28th March

On another day, this morning's short band of pre- and post-dawn rain might have precipitated a drop of migrants but today things didn't work out that way, with numbers falling away after a few decent days. A Hooded Crow was a new arrival at the Bill, where 2 more new Firecrests were amongst the modest totals of more routine fare; it was a little busier overhead, with 160 Wood Pigeons, 150 Meadow Pipits and a Merlin featuring amongst the vismig totals there. Surprise of the day on the land was the overnight relocation of the Dotterel from Wallsend to Ferrybridge, where it remained until early evening; elsewhere, a scatter of Black Redstarts included 3 at Blacknor. Another 60 Common Scoter and 21 Red-throated Divers passed by off the Bill, where the pick of the morning's watch were 4 Eider; also on the sea, the 2 Long-tailed Ducks remained in Portland Harbour.

March and April are the peak months for the occasional Hooded Crows that pitch up at Portland although their origins remain obscure: are they coming from the north from Scotland/Scandinavia or from eastern/southeastern continental Europe? Shortly after these photos were taken this bird upped and departed so far out to sea that it was lost to view - next stop France if it kept going. Since at least one of the recent island records involved a bird of Heinz 57 parentage it was good that today's individual looked to be as pure as they come © Martin Cade:

Our Dotterel has about as much migratory urge as a snail: having left Wallsend last night it managed all of a couple of miles before dropping in at Ferrybridge where it spent most of today - at this rate it won't make the Cairngorms before the first snows of autumn. It's interesting to see how much the colour tones of its plumage vary in even the most subtle of changes in the light - and to see how much the toggers jazz around with their images to the extent that by the time the photographs reach their social media streams you'd think they'd been operating on different planets rather than stood shoulder to shoulder using near identical kit © Debby Saunders (top) and Joe Stockwell (bottom):

Yesterday I realised that I'd never heard a Wheatear singing before. I found this little male down at Portland Bill, singing his heart out. He was singing into the ether.....He could have had a sparrow, a starling, or possibly a Rock Pipit mate, but there wasn't a Wheatear to be seen.😢#UKBirding

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— Viv K (@vivkeene.bsky.social) March 28, 2025 at 10:23 PM

A bit of video of the #Dotterel at Ferrybridge, Dorset today. It was cold and blowy, but we got fabulous views of this rare visitor. I'd never seen one before, so I was well chuffed! #Dorsetbirds

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— Viv K (@vivkeene.bsky.social) March 28, 2025 at 9:21 PM