What with there being far thinner cloud cover and not a hint of rain, today was always going to struggle to get on a par with yesterday. Migrants were about, with 2 more departing Ospreys the pick of the bunch at the Bill, but for the most part it was a day of variety rather than numbers. Pockets of interest at the Bill saw the likes of 12 Whitethroats, 9 Whinchats, 6 Sedge Warblers, 5 Grey Herons, 4 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Pied Flycatchers and singles of Merlin, Grasshopper Warbler, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat logged amongst the scatter of commoner fare, with more of the same in the few other spots around the island that got a look. The sea was constantly busy through the morning, mainly with the ever-burgeoning numbers of Balearic Shearwaters lingering off the Bill - 400 was today's best guesstimate for the numbers there, with some of these also seen later off Chesil; 5 Arctic Skuas and 3 Black Terns also passed through there.
It was a day for supercilia in the Crown Estate Field, some being flaunted but others being kept under wraps - Whinchat and Sedge Warbler © Martin Cade:
A Merlin was buzzing about at the Bill from time to time © Thomas Miller...
...which reminded us to put out an ask for visitors to pay close attention to any Merlins they see settled as we're trying to get to bottom of what's going on with this individual that Jodie photographed a few days ago that seems to be bearing two rings - sadly it was always too far away to get a real handle on whether they're two metal rings, a metal ring and a colour ring or even not 'proper' scientific rings at all © Jodie Henderson:
Samey selection of migrant moths at the Obs last night incl 37 ferrugalis, 24 noctuella, 24 SY, 15 vitrealis, 8 xylostella, 8 DSGrass, 6 Delicate, 4 Scarce Bordered Straw, 2 abietella, singles Porter's Rustic & Painted Lady.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Sep 3, 2024 at 10:59
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