A chill wind didn't do much for numbers but some quality more than salvaged the day, with a Red-rumped Swallow lingering for a while over Barleycrates Lane/Weston Street the stand-out highlight. The same area was favoured for scarce migrants, hosting at least 3 Ring Ouzels, 2 Black Redstarts and 2 Redstarts; elsewhere, a Firecrest at the Bill, a Pied Flycatcher at Southwell and a Fieldfare at Verne Common provided further interest. Common migrants - mainly Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers - were filtering through in fair numbers on the ground but, despite the clear sky and brisk northeasterly, visible passage was a disappointing non-event. A steady passage of small flocks of Common Scoter fell just short of a three figure total off the Bill, where 14 Eider, 4 Red-throated Divers, a Great Northern Diver and a Mallard were the best of the rest.
Speckled Wood and Large White were on the wing for the first time this year.
Some nice finder's photos of Portland's earliest ever Red-rumped Swallow © Chris Griffin:
