A very underwhelming day, with passage on all fronts at a low ebb. The sea provided the day's two highlights with a Long-tailed Skua through at Chesil Cove and a Cory's Shearwater through off the Bill, but routine movement there was hardly up to scratch with just 229 Great Black-backed Gulls (with another 107 settled ashore), 30 Balearic Shearwaters and a Little Gull of additional note off the Bill. On a bright and breeze morning visible passage was unaccountably poor, with Meadow Pipits reduced to the low hundreds and the likes of Siskins to a few dozen. The land was well scrutinized but was also disappointing: Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs weren't at all numerous and there were no noteworthy finds amongst the ones and twos of other migrants uncovered.
Golden Twin-spot from the Obs moth-traps overnight; still a surprisingly rare migrant at Portland - think this is only the sixth island record pic.twitter.com/7lkWVRFRcQ
— Portland Bird Observatory (@PortlandBirdObs) September 25, 2023
