Not exactly fall proportions but any improvement on recent events is surely not to be sniffed at and today's results after a damp night and foggy dawn weren't too bad.
Blackcaps were well accounted for among the day's totals, with just shy of 100 around the Bill, whilst the additional good spread of
Chiffchaffs and
Willow Warblers also had 3
Redstarts, a
Ring Ouzel and the first 2
Garden Warblers and single
Reed Warbler of the spring amongst them. As they have been on all but one day this season,
Wheatears were conspicuous absentees, numbering in no more than low single figures, whilst
hirundines and other visible migrants didn't feature in anything like the numbers that might have been hoped once the fog cleared. A strong westbound movement of 500
Gannets made up the bulk of the numbers offshore, with 82
Common Scoter, 6
Arctic Skuas, 4
Whimbrel, 2
Great Skuas, a
Red-throated Diver and the year's first
Great White Egret also on the move over the sea.
This Ring Ouzel was the pick of the less frequent migrants at the Bill © Martin Cade:
Foghorn all night a PBO @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social with thick mist at dawn, resulted in 29 Blackcaps, 13 WW, 1 Reed & 1 Garden W (both new for year), 1 Redstart, 2 Whitethroat 6 CC being among 57 birds ringed. Numbers low as mist and cloud cleared by 0900 then sunny,stiff S wind, rain 1315-1430.
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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) April 15, 2026 at 8:07 PM
