was at Weston.

Additionally, a piece of Portland trivia: yesterday's Waxwings over the Obs garden were - perhaps surprisingly - the first ever recorded there and take the list of birds seen in and from the garden to 290 species. This list doesn't include species trapped elsewhere and released in the garden (eg the 1970 Desert Warbler) but there are still a few queries to answer regarding species that might have been seen from the garden in the past so there may yet be one or two belated additions in the pipeline.

                                                 

   

 Waxwing - ex Portland Harbour, January 28th 2005 © Martin Cade

  January 28th

Good and bad news on the Waxwing front today. The good news was the sighting in the afternoon of 15-20 flying rapidly north over the Obs garden - the flock seemingly having just arrived in off the sea; the bad news had been the discovery earlier in the day of a bedraggled dead individual floating in Portland Harbour at Portland Port (the bird had a broken neck so had presumably collided with a window or some other obstruction). Routine sightings otherwise included 20 Common Scoter still off East Cliffs, 4 Red-throated Divers passing the Bill and single Redwings at the Bill and Portland Castle.

January 27th

Thrushes today included 15 Redwings at Easton and 9 Fieldfares at Weston, with another lone Redwing at the Bill. A Black Redstart was at Haylands, 20 Common Scoter remained off East Cliffs, a single Red-throated Diver passed the Bill and there were 4 Black-necked and a Slavonian Grebe, 3 Eider and a Kingfisher in Portland Harbour.

January 26th

Not before time a Waxwing finally reached the island today: it was seen mid-morning in Westcliff Road at Weston although later searches there and elsewhere drew a blank. A Mistle Thrush was a new arrival at the Bill, where there were also 4 Purple Sandpipers and a Redwing; the flock of 21 Common Scoter remained offshore and a single Red-throated Diver passed through.

The party of Bottle-nosed Dolphins reappeared off East Cliffs again this morning.

January 25th

It remained dire on the bird front with nothing more to report than 21 Common Scoter off East Cliffs, 3 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Turnstones at the Bill, 8 Little Egrets at Ferrybridge and 4 Redwings at Portland Castle. 

January 24th

Another clear, crisp day. The only bird news was of 20 Common Scoter still off East Cliffs, 3 Red-throated Divers passing through off the Bill, a Mute Swan at Ferrybridge and a Fieldfare at Barleycrates Lane.

After a couple of days absence the party of 6-8 Bottle-nosed Dolphins were again off East Cliffs for much of the morning.

January 23rd

The weather remains extremely changeable, with yesterday's cloud and rain replaced by clear blue skies and sunshine today; however it did remain very chilly in a brisk north-east wind. Despite there being plenty of birders about the only news was of the Common Scoter flock and large numbers of auks still off the Bill and 2 Red-throated Divers passing through there.

January 22nd

A quite miserable damp and chilly day nonetheless produced a few things of interest, notably tremendous numbers of auks off the Bill: sample counts of birds passing by exceeded 200 per minute at times and there were probably more than 10000 birds offshore in total. More mundane fare there included 24 Common Scoter still settled offshore, 3 Shelduck and a Red-throated Diver passing by and a Mute Swan that flew over the Obs and was eventually lost to sight still heading south. Other reports from around the island included 5 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Black-necked Grebes, 3 Little Grebes and 2 Eider in Portland Harbour, 3 Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge, 7 Purple Sandpipers at the Bill, a Redwing in the Obs garden and a Pheasant and a Black Redstart on Little Beach below Grove Point.

January 21st

Eight Redwings and 2 Firecrests were at Easton this morning and another 2 Firecrests were found later in the day at Church Ope Cove. Five Purple Sandpipers were at the Bill where the Scoter flock offshore increased to 30 and a single Red-throated Diver passed through.

The small party of Bottle-nosed Dolphins were again off the Bill for most of the morning.

                                                 

   

 Bottle-nosed Dolphins - off East Cliffs, January 20th 2005 © Martin Cade

  January 20th

The only bird news was of 2 Purple Sandpipers at the Bill, 23 Common Scoter settled off East Cliffs, a Red-throated Diver and good quantities of auks passing through on the sea there and 2 Slavonian Grebes in Portland Harbour.

A party of 6-8 Bottle-nosed Dolphins (including a quite small calf) lingered off East Cliffs for a while around midday.

                                                 

  

 Common Dolphin - Chesil Cove, January 19th 2005 © Martin Cade

  January 19th

Quieter weather today saw a few more birders get out in the field. The Scoter flock and a Red-throated Diver were still settled off the Bill where another 3 Red-throated Divers passed by, auk numbers offshore increased to the many hundreds and 8 Purple Sandpipers were on the shore near the Trinity House obelisk. Elsewhere there were 4 Black-necked Grebes, 3 Black-throated Divers, a Slavonian Grebe and a Red-necked Grebe in Portland Harbour.

The local press has recently carried reports of several dead dolphins having been washed ashore on Chesil Beach; a Common Dolphin and the badly decomposed body of another unidentified dolphin were visible on the shore at Chesil Cove today.

January 18th

The sudden change today to blasting, chilly north-westerlies provided as good a reason as any to stay indoors and the only reports received were of 23 Common Scoter and a Red-throated Diver still settled off East Cliffs, 2 Purple Sandpipers at the Bill and a Slavonian Grebe in Portland Harbour.

                                                 

  

 Aurora - off Church Ope Cove, January 17th 2005 © Martin Cade

  January 17th

Although the forecast rain amounted to no more than the odd passing shower during the morning it was enough to deter anyone from getting out in the field and the only news was of seawatching from the Obs: the resident Scoter flock and a Red-throated Diver were settled offshore, whilst the ill-fated cruise-liner Aurora was also off the Bill where it had apparently broken-down overnight; it later limped to anchor off Church Ope Cove. Late news for recent days: 4 Redwings, 2 Goldcrests and a Blackcap were at Easton yesterday, whilst a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff were at Mallams on 14th.

                                                 

       

 Porter's Rustic and Satellite - Portland Bill, January 16th 2005 © Martin Cade

  January 16th

A Lapwing was a new arrival in mild and mainly sunny conditions at the Bill, where 11 Red-throated Divers and 6 Brent Geese passed through on the sea, the Scoter flock was still present offshore and a lone Purple Sandpiper was on the shore below the Trinity House obelisk. The only other bird news was of 3 Eider and a Red-necked Grebe in Portland Harbour.

With the conditions looking faintly promising for an arrival of immigrant lepidoptera the Obs garden moth-traps were operated last night; immigrants were entirely absent and the pick of the few resident species on the wing was a single Satellite. Last night also saw the emergence of the first Porter's Rustic reared through from eggs obtained from the two specimens of this species caught at the Obs last August (only the larvae kept in a warm room have pupated; many others kept in cooler conditions have spun cocoons but remain in diapause and have not yet pupated).

January 15th

Still precious little to report with persistent rain showers spoiling any sort of birding for much of the morning. Four Red-throated Divers and a Mediterranean Gull passed through off the Bill where the Common Scoter flock remained offshore and a lone Purple Sandpiper was on the shore near the Trinity House obelisk. A Chiffchaff was again in the Obs garden but there has been no sign of the wintering Blackcap there for a couple of days. The highlight of the day came after dark when a Barn Owl that was first seen alongside the Bill Road was then watched by torchlight as it hunted over the fields between Culverwell and East Cliffs.

                                                 

       

Great Black-backed Gulls - Portland Bill, January 14th 2005 © Martin Cade

  January 14th

The only news today was of seawatching at the Bill that produced 8 Red-throated Divers and a Red-breasted Merganser passing by and 20 Common Scoter still lingering offshore.

January 13th

A nice still, mild and sunny day but a disappointingly poor selection of sightings to report. A millpond-calm Portland Harbour came up with nothing better than 2 Black-necked, 2 Slavonian and a Red-necked Grebe, a Great Northern Diver and an Eider, 3 Mediterranean Gulls were at Ferrybridge, 18 Long-tailed Tits and a Blackcap were in a garden at Southwell, the Blackcap was still in the Obs garden, 20 Common Scoter remained off East Cliffs and a single Red-throated Diver passed through off the Bill. Late news for recent days: up to 3 Woodcock have been seen at dusk at Verne Common recently but there has still been no sign of any Long-eared Owls there; also a single Sandwich Tern was in Portland Harbour 'several days ago'.

                                                 

  

Shag - Portland Bill, January 12th 2005 © Martin Cade

  January 12th

Pleasantly sunny today although the wind remained strong throughout the day. A fly-by Red-necked Grebe was the pick of the birds at the Bill, where 3 Red-throated Divers also passed through, 22 Common Scoter were still lingering and a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff were in the Obs garden.

January 11th

Today's bout of wind and rain held off long enough to allow for some seawatching early in the morning when 6 Red-throated Divers passed through off the Bill, the Scoter flock was still present off East Cliffs and good numbers of Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks were lingering offshore. The only other reports were of the Blackcap still in the Obs garden, a Mediterranean Gull at Ferrybridge and a Great Northern Diver and a Slavonian Grebe in Portland Harbour.

January 10th

With heavy rain lasting from the late hours of the night until late in the afternoon the only birding possible revealed that the Scoter flock remained offshore and the wintering Blackcap was still in the Obs garden.

January 9th

The only new arrival of note today was a Little Gull that lingered for a while off the Bill; 20 Common Scoter were also still offshore, another 2 Red-throated Divers passed through on the sea, 8 Purple Sandpipers were at the Bill and the Blackcap and a Redwing were in the Obs garden. The only reports from elsewhere were of 4 Black-necked and 2 Slavonian Grebes, 3 Eider and a Great Northern Diver in Portland Harbour and a Mediterranean Gull at Ferrybridge.

                                                 

  

Common Scoter - Portland Bill, January 8th 2005 © Martin Cade

  January 8th

More often than not, howling gales are disappointingly unproductive at the Bill and today proved to be no exception, with nothing more interesting than a lone Red-throated Diver passing through on the sea; Chesil Cove was no better and produced just a single Mediterranean Gull. The Scoter flock remained off the Bill, 11 Purple Sandpipers were on the shore near the Trinity House obelisk and the Blackcap was still in the Obs garden. Elsewhere there were 3 Black-necked Grebes and 3 Eider in Portland Harbour.

January 7th

Not much birding activity today in windy but still very mild conditions. Six Purple Sandpipers, a Black Redstart and a Blackcap remained at the Bill, where there were 25 Common Scoter lingering offshore. Also at the Bill, after a long absence through the early winter Little Owls have again been showing in recent days in the Obs quarry. The only other reports from the area were of 3 Eider and 2 Slavonian Grebes in Portland Harbour.

January 6th

It was mild enough today to tempt Skylarks into song for the first time this winter, whilst the continuing presence of both Blackcap and Chiffchaff in the Obs garden and another 2 Chiffchaffs at Southwell gave even more of a spring-like feel to proceedings. A second Black Redstart joined the individual that arrived at the Bill yesterday, 5 Purple Sandpipers, a Redwing and a Goldcrest were also at the Bill and at least 17 Long-tailed Tits were at Southwell. Seawatching produced another 7 Red-throated Divers passing through off the Bill.

                                                 

  

Black Redstart - Portland Bill, January 5th 2005 © Martin Cade

  January 5th

Another day of brisk south-westerlies and squally showers. A Black Redstart at the Bill was the first seen there for over a month, the wintering Blackcap and Chiffchaff were both still in the Obs garden, 8 Red-throated Divers passed through on the sea and 20 Common Scoter remained off East Cliffs. Elsewhere there were 2 Rooks at Portland Heights and 4 Mediterranean Gulls and a Little Egret at Ferrybridge.

January 4th The weather remained mild but very unsettled and it was more of the same on the bird front. Large numbers of Kittiwakes remained offshore but otherwise the sea produced just 22 lingering Common Scoter and single passing Red-throated Diver and Brent Goose. Five Purple Sandpipers and 2 Turnstone were on the shore at the Bill and a Lapwing, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff were also in the Bill area. The only other news was of 2 Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge. January 3rd With most birders having logged the island's routine year-ticks over the last couple of days there were fewer people in the field today and the only news was of 500 Kittiwakes and 15 Common Scoter lingering off the Bill, 3 Red-throated Divers passing through there, 2 Redwings and a Blackcap in the Obs garden and 3 Eider, a Great Northern Diver, a Slavonian Grebe and a Mediterranean Gull in Portland Harbour. January 2nd  Still windy but drier and sunnier today. Another 6 Red-throated Divers passed the Bill, at least 12 Common Scoter were off East Cliffs and 9 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Ravens and a Blackcap were on the land at the Bill. Elsewhere there was a Little Gull off Chesil Cove, 3 Eider, 5 Black-necked and a Red-necked Grebe in Portland Harbour and at least 3 Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge/Portland Harbour. Late news for yesterday: 2 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Brent Geese were pick of the afternoon seawatch reports from the Bill.

                                                 

  

Stormy start to the year - Portland Bill, January 1st 2005 © Martin Cade

  January 1st 

Quite a dismal start to the year with a strengthening wind blowing through increasingly frequent heavy rain showers. Six Red-throated Divers passed through off the Bill where at least a dozen Common Scoter were still present and a Great Skua continued to linger. Despite a remarkably heavy passage of Redwings over the Bill in the hours of darkness only one lone individual could be found in the Obs garden at dawn; the wintering Blackcap was also still present there. Elsewhere a Chiffchaff was still at Southwell and a Great Northern Diver, a Slavonian Grebe and a Mediterranean Gull were in Portland Harbour.

Overnight moth-trapping in the Obs garden produced just typical resident winter fare: Winter Moth, Scobipalpa costella, Epiphyas postvittana and Acleris hastiana.