Once in a lifetime events - in fact in today's case, before last year a hitherto never in a lifetime event - really are becoming the new normal. For the second year in succession an extraordinary Great Shearwater event unfolded off the Bill in the most unexpected of circumstances, when in a stiff northwesterly 700 piled through without any warning in little more 30 minutes; in view of the conditions we'd imagine that this was a food-related event and that a huge flock of Greats that had gathered somewhere way out in Lyme Bay chose this moment to en masse up and head off looking for opportunities elsewhere - who'd bet against repeats with increasing frequency? The sea was otherwise well worth attention, with c1000 Manx and plenty (more than 100) of Balearic Shearwaters through along with c100 Sandwich, 20 Common and an Arctic Tern, 7 Arctic and 4 Great Skuas, 6 Sooty Shearwaters and a Wigeon; The land was also a surprise package, with far more about than had been expected: Wheatears, Blackcaps and both phylloscs were well-represented on the deck where the likes of a scatter of Whinchats, a Firecrest and the long-staying Marsh Harrier at the Bill, a Nightjar at Wakeham and the Little Stint and a good miscellany of other waders at Ferrybridge added a bit of spice to proceedings; overhead, Tree Pipits, Grey and Yellow Wagtails, and hirundines were all relatively numerous and singles of Golden Plover, Merlin, Short-eared Owl and another Swift were logged. Why is that we're not keen on northwesterlies?
Everyone present at the Obs was so in awe of the Great Shearwater event when it suddenly unfolded that it was difficult to tear yourself away and hotfoot to the Bill tip for photo opportunities - we eventually did and arrived just in time to see one not far off the Obelisk but were so excited by the crippling view that we messed up photographing it...and you guessed it - that was the very last one seen! We're not sure that all that many of them had been coming that close in but there were other nice sights like Arctic Skuas so close that from our viewpoint at the pumping station they were disappearing from view below the Obelisk © Martin Cade:
An interesting sight at Ferrybridge on recent evenings has been a good selection of specimens of presumed tundrae Ringed Plovers - the dark, dinky little things that breed in Lapland and northern Russia - one or two (seemingly all juveniles as far as we can see) have been really startling, plain chocolate brown-coloured birds...
...contrast those with this selection of presumably nominate hiaticula - the larger, paler things that breed both locally and across a huge range from northeast Canada to western Europe © Martin Cade:
With a few August ringing records over the years, this male Firecrest is still rather early for this traditional late autumn migrant. #birdringing @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social
— Mark Cutts (@slashercutts.bsky.social) Sep 9, 2024 at 7:34
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Surprisingly fair overnight catch of migrant moths at the Obs incl an arrival of 13 Scarce Bordered Straws (previous highest total so far this month = 6); also 1 Convolvulus Hawk. By day, Clouded Yellow in the Crown Estate Field = only the second at Portland this yr (only other at Church Ope in May)
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) Sep 9, 2024 at 13:29
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