19th September

After what has felt like an interminable wait, today finally saw migration back in full swing with a varied selection of new arrivals culminating in, for example, by far the best hirundine totals of the season to date and the highest ringing total of the whole year (...not that that was difficult after such a poor spring). Hirundines were the stand-out spectacle of the day over the land, with perhaps 10,000 through over the island as a whole, whilst over the sea another minimum of 1000 Kittiwakes through to the west was impressive; overhead, singles of Dotterel and Osprey through at the Bill provided the day's scarcity interest. Grounded arrivals were a tad disappointing: variety was well up to par for mid-September but the likes of 50 Chiffchaffs and 20 Blackcaps at the Bill were paltry totals for this juncture; additionally, a Wryneck that surfaced at the Bill having been completely unseen for a full ten days since it was first ringed was either a master of staying under the radar or, more likely, a good example of how lousy coverage is in this era of so many naturalists only going outdoors on the prompt of the news services or social media.

If increasing mental decrepitude hadn't so addled the faculties of the two observers who tapped into the Dotterel migrating over the Bill we might have been able to furnish blog visitors with lovely flight shots and sound recordings of that exciting event; as it is we're stuck with an Osprey as photo highlight of the day - at least that wasn't devalued by having a plastic White-tailed Eagle lurking in the background © Martin Cade:

 

However, the migration event of the day was really the wealth of hirundines swarming the Bill - they really were a spectacle to behold © Martin Cade (settled) and Jodie Henderson (flying):

Grounded arrivals really weren't in the sort of numbers that might have been hoped for after three weeks of turbulent weather, but the likes of Whinchats were still nice to see © Jodie Henderson:

On the ringing front, one of the day's most interesting happenings was the capture of this young male Sparrowhawk that had first been ringed a week ago at Durlston Head © Kat Hampton:

Our long weekend at @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social off to the perfect start with this re-trapped Wryneck. First rung on the 9th, not seen again until today @rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

[image or embed]

— Tim Phillips (@southhamsbirder.bsky.social) September 19, 2025 at 8:44 AM