We're usually the first ones to moan about constantly windy weather but the quality of the seawatching that it's precipitated has been so good that the only complaints we've heard have been from the dedicated bird-ringers who've been put out of action for the best part of a week. A raging, window-rattling southerly gale blew up through the night but with Portland not quite so afflicted by rain as had been forecast the daylight hours were suitable for seawatching pretty well all the way, even if the extremely turbulent sea made for really trickly spotting of the likes of petrels and phalaropes. In the context of the date, the day's highlight was the 2-3 very early
Leach's Petrel through at Chesil Cove;
Storm Petrels were well-represented, with well into double figures off the Bill and through at the Cove. Two
Long-tailed Skuas were very nice off the Bill, whilst a series of
Grey Phalaropes at the Cove and the Bill could easily also have totaled into double figures but, as was the situation with the petrels, it was impossible to sure of the situation with duplication/lingering. There was puzzlement regarding the lack of large shearwaters in such seemingly suitable conditions, but the routines included 98
Balearic Shearwaters, 48
Manx Shearwaters, 4
Arctic Skuas and a
Sooty Shearwater; 50
Common Terns also passed through at Ferrybridge.
The pale juvenile Long-tailed Skua was a specimen of the highest quality; the dark juvenile that passed later would have been best captured on video since its light, erratic flight was a spectacle to behold but the conditions and our abilities weren't up to us successfully executing that task © Debby Saunders:
One of the Grey Phalaropes close inshore off the Bill...
...and a couple of the passing Balearics © Martin Cade:
A productive morning at Portland Bill seeing more Balearic Shears in a morning than I ever seen (66+)! Personal totals were 2-3 Grey Phal, 2 LT Skua, Sooty Shear, 9+ Stormies and 2 Arctic Skua @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social
[image or embed]
— Ed Betteridge (@edjbetteridge.bsky.social) September 3, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Late morning at Chesil Cove - 2 Common Sandpiper and these 2 Sanderlings on the beach opposite Quiddles.
[image or embed]
— Port and Wey (@portandwey.bsky.social) September 3, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Not counted but c.10+ Red-veined Darters at Yeolands Quarry, Portland on 31 Aug
Most teneral/female types but one battered male
Several exuvias too.
Common darters too - and poor views of an emperor of some sort oviposting.
@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social
[image or embed]
— Steve M (@steveweynature.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 6:55 PM
