A really nice day of light winds and warm sunshine with lots of migrant action to tap into. The day's highlight was a Little Bunting trapped in the Crown Estate Field but the numbers were all again overhead, where 6200 Wood Pigeons, 240 Linnets, 220 Chaffinches, 205 Goldfinches, 183 Jackdaws, 180 Stock Doves, 180 Starlings, 160 Meadow Pipits, 105 Redpolls, 75 Siskins, 50 Skylarks, 28 Greenfinches, 20 Reed Buntings, 5 Woodlarks, 5 Bramblings, 4 Great Northern Divers (all high-flyers heading west over the land), 2 Yellowhammers and a Golden Plover were amongst the totals logged over the Bill. It wasn't busy on the ground but amongst a good spread of expected late October migrants, 4 Ring Ouzels (2 at the Bill and 2 at Verne Common), a Yellow-browed Warbler (at the Grove), a Pintail (through at Portland Harbour) and a Short-eared Owl (at the Bill) were all of interest. The sea was again chock-a-block with Mediterranean Gulls, with 26 Common Scoter, 11 Balearic Shearwaters and a Red-throated Diver also through off the Bill.
Another weekend, another Little Bunting...
Portland Day 6 - An excellent day to be in the field that's for sure! Over 100 Redpolls early doors, followed by Chaffinches + Pigeons, 3 Woodlark, 2 Ring Ouzel, Y'hammer and the excellent Little Bunting which dropped in over my head and landed in front of me! @PortlandBirdObs pic.twitter.com/XJRqLk3yh7
— Joe Stockwell (@Joe_stockwell) October 22, 2023
