19th April

Another day of brisk easterlies and clear skies - conditions that really aren't dropping migrants in any great numbers but no doubt helped along the day's new rarity - a Red-rumped Swallow that headed through along East Cliffs at the Bill during the morning; the Hoopoe was also still about at Suckthumb Quarry, but a definitive identification couldn't be secured on the day's other oddity - a ringtail harrier that arrived in off the sea at the Bill. Grounded migrants were a little more numerous than they'd been yesterday, with Willow Warblers still far outnumbering everything else (and including 60 at the Bill) and less frequent fare coming in the form of a scatter of Redstarts and singles of Common Sandpiper, Black Redstart, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Firecrest, Pied Flycatcher and Bullfinch. Greater numbers overhead included at least 5 Yellow Wagtails amongst the steady passage of hirundines, Meadow Pipits and finches. Sea passage was again dreadful, with a lone Great Skua the best of a very bad job at the Bill.

Single Diamond-back Moths at the Obs and the Grove were the only immigrant moths caught overnight.


Greenland Wheatear - Portland Bill, 19th April 2015 © Tony Hovell

And another night sounds update: Nick Hopper's been working through the rest of the sound files from his three nights at the Obs last week and one of the migrants logged is a passing Golden Plover; that in itself isn't too unusual but for novelty value this individual breaks into one of its song-types that's given quite frequently on migration - although presumably not very often whilst flying over at night. For added interest, both Barn Owl and Little Owl start calling in the foreground a little way into the recording.