A day that could easily have gone either way: another dose of overnight rain might have dropped one of the falls of the autumn or, alternatively, stopped everything moving - needless to say we drew the short straw. That wasn't to saw it was entirely dead, with the likes of a
Dartford Warbler, a
Yellow-browed Warbler and a
Hawfinch at Avalanche Road, 2
Yellow-browed Warblers and a
Black Redstart at Thumb Lane, another
Yellow-browed Warbler at Southwell School, a
Short-eared Owl at Godnor and a
Firecrest at the Bill available to provide some entertainment. However, commoner grounded arrivals were very sparsely spread and included nothing in quantity beyond
Chiffchaffs aplenty in the leafy trees around the centre of the island. It remained busier overhead although still far less busy than might have been expected under sunny skies, with 280
Meadow Pipits, 260
Goldfinches, 160
Wood Pigeons, 140
Linnets, 100
Swallows, 90
Pied Wagtails and 22
Siskins providing the numbers over the Bill.
Mediterranean Gulls continued to feature strongly, with 300 off the Bill where a lone
Great Skua also passed by.
A very late Garden Warbler at Thumb Lane Portland, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers here too @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social @orioleglen66.bsky.social @garyboiler.bsky.social #ukbirding 🪶
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— Nick Bond (@nickbond007.bsky.social) October 19, 2024 at 5:18 PM
General decline in migrant moth nos continued overnight at the Obs: first Small Mottled Willow for a while; 3 Gems and 2 Vestal the best of the rest
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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 19, 2024 at 10:29 AM