25th July

Today's weather was unexpectedly scorching and although the birding wasn't quite red-hot it certainly warmed up after the hitherto slowish start to autumn. Overnight action saw an impressive 20 Storm Petrels sound-lured and trapped at the Bill tip - easily the highest single night catch there for many years. Sadly, day-time sea interest was far lower key, with 14 presumed migrant Cormorants, 3 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls and a selection of waders including 5 Ringed Plovers, 3 Sanderling and a Whimbrel the best of a bad job at the Bill. The land was considerably more productive, with 40 Sedge Warblers, 35 Willow Warblers, 3 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Wheatears, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, a Yellow Wagtail and a Chiffchaff scattered about at the Bill. 

A satisfactory ringing day provided us with our second highest day total of the year - not that difficult when there's only been one 100+ day so far this year: 87 new birds including 18 Storm Petrels overnight (+ another two bearing Jersey rings) and a surprise Goldfinch bearing a Paris ring.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 25, 2025 at 4:46 PM

A bevy of Bedstraw Hawkmoths the highlight from last night's moth-traps - one from the Obs and the other from John Lucas' garden at Southwell. Still plenty of migrant/disperser interest in the Obs traps incl year peaks to date of Diamond-back, Rush Veneer, Dark Sword Grass and Small Mottled Willow

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 25, 2025 at 11:02 AM