28th April

We currently have a decent selection of secondhand optics and associated paraphernalia for sale; these are as follows:

A local Obs member is selling the camera - if you contact us at the Obs we'll put you in touch with the seller. The other items are all being held at the Obs and can be examined on request - all are in excellent condition (...the little Ultravid binoculars are lovely!); these items are all being sold by another Obs member, with part of the proceeds going to Obs funds.

The needle was firmly stuck in the groove on both the weather and bird fronts today, with it remaining gloriously sunny and warm but as a consequence also still rather uninspiring for migrants. A lone Short-eared Owl and another flurry of 50 Wheatears were new in at the Bill but there and elsewhere other arrivals were few and far between; despite the seemingly perfect conditions overhead passage everywhere was very lacklustre and included no surprises. The sea ticked along with occasional passing Manx Shearwaters, Common Scoters, Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel and the like but just 3 Arctic Skuas through off the Bill was a poor skua return in a light easterly at this time of year; 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese settled off Chesil were on the late side.

1x adonis blue, 2x cmn blue, c.12 small blue, 1x dingy skipper, 1x orange tip, wall browns, small whites, cmn whites possible distant f brimstone. at blacknor gully today

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) April 28, 2025 at 3:54 PM