Another varied selection of migrant moths at the Obs overnight: 2 ramburialis, 2 Scarce Bordered Straw and a Small Marbled all firsts for the year; increases to 62 Rusty-dot Pearl, 20 Diamond-backs, 9 Small Mottled Willow, 7 Rush Veneer and 5 vitrealis.
Post-breeding dispersal getting going with Med Gull nos up to 35 off the Bill, also 31 Common Scoter 'departing' west; the Sooty Shearwater still offshore + 3 Balearics.
Just 9 birds ringed between the Obs & Culverwell with a CC the only migrant.
First Clouded Yellow of the year on the Slopes.
Last night's moth migration a wee bit disappointing at the Obs: Bird's Wing only the second island record and Chequered Grey a good local scarcity; first 4 Olive-tree Pearls of the year, 2 Small Mottled Willows and small influxes of Four-spotted Footman and Mottled Oak Tortrix of note.
Over the last few weeks we've
frequently mentioned just how dire this spring was for numbers of common
migrants, likely a consequence of both fewer birds returning each year and the
consistently fine weather that no doubt saw many arrivals pass straight over
without stopping. This was particularly apparent in our daily ringing
activities, with the total number of new birds ringed falling well below the recent average: this year's March to May tally of 1187 compares very unfavourably indeed with the 2015-24 mean of 2555 and is barely even a quarter of the record spring total of 4608 in 2012. Taking a closer look at the monthly break down for the last few years we see that the only comparable recent spring was 2020 that was also characterised by long spells of fair weather; however, it should also be borne in mind that 2020 was the Covid lockdown year when the ringing effort was considerably less than it was this year:
A deeper delve into the fortunes of our three most commonly encountered species - Willow
Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap - reveals some interesting disparities:
Despite the low number of birds ringed, there were still a number of interesting ringing recoveries this spring which are detailed in full below. Of particular note were a 6-year old Chiffchaff to Hilbre Bird Observatory, a 5-day movement of a Goldfinch to Ferndown, Dorset, and only our 4th ever ringing movement of a Grey Wagtail.
Last night's moth migration a wee bit disappointing at the Obs: Bird's Wing only the second island record and Chequered Grey a good local scarcity; first 4 Olive-tree Pearls of the year, 2 Small Mottled Willows and small influxes of Four-spotted Footman and Mottled Oak Tortrix of note.
Sooty Shearwater still lingering offshore; Manx increased today but fewer Balearics, also 37 Common Scoter and a GNDiver thru on the sea.
Quiet on the ground but a Hobby in off at the Bill, a GWEgret north along West Cliffs and a few more departing Sand Martins.
After being thwarted by unsuitable conditions for three weeks good to be able to get to the Bill tip last night and catch the first 2 Storm Petrels of the summer
Welcome back to the Chesil Beach Little Tern 2025 season. We are off to a flying start with our first Little Tern nests being laid on 03/05/2025. pic.twitter.com/4rujuZRsId
— Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project (@LittleChesil) June 10, 2025
Our oyster catchers have been busy this year, with two successful nests and 4 chicks running around the foreshore 🐥#spotthegreyblob Video credit: Alana Benjamin pic.twitter.com/A7qFisRTBH
— Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project (@LittleChesil) June 11, 2025
And still on seabirdy matters, there's a lot to be cautiously optimistic about at the Bill, with Guillemots fledging young remarkably early and seemingly in good numbers, and Kittiwakes getting down to incubating in a lot of the visible nests. During an evening seawatch three evenings ago we were amazed to see a parent-less little jumpling Guillemot float rapidly past the Bill tip but, since that was by far the earliest date for successful fledging that we could find in a quick scan of a few old logs, more or less dismissed it as freakish event perhaps involving a bird that had accidently fallen from the breeding ledges. However, yesterday evening whilst setting up the nocmig recorder at the Obs we were equally surprised to hear in the distance the characteristic whinnying calls of adult Guillemots trying to entice youngsters off the cliffs - even at c500m range the calls were easily audible at the Obs:
To get a better idea of what's going on, towards dusk this evening we popped over to the cliffs and youngsters were indeed jumping in some numbers: there was just enough light to resolve the first couple of birds steaming off out to sea with one of their parents, but it was too dark by the time action reached a peak to be able to exactly quantify matters - however, we got the feel from their peeping calls gradually receding into the distance that at least a dozen young successfully fledged in the hour after sunset:
Reed Warblers still arriving - 3 singing at the Bill today - but also another early departing Sand Martin leaving out to sea.
Sea quieter: the Sooty Shearwater still offshore early morning but seemingly not later on; just single figures of Balearics today.
More late passage of Arctic Skuas today with 8 thru off the Bill along with 24 Common Scoter; Sooty Shearwater still lingering offshore + sm nos of Manx and Balearics.
Land quiet: 3 new Reed Warblers dotted about + a new CC.
Day's ringing total 17 incl 8 nestling Rock Pipits.
Bee-eater the day's star bird but also passage in both directions at the Bill: 2 singing Reed Warblers freshly arrived but signs of autumn with 2 departing Sand Martins and the first post-breeding dispersing Grey Heron; also a Hobby thru.
Sea: 2 Sooty Shearwaters, c20 Balearics & an Arctic Skua.
After stumbling across the Bee-eater at Portland Bill this AM, Balearic and Sooty Shearwater (the latter picked up by @remblax.bsky.social) brought the non-motorised year list to a satisfyingly round 200 - the earliest I have reached this milestone by 2 months 👀 @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
On the passerine migrant front literally any arrival is something to shout about at the moment so it's good to hear single Reed Warblers new at both the Obs and Culverwell this mrng
Ringing picking up a little at the Bill with 22 new birds between the Obs and Culverwell; a Reed Warbler the only migrant but a decent total of 7 newly fledged Dunnocks among the local stuff
lulworth & small skipper now on the wing, seen marbled white at the bill but this was the first in tout, oddly didnt see any MOS moffs but had a few speckled yellow
Plenty more sea interest today with minimum totals at the Bill that included 250 Manx, 45 Balearics, 18 Common Scoter, 3 Arctic Skuas, 3 Common Gulls and singles of GNDiver, Sooty Shearwater and Roseate Tern.
The morning's Balearic tally off the Bill ended up on 53 - plenty more sightings during random watches through the rest of the day but many of these lingering so likely duplicates.
Sooty Shear also again lingering for a while late afternoon.
Flock of 4 Arctic Skuas through over Ferrybridge late pm
With the weather doing its best to make up for the drought through the spring, seawatching was the only option in today's wind and rain: Manx trickled by the Bill all day, along with 8 Balearics and 4 Arctic Skuas.
The Turtle Dove lingered on at Sweethill where a Spot Fly was new today.
Sea ticked over all day incl 7 Balearics and singles of GNDiver, Sooty Shearwater and Pom Skua thru off the Bill.
Best ringing day since mid-May - 25 birds between the Obs and Culverwell - although nearly all local breeders.
We had a slightly disconcerting event during our hitherto uneventful evening seawatch at the Bill when after seeing the occasional lingering Manx and Balearic Shearwater, suddenly a huge Sooty Shearwater careened into view and joined the offshore gull flock:
Apart from the time of year and the fact that the bird was in heavy wing moult which you don't usually see when we see Sooties later in the year, nothing seemed amiss until we started to notice that the bird had an alarmingly subdued underwing pattern - in the strong side-lighting the underwing should have looked really silvery but appeared barely more than anemically grey-washed...
...and this impression was confirmed when the bird powered away from the flock and looked to be leaving to the west...
However, it then suddenly landed for a few minutes and allowed for some long-range views of the bill structure before it did finally up and leave. We guessing that the bill looks a bit too long for a Short-tailed Shearwater and the bird was indeed just a Sooty with a rather subdued underwing pattern - certainly its overall bulk and flight mode didn't look in any way off for a Sooty.
On a squally, windy day most of the day's interest was offshore, with Manx Shearwaters a constant presence off the Bill and at least 4 Balearic Shearwaters amongst them from time to time. On the land the Turtle Dove lingered on at Sweethill.
Since May Highflyer's only larval foodplant is Alder we'd be very confident all these records relate to strays from the mainland or perhaps even from across the Channel since as far as we know there are no Alder trees on the island - we've never seen even a 'garden planted' Alder here and there are no records at all shown on the distribution map in The Flora of Dorset:
Small arrival of new migrants today incl 3 CCs and singles of Wheatear, Wthroat and Spot Fly at the Bill, a Hobby and a Spot Fly at Southwell and a Redstart at Portland Castle.
6 Balearics, a Sooty Shearwater & a GNDiver thru off the Bill
Large numbers of Red-Veined Darter on Portland 1 June
Kingbarrow:6m 1f
Yeolands:8m 1f + mating pair at pond. + 5m 2f on paths
Broadcroft brief visit: 1f
Odd footprints at Yeolands pond. Goat rather than deer ?
Also black-tailed skimmer, broad-bodied chaser, emperor(2m+f)
@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social
Another foggy morning and an increasingly windy afternoon weren't ideal for fieldwork today.
Just 2 Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff new at the Bill today, with Sanderlings down to 17 at Ferrybridge.
51 commic terns thru off the Bill once the fog lifted + info services rpt of 6 Balearics later.
Turtle Dove dropped into the garden this evening, the 1st we've seen in 2 years. In days past this garden would get double figures of Turtle Doves in a year, lets hope those days are coming back
Renewed moth migration last night incl singles of Striped Hawk, Bordered Straw and Delicate at the Obs and Small Mottled Willow at Southwell (latter per John Lucas). Numbers at the Obs incl 19 ferrugalis, 10 xylostella and 6 noctuella.
Much nicer day for birding and a little more around the island: Single Reed Ws new at the Bill and Reap Lane, 26 Sanderling again at Ferrybridge, 4 Arctic Skuas thru off the Bill.
Influx of Painted Ladys, Red Admirals and a Hummingbird Hawk at the Bill.
so turns out the dragon i was watching in tout with the couple staying at the obs was a norfolk hawker, thanks to heathy for the ID from even worse photos than this heavy crop!
Fog that was reluctant to completely clear hampered activities today but in some clearer spells a Sooty Shearwater and an Arctic Skua passed by the Bill and 2 Balearics lingered offshore.
Only new migrants were a few more Sanderlings - 27 at Ferrybridge this evening.
The weather hasn't done us many favours this spring and the current Atlantic airstream has all but killed migration: just a few new waders today incl 16 Sanderling and a Whimbrel at Ferrybridge and a single new Chiffchaff at the Bill.
Manx today mostly departed from Portland waters.
There's only one previous Portland record of Sloe Pug so we're not especially familiar with the species but this looks to be a second one from the Obs moth-traps last night
Grim weather and almost as grim birding for most of today: plenty of Manx offshore all day but 2 Balearics the only other noteworthy sea sightings; nothing ringed and no new migrants logged in a short window of fairer weather after dawn.
With the wind gusting up towards gale force by the evening today's interest was again largely on the sea. Manx about in fair quantity all day with c300/hr passing east during the evening; also a Balearic lingering.
Migrants incl a Spot Fly at the Bill and a steady trickle of arriving Swallows
Bit of #digiscope 🎥 from this AM’s Balearic Shearwater. As a bit of a seawatch novice I was 😬 one might flyby without me being able to pick it out. But, as it happen compared to Manxies it had a notably stockier structure, extended legs and differential plumage 😁. @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social
