That's more like it: a taste of the Portland spring we're used to and not the wholly inadequate offerings visitors have had to put up with hitherto this month, with a combination of overnight rain and a northerly breeze facilitating the first decent fall of migrants so far this season. A heavy bank of cloud hovering a little to the north of the island dropped a steady trickle of northbound arrivals from dawn until well into the afternoon, with totals from the Bill that included 150
Chiffchaffs, 75
Redwings, 50
Chaffinches, 15
Blackcaps, 14
Wheatear, 10
Willow Warblers, 6
Black Redstarts, 4
Bullfinches and singles of
Brambling and
Redpoll. A wide scatter of more of the same further up island included singles of
Merlin,
Ring Ouzel and
Bullfinch over Blacknor, 6
White Wagtails at Reap Lane and a
Ring Ouzel and a
Mistle Thrush at the Verne. In the offshore breeze sea passage was noticeably subdued compared to recent days, with 25
Brent Geese, 12
Red-throated Diver, 8
Common Scoter, 4
Manx Shearwater (a belated first for the year)
and a
Little Gull through off the Bill. The 2 long-staying
Long-tailed Ducks that hadn't been reported for a while were again in Portland Harbour, along with 3
Black-necked Grebes and 2
Great Northern Divers.
Two Blossom Underwings overnight from the Obs moth-traps - an indication of some movement from somewhere going on even if there weren't any conventional migrants in the traps
[image or embed]
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) March 23, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Magic day at PBO @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social the morning after a positive and productive Trustees' meeting on redevelopment plans. My favourite and harbinger of spring ,Willow warbler arrived and ringed,(photo Martin Cade). Also mixture of autumn/winter with Redwings, lots Chichaffs, 3 Blackcaps.
[image or embed]
— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) March 23, 2025 at 9:33 PM
