For some reason we're not really getting there on the scarcity front right now: routine migration has been fair if largely unspectacular in recent days but, beyond a single Wryneck, stepping up a tier is proving beyond our capabilities - maybe now that folk are so inclined to stay at home and wait for news there simply isn't enough hard-core coverage? Today's best offerings were a
Great White Egret over the Obs and an
Osprey through over Verne Common; beyond those morsels of quality it was a real struggle to get past the routine: variety wasn't too bad but the likes of 40
Yellow Wagtails, 30
Grey Wagtails, 8
Tree Pipits, 7
Whinchats, 3
Pied Flycatchers, 2
Common Sandpipers, 2
Redstarts, 2
Spotted Flycatchers and singles of
Marsh Harrier (the long-stayer),
Greenshank and
Lesser Whitethroat were far from a bumper tally for early September. The sea did continue to return worthwhile numbers, with the 450
Balearic Shearwaters their highest total to date; 300
Manx Shearwaters, 28
Sandwich Terns, 5
Arctic Skuas, 4
Great Skuas and a
Yellow-legged Gull amongst others were decent additions to the offshore totals.
Old hat to many these days, for us Great White Egret's still a relatively high value bird so this one soaring way up over the Obs caused a bit of excitement © Martin Cade:
The nocturnal quest for Barn Owls continues - very successfully by the look of this photograph © Verity Hill:
Ringing still ticking over at the Bill with today's total 70 of 14 species. 18 WWs and 12 Bcaps to be expected; 12 Robins was their highest total so far this autumn; 9 Grey Wagtails took their total to 38 in the last fortnight (all at Culverwell) which exceeds the previous annual record of 36
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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Sep 5, 2024 at 0:24
Late morning
South of Fancy's Farm
Location what3words: testy plugged zone
1 Yellow Wagtail - over
2 Stonechat
4 Whinchat
2 Wheatear
4 Common Whitethroat
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— Port and Wey (@portandwey.bsky.social) Sep 4, 2024 at 18:01
