Unlike on several recent days, the overcast skies of dawn didn't clear as today went on and this appeared to result in an almost continuous arrival of
Chiffchaffs in particular in off the sea: well over 250 passed through at the Bill, with significant aggregations reported from several spots further up island. To a lesser extent,
Goldcrests were involved in this arrival with 40 through at the Bill, but
thrushes were notably few in conditions that often also favour them. Less frequent migrants didn't feature prominently, with 2
Ring Ouzels and singles of
Marsh Harrier,
Woodcock,
Black Redstart and
Firecrest as good as it got at the Bill, where the lingering
Wryneck did continue to pop up from time to time; elsewhere, at least another 4
Black Redstarts were dotted about and 2
Grey Plovers were new at Ferrybridge. Overhead passage perked up a little, with 670
Linnets, 380
Meadow Pipits, 96
Siskins, 90
Chaffinches, 82
Starlings and 40
Jackdaws amongst other through over the Bill.
Auks tailed off at the Bill, but 500
Mediterranean Gulls were still offshore and 2
Arctic Skuas and a
Great Northern Diver passed by.
We're not sure whether it was us or the Marsh Harrier that got more of a surprise when it suddenly sprung up from cover only a couple of metres from a mist-net in the Crown Estate Field © Martin Cade:
Chiffchaffs firmly to the fore on the ringing front, totalling 72 of today's 116 birds ringed at the Bill: amazingly, more have now been ringed this September and October than in all but one whole year in PBO's history...and we're usually thought of as a spring migrant hotspot!
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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Nothing else really got a look in ringing-wise, but a Wheatear was the first for the month and a Firecrest only the fourth - our numbers of the latter have been far lower than at some other SW migrant spots
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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 5:49 PM
