3rd December

A calm and overcast morning saw a nice variety of birds on the move for so late in the season. Overhead passage made up the bulk of the day's records, with a total of 70 Chaffinches, 3 Siskin, 2 Greenfinch, 2 Brambling and 2 Redpoll passed the Bill. Other grounded migrants around the obs included 4 Song Thrush, 2 Chiffchaffs and singles of Redwing, Goldcrest and Bullfinch. A Balearic Shearwater marked the highlight of the morning's seawatch, with a supporting cast of 11 Red-throated Divers, 7 Wigeon, 4 Common Scoter and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose. Totals for the Harbour included 2 Black-throated Divers and a Red-necked Grebe from Sandsfoot and 5 Common Scoter, 4 Black-necked Grebes and a Great Northern Diver from the Sailing Club. Elsewhere, the Wheatear remained at Ferrybridge, with new Black Redstarts at both Blacknor and Church Ope Cove, where a Sanderling was also present.

Today's settled conditions seemed like a suitable enough excuse for a jaunt up island to some more under-watched spots, although we failed to uncover anything more unusual among the Chiffchaff and crests present © Jodie Henderson


Today's Sanderling was an unexpected find along the strandline at Church Ope Cove, where it was busily feeding away among the wintering pipits and wagtails © Jodie Henderson


2nd December

A switch back round to North-westerlies brought with it cooler and breezier conditions that inevitably meant more time spent catching up on paperwork and less time out in the field. A Bullfinch at Culverwell was a slightly unexpected arrival, with a flyover Golden Plover and 2 Fieldfare also present at Southwell. Elsewhere, the Wheatear was present for it's second day at Ferrybridge.

A Small Mottled Willow from last night's moth traps and a Painted Lady at Southwell this morning constituted the day's migrant Lepidoptera news. 

1st December

The month got off to a rather wet start, with a fairly heavy band of rain passing over during the first couple of hours after dawn. The highlight of the day came in the form of a late Wheatear at Ferrybridge where a total of 8 Shelduck, 4 Common Scoter and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit were also present. The only other records from around the Bill seemed to involve lingering birds, with singles of Chiffchaff and Firecrest at the obs and a Water Rail at Culverwell. At sea, just one each of Red-throated Diver and Great Northern Diver to note. 

Today's Wheatear was looking rather bedraggled in the morning's showers © Pete Saunders



30th November

Whilst the continuing mild weather made for pleasant birding, there appeared to be little in the way of new arrivals, with a total of 3 Song Thrush, a Reed Bunting and a Chiffchaff recorded around the obs. The oddity of the day came in the form of a Little Egret which was first seen at Southwell before dropping in at several sites around the Bill including the obs pond. Elsewhere, a total of 6 Purple Sandpipers were at the tip of the Bill and a Water Rail was heard calling from Culverwell. At sea, just 2 Red-throated Divers and 16 Common Scoter were recorded. At Ferrybridge, 2 Great Northern Divers, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit were still present, with a group of 19 Greenfinch of note.

Whilst the moth traps were undoubtedly busier with migrant activity, with a total of 4 Rusty Dot Pearl, 2 Silver Y, 2 White Speck, 2 Rush Veneer and a Small Mottled Willow, it was hard not be a tad disappointed when compared to some of the other rarities turning up around the county!

Today's Great Northern Diver and Bar-tailed Godwit from Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders



29th November

An overcast day with temperatures back up into double figures saw a small arrival of migrants join the already lingering birds around the obs garden. Presumed newcomers included a total of 4 Chiffchaffs, 7 Redwing and a Lapwing whilst at least 2 Goldcrests and the male Blackcap were also present. At Ferrybridge, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit were recorded, whilst a total of 5 Common Scoter, 4 Great Northern Divers, 2 Black-necked Grebes and singles of Black-throated Diver, Red-necked Grebe and Black Redstart were seen from the various watchpoints along Portland harbour.

28th November

Another cold and clear start to the day, with the winds gradually switching back to the south and building in strength as the afternoon went on. All was fairly quiet around the obs, with just singles of Brambling, Blackcap and Redwing to note. A vocal Firecrest among the hut bushes failed to provide adequate enough views to establish whether it was the same ringed bird that has been lingering around the obs garden. At sea, 2 Red-throated Divers and 1 Great Northern Diver went by. Totals from Ferrybridge included 8 Little Egrets, 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Bar-Tailed Godwit and singles of Common Scoter and Great Northern Diver. An additional Great Northern Diver was also reported off Portland Castle, with both a Black-throated Diver and Red-throated Diver seen looking out across the harbour.

27th November

Today marked a return to winter, with both cooler temperatures and decidedly fewer birds. Around the Bill a total of 7 Purple Sandpipers and a Black Redstart were present whilst 3 Red-throated Divers and 2 Great Northern Divers were all seen heading west. At Ferrybridge, a total of 4 Common Scoter and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits were also recorded.


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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 6:28 PM

26 November

With the wind dropped right away to a light breeze and the temperature clinging to double figures, many of today's birds were actively feeding up in the relative calm. In the garden, a total of 2 Goldcrests, a Firecrest and a Blackcap reappeared from their sheltered hiding spots, although new Chiffchaffs at both the Obs and Southwell suggested there may have also been a small overnight arrival. Elsewhere at the Bill, a total of 3 Purple Sandpipers and a Turnstone were present and a lone Velvet Scoter was the highlight of the morning's seawatch. Amazingly, another 5 Painted Ladies were recorded around the Bill, where a Red Admiral was also on the wing.

One of the day's new Chiffchaffs was busy feeding around the Crown Estate pond where a Reed Bunting also dropped in © Jodie Henderson



Two of the three Purple Sandpipers  © Pete Saunders



25 November

After a weekend of seawatching, today's clear and dry conditions meant that attentions could shift back to the land. There were signs of early promise from the Obs garden with 3 Redwing leaving in the half light of dawn, which was followed by a steady passage of finches, with 176 Goldfinches, 22 Linnet, 16 Chaffinch and a single Greenfinch overhead. It was perhaps still a tad too windy to expect much in the way of grounded migrants, but 2 Song Thrush and a Reed Bunting were present in the Top Fields. At sea, a total of 4 Great Northern Divers, 4 Common Scoter, 2 Fulmar and a Manx Shearwater were recorded, with a marked reduction in Kittiwake passage with just 68 seen off the Bill. Elsewhere, two Little Gulls were settled off Chesil Cove.

Whilst last night's moth traps failed to deliver much in the way of migrant activity (just 2 Rush Veneers from the Obs garden), a minimum of 5 Painted ladies were a sign of fresh arrivals from across the continent  © Jodie Henderson


A Chaffinch settled in the Crown Estate Field  © Jodie Henderson







24 November

Whilst another day of wild weather courtesy of Storm Bert, the incoming North African airflow meant it was surprisingly warm for so late into November. Seawatching was again at the forefront of the day's birding, with a total of 4 Sooty Shearwaters, 3 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Great Northern Divers plus singles of Manx Shearwater, Black-throated Diver and Great Skua past the Bill. Further sightings from the various watchpoints around the harbour included singles of both Little Gull and Arctic Skua from Ferrybridge, where a total of 43 Kittiwake,  2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Knot and a Great Northern Diver were also present. An additional Little Gull was also reported from Chesil Cove, with 3 Great Northern Divers, 2 Common Scoter and a Red-necked Grebe. Lastly, a Sandwich Tern, 2 Great Northern Divers and a Black-throated Diver were seen off Portland Castle with a Black Redstart at the nearby marina. 

Arctic Skua and Little Gull from Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders



Compared to yesterday, today's Sooty Shearwaters were *just* about in range for photography purposes © Thomas Miller



23rd November

With the latter half of the autumn being marked by prolonged periods of calm and dry conditions, there seemed to be quite a deal of anticipation for what Storm Bert might bring in the way of seabird activity. Whilst maybe not quite on the level that some would have hoped, the seawatching was still of a varied selection, including singles of both Manx Shearwater and Sooty Shearwater, 3 Great Skuas, 6 Common Scoter and an Eider recorded off the Bill. Elsewhere, a Leach's Petrel was seen briefly on the harbour-side of the causeway, with a total of 6 Shelduck, 5 Kittiwake, 4 Goosander, 4 Common Scoter and a single Pale-bellied Brent Goose recorded at Ferrybridge.

Today's Leach's Petrel marked the first individual recorded off Portland this year © Pete Saunders


A lone Common Scoter passing the obelisk  © Thomas Miller


In absence of a photo of either a Manx or Sooty gliding through the troughs (they were really quite far off!) we will instead leave you with a more scenic view of Portland under Storm Bert © Jodie Henderson




22nd November

Today's crisp and clear conditions felt a lot like the calm before the storm, with a nice variety of birds turned up in the winter sunshine. A Balearic Shearwater lingering off the Bill marked another out of season record, with a further 2 Red-throated Divers and 10 Common Scoter also recorded there. The 4 Purple Sandpipers were again on the rocks below the Obelisk and the lingering Blackcap remained at the obs. Further afield, a total of 80 Dunlin, 2 Knot and 2 Shelduck were seen at Ferrybridge, with up to 8 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Great Northern Diver and a Caspian Gull present off Portland Castle. 

Today's Dunlin flock at Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders


Whilst challenging to connect with, there have now been 5 sightings of Caspian Gull this autumn © Thomas Miller



21 November

Whilst we may have escaped the snowy conditions that seemed to have blanketed large swathes of the country, a rather persistent band of sleet-like rain put a halt to any real birding opportunities till well past midday. A late Manx Shearwater was the highlight of the seawatching with just a single Brent Goose and 9 Common Scoter also of note. Around the Bill, a total of 4 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Turnstones and a Knot were also recorded. The lingering Blackcap was again observed visiting the apple provisions in the Obs garden. 

We're not particularly aware that Knots are associated with cold weather at spots like Ferrybridge and you never really see them flying past or over the Bill during cold spells but as soon as the temperature plummets it's the safest of bets that one will turn up on the wave-cut platform below the crane on East Cliffs - and so it came to pass today! © Jodie Mae Henderson:

20th November

With downturns in the weather inevitably going to get more frequent from here on in today's clear sky and relative calm had to be made the most of. A few late migrants at the Bill included a light trickle of Chaffinches, Linnets and Goldfinches overhead, along with 5 Bramblings, 3 Redwings and a Fieldfare; the 4 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Chiffchaffs and single Blackcap on the ground were all lingerers/winterers. The sea there was busy with auks in the low thousands and c200 Mediterranean Gulls, along with a late Balearic Shearwater and 2 Brent Geese. Four Black-necked Grebes, 2 Great Northern Divers, 2 Kingfishers and a Common Scoter were at Ferrybridge/Portland Harbour.

Great Northern Diver overhead at Ferrybridge this morning © Pete Saunders:

19th November

Winter really had set in by the end of today when the temperature was hovering only a little above zero but the precursor to this had been a pretty wild morning of blasting northwesterlies. The sea was busy with routine fare for the time of year amongst which 3 Red-throated Divers and a Brent Goose passed by off the Bill; lingering Kittiwakes numbered in the low hundreds off the Bill, with several also passing through Portland Harbour, whilst Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also more numerous than of late including 32 off the Bill. Five Purple Sandpipers were at the Bill where a few of the recent regular passerines still about included a lone Blackcap; elsewhere, 2 Grey Plovers passed through at Portland Harbour.

Only ever a wild weather visitor to Portland Harbour, this was one of ten Kittiwakes through there this morning © Pete Saunders:


18th November

The inexorable slide into winter continued and despite relatively benign conditions through the morning new migrant interest at the Bill consisted of little more than a handful of thrushes and a lone Chiffchaff; one or two other Chiffchaffs, 3 Reed Buntings, 2 Goldcrests and singles of Blackcap and Brambling were also logged there but were all certain or likely lingerers. Four Red-throated Divers passed by on the sea there.

17th November

A relatively meagre list of migrants to show for today's efforts but there were some snippets of quality in the form of singles of Red Kite and Lapland Bunting overhead at the Bill and 15 Pintail and 4 Velvet Scoter through on the sea there. Passerine-wise, the only arrivals on the ground looked to be 3 Redwings and a Chiffchaff; one or two other lingering Chiffchaffs, together with 2 Goldcrests, a Blackcap and a Brambling, were also still about there. Overhead, there was little on the move bar a few Chaffinches, whilst 4 Red-throated Divers, 2 Brent Geese and a Great Northern Diver were the only extras of note on the sea. Ferrybridge was busy: 8 Black-tailed and 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, the Common Scoter and singles of Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Knot and Sanderling were there during the morning and by the afternoon 2500 Mediterranean Gulls had gathered; nearby, 34 Turnstones were on the Harbour shore and 5 Black-necked Grebes in the Harbour itself.

Winter records of Red Kite at Portland are extremely infrequent; this one looked as though it was attempting to leave towards France but after getting several miles offshore it about-turned and headed back north off East Cliffs © John Hansford:

16th November

The fact that activities were somewhat curtailed by an afternoon spent indoors attending to Obs administrative business couldn't be used as an excuse for today's poor showing - it was so quiet on the migration front that is was almost a relief not to be flogging a dead horse for a few more hours. At the Bill, odds and ends of new arrivals on the ground and overhead included 2 each of Brambling and Siskin and singles of Swallow, Mistle Thrush and Redwing, whilst long-stayers looking increasingly like they're thinking of trying to see out the winter here included a Siberian Chiffchaff and a handful of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests. Six Common Scoter and a Brent Goose passed by on the sea there.

15th November

What's not to like about a millpond calm and overcast dawn in mid-November? - quite a bit on the strength of today's happenings: it was beautifully birdable and netable but if migrants were on the move they gave us a pretty wide berth today. A steady passage of 150 Chaffinches passed overhead at the Bill but beside them it was unexpectedly quiet on all fronts. Six Redpolls, 5 Bramblings and 4 Siskins also passed over there but the fact that Redwing didn't even manage a double-figure total was evidence enough about the state of play overhead. It wasn't much different on the ground at the Bill where 7 Reed Buntings, 3 Blackcaps and a Bullfinch were new but many if not all of the likes of Black Redstarts, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests were lingerers; elsewhere, a Firecrest was at Avalanche Road. Gulls weren't quite a prominent offshore as in recent days but 2 Great Northern Divers, 2 Red-breasted Merganser and a Balearic Shearwater did provide some interest off the Bill.

Very nice to have an excuse (Trustees' meeting!) to enjoy a day's bird ringing at PBO @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social 23 birds of 10 species with Redwing and Redpoll especially nice. A fine day in contrast to last few in South Wales with good sunset and full super moon.Business tomorrow!

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) November 15, 2024 at 6:17 PM

14th November

The return of some cloud cover was welcome and led to a small uptick in migrant numbers, most of which passed through overhead. At the Bill, totals included 200 Chaffinches, 91 Redwings, 17 Fieldfares, 6 Mistle Thrushes, 3 Bramblings, a Merlin and a Redpoll, with at least 3 Blackcaps and 2 Chiffchaffs new on the ground; lingerers there included 4 Goldcrests, 3 Black Redstarts and singles of Water Rail and Moorhen. Auks, Mediterranean Gulls and Common Gulls were again in abundance offshore but 12 Common Scoter, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Brent Goose were the only movers over the sea. A largely customary selection at Ferrybridge included 741 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 7 Pale-bellied Brents and the lingering Common Scoter.

It's that time of year when incoming Blackcaps squabble over the apples we provision them with © Martin Cade:


It's also that time of year when the Brents are at their peak at Ferrybridge; thus far, a Black Brant or two have been conspicuous absentees but today's seven Pale-bellied Brents represented their highest total of the season to date...



...the lingering Common Scoter was also there again today © Pete Saunders:

13th November

Someone's hit repeat - weather and birds - and this time round we're not getting nearly as much mileage out of it as we did last week. The unbroken sunshine was pleasant but did few favours on the migrant front with most of the numbers overhead, including 130 Starlings, 100 Wood Pigeons, 85 Chaffinches, 80 Stock Doves, 22 Redwings, 5 Bramblings, 2 Siskins and a Swallow through at the Bill. The odd few new arrivals on the ground there included several Blackbirds, a Short-eared Owl and a Chiffchaff, with 4 more of the latter, 3 Goldcrests, 2 Black Redstarts, 2 Blackcaps and singles of Water Rail, Moorhen and Siberian Chiffchaff lingering on there. The sea got plenty of attention, with a minimum of 500 lingering Mediterranean Gulls dominated proceedings off the Bill; 150 Common Gulls and 10 Black-headed Gulls were amongst them and 3 Brent Geese, 3 Teal, 2 Pintail, a Red-throated Diver and a Shoveler passed by there. Elsewhere, the Common Scoter was still at Ferrybridge.

Very few if any of the Short-eared Owls that have passed though this autumn have hung around which has been a bit of a surprise since there seems to be a lot of voles about - we'll see if today's bird that showed up at last light at the Bill proves to be any different © Peter McSweeney:

12th November

Whilst we're sure that the last knockings of autumn are still a fair way off yet there was no doubt that today's happenings had a distressingly pedestrian, end of season feel in comparison with last week's bountiful offerings. The explanation wasn't in any way opaque since the crystal clear sky and chilly northerly breeze were never going to have dropped migrants in numbers and in combination are rarely productive here on the vismig front either at this time of year. A few flocks of pigeons overhead totalled just into four figures, with the Wood Pigeon to Stock Dove ratio looking to be around 10:1; Redwings and Chaffinches also trickled through, with each reached into low dozens totals, but none of the other overhead movers managed double figures and quality consisted of just 2 Lapwings, 2 Redpolls, a Woodlark and a late Swallow. It was even quieter on the ground, with little more than 2 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap new at the Bill where 2 Black Redstarts and a Moorhen were still about.

Far better conditions for the mainland coast than for Portland at this time of the year: the cloudless sky and brisk northerly would have been spot on in spring but weren't so helpful for us in November. Redwings, a couple of Lapwings and a Woodlark were some of today's overhead movers © Martin Cade:





By the middle of the day it had got surprisingly warm out of the wind and butterflies were still on the wing in some numbers - most were Red Admirals but a late-ish Small White was of note © Martin Cade: 


11th November

Another short spell of pre-dawn damp prompted another small arrival of migrants today. At the Bill, a good 80 Redwings and a handful of Fieldfares and Song Thrushes made the briefest of landfalls at daybreak, whilst later the likes of 10 Chiffchaffs, 5 Blackcaps, a Siberian Chiffchaff and a Firecrest showed up new in there; also there lingerers included an additional Siberian Chiffchaff and 2 more Firecrests, along with 6 Goldcrests, 2 Black Redstarts, a Moorhen and a Dartford Warbler. More impressive numbers were on the move overhead, with 2620 Wood Pigeons, 660 Stock Doves, 190 Starlings, 120 Chaffinches, 55 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 24 Skylarks, 5 Siskins, 4 Bramblings, 2 Snipe, a Grey Heron and a Golden Plover amongst the migrants making the most of the clearing sky over the Bill. The sea also had its moments: the almost customary 200 Mediterranean Gulls were a constant sight off the Bill, where 150 Kittiwakes, 50 Common Gulls and 20 Black-headed Gulls were also offshore and 3 Eider, a Great Northern Diver and a Balearic Shearwater passed by.

Overnight mothing at the Obs didn't really reach the hoped-for level: a recurvalis a nice new arrival but migrant numbers otherwise fairly samey

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 11, 2024 at 10:15 AM

Not bad for migrant #moths last night with Scarce Bordered Straw, Gem, 2 Olive Tree Pearl and 15 Rusty-dot Pearl

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— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) November 11, 2024 at 4:01 PM

10th November

A short spell of mizzly damp that passed over the island just as dawn was breaking not only took what little breeze there was out of the east for the first time in ages but also got the day off to a fine start by precipitated the brief downing of 300 Redwings at the Bill. Thereafter, variety was again to the fore with a good spread of seasonable fare that included by way of oddities singles of Moorhen, Woodcock, Ring Ouzel, Dartford Warbler, Siberian Chiffchaff (a lingerer) and Yellowhammer at the Bill. Goldcrests continued to arrive, with 20 at the Bill and notable aggregations elsewhere that included 25 at May Bower Gardens, whilst pretty well everything else that might be expected featured with lower totals. Under a clearing sky visible passage got going quite strongly at times, with 270 Goldfinches, 220 Chaffinches, 75 Linnets, 74 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 72 Stock Doves, 52 Skylarks, 50 Meadow Pipits, 21 Siskins, 9 Fieldfares and 4 Bramblings among the movers over the Bill, where a passing ticking bunting didn't oblige by stopping. The sea remained awash with Mediterranean Gulls with a good 400 off the Bill, where 11 Brent Geese and singles of Red-throated and Great Northern Diver also passed by. Two Knot were all that could be mustered at Ferrybridge.

Weekend mothing at the Obs relatively mundane although quite fair increases in Rusty-dot Pearls (286 = highest total this year), Diamond-backs and Silver Ys last night. Also last night another Marbled Fern nitidalis and a late/migrant Nutmeg of interest.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 10, 2024 at 12:13 PM

9th November

Lots of nice variety today but in quieter, less windy conditions overall numbers of migrants dropped off a little. The Pallas's Warbler lingered for another day at Avalanche Road but the best of the day's newcomers were single Hawfinches at the Bill and Southwell, a Great White Egret departing to the south from the Bill, 3 Bullfinches, a Ring Ouzel and a Yellowhammer there, and a late Willow Warbler at May Bower Gardens; a scatter of at least 15 Black Redstarts, 3 Siberian Chiffchaffs and 3 Firecrests - several of each were lingerers - further ensured there was plenty of scarcity interest for weekend visitors. Goldcrests continued to trickle through, with 15 or more through at the Bill and several aggregations approaching that number elsewhere around the island; a few new thrushes, Stonechats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were also in evidence but in general grounded totals were on the low side. Overhead passage was also a little subdued, with 180 Chaffinches, 156 Stock Doves,  80 Redwings, 75 Skylarks, 50 Meadow Pipits, 20 Song Thrushes, 13 Golden Plovers (another 7 were grounded at Barleycrates Lane) and few single figure totals of the less common species through over the Bill. The sea was also relatively quiet save for 430 Mediterranean Gulls through off the Bill; 3 passing Wigeon were the only oddities there.

There might have been a decent arrival of Goldcrests in recent days but they haven't been accompanied by many Firecrests - this one at Thumb Lane was one of just three found dotted about today © Duncan Walbridge:


We might have a real flush of Siberian Chiffchaffs in recent days but the vast majority have turned up in mist-nets and hardly any have subsequently offered themselves up for field views so it was nice to hear and then see this ringed lingerer zipping around in the distance in the Crown Estate Field this morning - in the dreary light it really did look ghostly-pale © Martin Cade:

8th November

Being cheerful souls we're not jumping on the bandwagon of collective national gloomy-weather angst, in fact if anything we're positively celebrating our vitamin D deficiency for it's come in tandem with us being awash with migrants downed under the sombre sky. Today was a slow-burner: initial indications, particularly from overhead passage, were far from encouraging but as the morning wore on the mist-nets - and, apparently, observations in and around Southwell - told the story of an arrival of Goldcrests and a variety of other migrants gathering momentum and this was to continue for the rest of day. In rarity terms the continuing Pallas's Warbler at Avalanche Road and Yellow-browed Warbler at May Bower Gardens again stole the show but the autumn's best arrival of Goldcrests was significant on such a late date; a good many of the other arrivals would have gone under the radar had so many of them not shown up in the relatively few mist-nets being operated at the Obs and the Crown Estate Field (it was still too windy for the full complement to be open) but Blackbirds, Wrens, Blackcaps, Chaffinches and Bramblings in particular all featured in decent quantity and plenty more odds and ends were encountered both there and elsewhere, including a Great White Egret downed on a garden pond at Sweethill and single Siberian Chiffchaffs there and in the Crown Estate Field. Despite precious little systematic seawatching some oddities made the list from the Bill, including 2 very unseasonable Whimbrel, singles of Pochard and Velvet Scoter, and the first returning Fulmar of the winter. Elsewhere, the Red-necked Grebe remained in Portland Harbour where a lone Common Scoter was new.

The Pallas's Warbler continued to entertain at Avalanche Road © Debby Saunders:


Two more Siberian Chiffchaffs today - at least the ninth and tenth of the week - included this one trapped in the Crown Estate Field © Martin Cade:


In Portland terms, one of the rarest birds of the day was this Pochard that shot past over East Cliffs below the Obs. It was sufficiently close in that a photo looked to be a possibility - very few have ever been photographed here so even a crappy record shot wasn't to be missed - but it was just about to go out of view and our camera was way out of reach; fortunately, Ben Sheldon had left his camera close by so we grabbed that and fired off a few frames which in the circumstances turned out to be perfectly acceptable. Sadly for Ben, he's never actually seen a Pochard at Portland although his camera's now got a little series of photographs of one captured for posterity on the memory card - sorry Ben! © Martin Cade:


Today really belonged to Goldcrests; we really need to check up on the facts and figures but it seems to us that they're getting later and later these days - surely we didn't used to get the largest arrival of the autumn as late as 8th November? © Martin Cade:


And a few of the day's other nice things - Golden Plover © Dan Houghton and Water Rail, Brambling and Reed Bunting © Martin Cade:





A busier second morning at @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social with EGI students today. The wind having dropped a little, overhead movement less obvious, but a clear influx of Goldcrests & Blackbirds with some nice extra species including Brambling and, to end the day, a fine Siberian Chiffchaff #UKBirding

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— Ben Sheldon (@sheldonbirds.bsky.social) November 8, 2024 at 9:39 PM

7th November

A day slightly saved by the continuing presence of a Pallas's Warbler at Avalanche Road and Yellow-browed Warblers there and at May Bower Gardens; there were still fair numbers of commoner migrants about but considerably fewer than on several recent days and, with the southeasterly having freshened right up, it wasn't nearly so much fun getting amongst those that were about. Most of the passerine movement at the Bill was overhead, with 1560 Goldfinches, 665 Linnets, 280 Starlings, 105 Chaffinches, 40 Redwings, 30 Meadow Pipits, 18 Skylarks, 12 Fieldfares, 7 Siskins and 4 Bramblings making up the bulk of the numbers; at least 2 Swallows were additions to the tally from the centre of the island. On the ground at the Bill there were still into double figures of Black Redstarts about (with several more further up-island) but new arrivals consisted mainly of low single figure totals of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests; elsewhere, a Firecrest was new at Avalanche Road. Auks continued to pile by offshore, with c5000 through off the Bill during the morning; 250 Mediterranean Gulls, 125 Kittiwakes, 70 Common Gulls, 25 Black-headed Gulls and 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls also passed through there; the Red-necked Grebe also remained in Portland Harbour.

The Pallas's Warbler showed nicely at times at Avalanche Road © Nick Hopper:


Nothing particularly to do with birds but news of a potentially confusing name change relating to a local birding hot-spot: one of the nicer patches of trees at Southwell are those along the south side of what used to be the site of Southwell Primary School; well, the school is now long gone and the site has been developed as an estate of new houses called, perhaps rather fancifully, May Bower Gardens - gardens aren't exactly a feature among the serried ranks of new build but the trees have been saved and it's now possible to access them on the 'inside' of the site as well as looking in from the footpath between Sweet Hill Lane and Reap Lane. In the same manner that the trees at the former Craft Centre at Weston Steet continued to be known to birders by that name before the official map name, Thumb Lane, entered common parlance, so we imagine the name Southwell School will be used for a while yet even though it'll no longer appear as that on Google Maps © Martin Cade:


Two late autumn days at @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social with EGI @oxfordbiology.bsky.social graduate students. A Pallas's Warbler the rarity highlight; Black Redstarts, Firecrest & plenty of migrants overhead. A modest but interesting mix of species caught - always good to see Sparrowhawk #UKBirding

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— Ben Sheldon (@sheldonbirds.bsky.social) November 7, 2024 at 3:53 PM

Poorest migrant moth night for a while at the Obs, mainly due to a really stiff southeasterly springing up soon after dusk

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 7, 2024 at 12:11 PM

6th November

Lots of quality if slightly lower numbers again today, with an arrival of 3 Pallas's Warblers, 3 Yellow-browed Warblers and a Siberian Chiffchaff at Southwell certainly the day's headline; 2 each of Woodcock, Ring Ouzel and Hawfinch, and singles of Great White Egret, Mistle Thrush, Siberian Chiffchaff and Lapland Bunting played second fiddle at the Bill, whilst the Red-necked Grebe remained in Portland Harbour. In very mizzly conditions common migrants at the Bill included 450 Redwings, 300 Chaffinches, 95 Skylarks, 18 Siskins, 8 Fieldfares, 4 Lapwings, 3 Bramblings and a Redpoll overhead and approaching double figure totals of Black Redstart, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest on the ground.

Our firm belief in 'no photo, no record' is long-established and of course often a rod for our own back; however, providing you've got no concern whatever about picture quality something's nearly always possible now that cameras can successfully be pushed to what would have once seemed like ridiculously high iso numbers. At times, birding Avalanche Road this afternoon seemed a bit like being in a coal cellar at midnight but, providing you could actually get on to one or other of the Yellow-browed or Pallas's Warblers, the camera resolved far more useful detail than you were seeing through binoculars © Martin Cade:

 
If you wonder why we spend so much time running mist-nets the answer is that, apart from chipping in a bit of science, you're barmy not doing so on a migration headland like Portland because you're going to miss an amazing number of birds without them - and of course you get much more scorching views of those that you do catch. This afternoon, whilst looking for warblers at the former Southwell School, we completely failed to get onto a Redpoll that was feeding ultra-unobtrusively in the leaves but we weren't too perturbed because earlier in the day we'd been fortunate enough to gross out on every detail of one from the Crown Estate Fields nets (Redpolls have been thin on the ground and this was the first one ringed at the Bill this year) © Martin Cade:

Much improved migrant moth totals overnight at the Obs but a Golden Twin-spot the only scarcity; 265 Rusty-dot Pearl & 10 Gem both highest totals of the year. A Brimstone the best of the unseasonables.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 6, 2024 at 11:22 AM

5th November

Perhaps the strangest thing about recent days has been how incredibly few birders have been about grossing out on what's been a fantastic spell of late migration - has 'trainspotting' birding really taken off to the extent that folk just aren't interested in this sort of thing any more? Well, we still get a real kick out of it and today's spectacle of a morning full of 2000 Redwings and 650 Chaffinches descending out of the continuing murky sky was something that we found compelling; that, together with the likes of a Pallas's Warbler, 2 more Siberian Chiffchaffs, a Woodlark, a Hawfinch and a constant flow of other new arrivals, made for great birding in the vicinity of the Obs - what else was about but didn't get searched for let along found doesn't really bear thinking about. The Redwings and Chaffinches were accompanied by 1600 Starlings, 650 Wood Pigeons, 100 Song Thrushes, 57 Skylarks, 38 Siskins, 34 Fieldfares, 9 Bramblings and a Mistle Thrush amongst others, whilst on the ground Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest each made double figure totals, Black Redstarts again topped a dozen and new Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks and the like popped up frequently in the mist-nets. There was too much other action to permit any serious seawatching but 2 more Velvet Scoters were noticed passing by off the Bill; the Red-necked Grebe also remained in Portland Harbour.

The Pallas's Warbler did show from time to time although it was usually averse to having a camera pointed at it and also managed to spend several hours roaming the Obs garden without once entering a mist-net © Martin Cade:


The sight and sound of the huge flocks of Redwings dropping out of the sky into the treetops at the Obs before ascending again after a short break was something best appreciated in person and was devilishly difficult to capture in a photograph - quite apart from the fact that it's so gloomy at the moment that photographing anything in flight is well nigh impossible © Martin Cade:

Migrant moth numbers crept back up a little at the Obs last night but perhaps largely due to the wind dropping away rather than renewed immigration; 6 Gems the best of the less regulars

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 5, 2024 at 9:44 PM

4th November

Wow, what a top drawer day with so much movement going on everywhere you looked. Heavy cloud and a brisk easterly was yet again the order of the day, with accompanying mizzle setting in as the afternoon went on; this not only grounded a succession of migrants but also saw a lot of overflyers descend to tree-top height as they kept on going. At the Bill, 3 Siberian/'something similar from a long way away' Chiffchaffs, 12 Black Redstarts, 2 Woodcocks, 2 Hawfinches and singles of Jack Snipe, Woodlark and Bullfinch were the best of the migrants making the tally, but it was really the day's numbers that impressed this late in the season, including 1500 Starlings, 800 Goldfinches, 650 Linnets, 570 Chaffinches, 80 Redwings, 60 Meadow Pipits, 50 Blackbirds, 35 Skylarks, 30 Goldcrests, 25 Song Thrushes, 25 Bramblings, 12 Siskins, 10 Blackcaps, 10 Chiffchaffs, 4 Reed Buntings, 3 Fieldfares, 2 Lapwings and singles of Merlin, Ringed Plover, Snipe, Swallow and Wheatear either grounded or over at the Bill and at least a few more of the same elsewhere including a single Woodcock at Avalanche Road and at least 5 more Black Redstarts. The sea was always worth attention, with 2500 auks, 86 Black-headed Gulls, 80 Mediterranean Gulls, 12 Brent Geese, 6 Wigeon, 4 Velvet Scoter, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Great Northern Diver amongst those logged at the Bill from far less than constant coverage.

When they include things like Novichok-laced perfume bottles you have to be a little careful about what Mr Putin sends your way; however, today we were quite happy to receive the stream of flocks of quite likely mostly Russian Starlings that were headed our way...


...also gratefully - if a little more confusingly - received were three more Chiffchaffs of distant and just as likely Russian origin; the first two were relatively straightforward Siberian or close to Siberian Chiffchaffs...



...but the third one was an exceptionally dark, swarthy-looking bird, right at the far end of Chiffchaff wackiness © Martin Cade:


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