Whilst not quite up to yesterday's level rarity-wise, today's fresher and, at least for a time after dawn, breezier conditions were just enough of a change to perk up migration a tad. Spotted Flycatchers were best represented, with at least 30 at the Bill and others scattered about in most spots that were visited; a late afternoon Honey Buzzard in off the sea at the Bill was a nice sight, whilst the odd few extra Wheatears, Reed Warblers, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs provided further interest on the ground and the late Brent Goose remained at Ferrybridge. The Honey Buzzard obviously thought more of conditions overhead than did hirundines and the like, with the latter's passage reduced to little more than a trickle. The sea had its moments, notably in the form of 2 Tufted Ducks back and forth between Chesil and the Bill and a Little Gull off the Bill; 25 Sanderlings also arrived in from the south.
The Honey Buzzard evidently arrived in off the sea fantastically low over the heads of its observers on East Cliffs at the Bill; however, it rapidly gained height as it tracked north and by the time it had got to the top of the island where this photograph was taken it was hundreds of metres overhead and only just resolvable to the naked eye © Martin Cade:
Something else very actively on the move were these Sanderlings: we watched them arriving from way out to sea off Chesil during the evening and they were presumably sufficiently knackered that they pitched straight in on the edge of the beach as soon as they made landfall; after a quick preen and scamper along the inhospitable shore they headed away again into the sunset © Martin Cade:
A nice out of context encounter with a Reed Warbler this morning that popped up from the rocks around the Bill before settling around the lighthouse carpark!
— Jodie mae Henderson (@jodiemhenderson.bsky.social) May 15, 2025 at 9:17 PM
[image or embed]
— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) May 15, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Spotted Flycatcher the bird of the day ringing wise @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social with a total of 8 ringed out of 23 birds in total. 5 CC,1 WW,1 Reed W the other migrants. Spot Fly always a pleasure to see in the hand after watching them migrating north through the garden. 4 more Meadow Pip ringed.
— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) May 15, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Site visits on the Isle & Royal Manor of Portland today - lots of Small as well as Common blues on the wing, plus Painted lady, Small heath and Wall butterfly. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social
— Kirsty Brannan (@vanellus26.bsky.social) May 13, 2025 at 9:55 PM
[image or embed]
More Portland wildlife yesterday - Dingy skippers basking, Bloody-nosed beetle larvae roaming & Common lizards skittering. Also grateful to the local people I met who graciously shared important historic, cultural and landscape contexts to particular sites.
— Kirsty Brannan (@vanellus26.bsky.social) May 15, 2025 at 6:17 AM
[image or embed]
