17th October

Seeing the back of the last few day's rain and gloomy skies perked up spirits today and did no harm to the quality and quantity of migrants on offer around and about. The star turn was put in by the second Radde's Warbler in less than a week - this one turned up in a mist-net in the Crown Estate Field - but Yellow-browed Warblers at the Obs, Thumb Lane and Avalanche Road, the continuing Hen Harrier at the Bill and 2 Dartford Warblers and singles of Caspian Gull and Cetti's Warbler also at the Bill provided a nice bit of variety to tap into. The conditions were rather too fair for a large arrival on the ground but that was more than compensated for by diurnal migrants getting going again overhead, where 715 Wood Pigeons, 420 Meadow Pipits, 330 Goldfinches, 260 Linnets, 160 Chaffinches, 136 Starlings, 75 Pied Wagtails, 50 Swallows, 50 Skylarks, 11 Redwings, 10 Siskins, 2 Bramblings and a Redpoll were amongst the movers over the Bill. Some good patches of Chiffchaffs were still in evidence around the centre of the island but, overall, it was variety rather than numbers that impressed on the ground: seasonable migrants were all represented, with 15 Goldcrests, 11 Reed Buntings, 4 Black Redstarts, a Merlin, a Firecrest and late singles of Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat and Reed Warbler all of note at the Bill. Offshore, 200 Mediterranean Gulls lingered off the Bill where 2 Arctic Skuas and a Balearic Shearwater passed by.

We've had the good fortune to stumble upon quite a few Radde's Warblers in mist-nets over the years but the sight of today's bird quietly laying upside down in the bottom panel of a net in one of the maize patches in the Crown Estate Field was momentarily heart-stopping: with the sun on its apricot undertail coverts and yellow flanks it looked dazzlingly bright; you also forget how big and chunky they are for a phyllosc which, together with the startling head pattern and swarthy bronzy-green upperparts that all became visible as we approached it, sent thoughts racing towards things much, much rarer. It's not often that you come across a Radde's Warbler but end up faintly disappointed that that's all it is! © Martin Cade:

This morning's Caspian Gull on the Bill Common was a fine specimen that would have been more widely appreciated were it not for a typically moronic 'wouldn't it be fun to see it fly' Portland dog-walker who chucked a ball right at it for their mutt to chase after © Joe Stockwell:

The Bill Hen Harrier continued to show nicely at times © Martin King:

There's certainly a feeling in recent days that we've been a wee bit unlucky when it comes to scarcities - on any number of other migration headlands/islands at the moment today's tardy Whinchat would have been a Siberian Stonechat © Joe Stockwell...

...and yesterday's late Tree Pipit would have been an Olive-backed Pipit. Such is life © Martin Cade:

On the plus side, there are so many cool birds about at this time of year - Dartford Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Reed Bunting © Martin Cade:

The most varied migrant moth catch of the week at the Obs last night incl a Yellow-underwing Pearl gilvata; most totals a little down but still incl 32 vitrealis, 29 Scarce Bordered Straw, 3 Gem, 2 White-speck & 1 Vestal. Another Marbled Fern nitidalis on the Obs lounge windows after dark

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 17, 2024 at 3:50 PM

Another Yellow-underwing Pearl gilvata to add to last night's migrant moth tally: this one's from our garden moth-trap at the Grove

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 17, 2024 at 5:39 PM