Another day with plenty of potential that sadly fell short of the mark, with any improvement in the grounded migrant situation being right at the low end of incremental. A series of drizzly showers advancing from the south delivered around 50 Willow Warblers at the Bill and there was a steady trickle of arriving Swallows overhead, but 2 Hobbys in-off, 2 Whinchats at Barleycrates, a Great Spotted Woodpecker at Southwell and a Pied Flycatcher at the Obs were the only reports of particular note from around the island. Likely blocked by more substantial rain just to the west, the seawatching was a bit of a non-event, with 30 lingering Sandwich Terns, 5 Red-throated Divers, 5 Arctic Skuas and a Whimbrel logged at the Bill.
Male Whinchat on Portland this Am @SightingDOR @DorsetBirdClub pic.twitter.com/87BKSZubfE
— Simon (@TheRockinBirder) April 15, 2025
Iconic spring birds from the Obs today - Swallow and Pied Flycatcher © Martin Cade:
Little Terns have been featuring really well in recent days, with suspicions that a lot of today's birds at Ferrybridge were migrants that departed as quickly as they'd arrived © Pete Saunders:
Sparrowhawks are being seen around the south of the island with much greater regularity than is usually the case at this time of year and there have been signs of possible breeding activity in one spot that would be a wholly new site for them © Pete Saunders:
