6th October

Although we were logging some tremendous numbers of grounded arrivals during the fair weather in late September, today's clear skies weren't nearly as rewarding with only Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps at all numerous - and then only in a fraction of numbers of the recent past. In contrast, it was very busy overhead, with 1500 Meadow Pipits, 1080 Linnets, 380 Siskins, 250 alba wagtails, 230 Chaffinches, 21 Skylarks, 19 Redpolls and 16 Greenfinches amongst the departers over the Bill. What little of note there was on the ground included a Merlin and a Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Bill, a Bullfinch at Southwell and a Reed Warbler at Coombefield. Kittiwakes were again really impressively abundant offshore, with 7000 west off the Bill in only two hours after dawn; 7 Arctic Skuas were the best of what little else was moving there.

This slightly dopey settled bird was wholly unrepresentative of the day's Siskins that were otherwise entirely fly-by visible migrants. It's shaping up to be a good autumn for Siskins (...at least, it's good for us seeing them in plenty although of course it might not good for them themselves as they're likely experiencing a food failure and are having to cover some miles looking for new resources). The day's total of 380 from the Obs compares favourably with the peak day-total of 420 during the last big Siskin year that was as recently as 2023 when we logged an autumn total of 3398 over the Bill © Martin Cade:

Resumption of ringing activities today after the weather-enforced hiatus. Relatively quiet with just 66 new birds between the Obs, the Crown Estate Field and Culverwell; 15 CCs and 13 Bcaps the only numbers but 6 more Redpolls and the first Siskin of the year amongst some nice variety

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 6, 2025 at 10:27 PM