Another nice migration day with action on all fronts - some no doubt the result of a peculiar weather situation that saw a band of heavy rain linger all day long over the near-by mainland without ever really impinging on the island. Find of the day was Portland second-ever Baird's Sandpiper that pitched up during the early evening at Ferrybridge - the only other island record was at the Bill long, long ago in November 1967; sadly, it proved to be a relatively brief in-and-out job and couldn't be re-found during the last hour or more of daylight. Further scarcities included a dawn Ortolan Bunting calling over Blacknor and a Cattle Egret passing over at the Bill; an early-doors Curlew Sandpiper at Ferrybridge and a Firecrest at the Bill were both firsts for the season and the long-staying Marsh Harrier remained at the Bill. Routine migrants were again quite well-represented with a good spread of grounded arrivals at the Bill, amongst which 25 Whitethroats and 12 Whinchats were peaks for the season to date. Overhead passage wasn't a huge feature until the afternoon when an arrival of mixed hirundines included c400 House Martins; 15 Knot, 2 late Swifts and a Greenshank were also of note overhead. The sea was again busy with at least 200 lingering Balearic Shearwaters off the Bill where 210 Kittiwakes, 6 Arctic Skuas, 2 Black Terns and an Arctic Tern also passed through.
Today's migrant and other moths of interest from the Obs; Pale Eggar a Portland rarity (<5 records); Beautiful Gothic the latest of the Portland specials to get on the wing.
