26th July

Another nice little flurry of migrants saw totals of 40 Willow Warblers, 15 Sedge Warblers, 10 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Wheatears, 2 Common Sandpipers and singles of Whimbrel, Green Sandpiper, Turnstone and Garden Warbler logged at the Bill, where Swifts and hirundines again trickled through in small numbers. Ferrybridge chipped in a few more waders including 67 Dunlin, 19 Ringed Plovers, 8 Redshank and a Whimbrel. The sea was shocking, with not a single shearwater off the Bill where 7 Yellow-legged Gulls (the highest count so far this summer) and a lone Arctic Skua were the only worthwhile sightings.

Two of this morning's Redshank at Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders:

Can't see the sea for the yachts: it was fortunate there wasn't much in the way of sea passage because many of the 444 yachts participating in today's Fastnet Race ground to a halt as they hit the fast-moving tide off the Bill and it was quite impossible to do a meaningful evening seawatch from the Obselisk! © Martin Cade:

Word received via @jodiemhenderson.bsky.social who's holidaying on Skokholm this week of a fantastic Storm Petrel recovery: one of the 20 caught here in the early hours of Friday morning (02.15am) was recaught at Skokholm at 03.00am this morning - c280 miles via the tip of Cornwall in 25 hours!

— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 26, 2025 at 5:30 PM

Adonis, Common and Chalkhill Blues from Tout Quarry this afternoon - the latter in amazing quantity @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

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— Oli Mockridge (@yeovilbirder.bsky.social) July 26, 2025 at 7:09 PM