27th April

Measly returns again on all fronts today in conditions - at least by the afternoon - more akin to high summer than mid-spring. Five Yellow Wagtails, 4 Whinchats, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Garden Warblers and singles of Redstart and Lesser Whitethroat provided a modicum of variety amongst the thin spread of Wheatears and phylloscs at the Bill, where overhead passage was a surprise non-event, consisting of little more than the lightest of trickles of Swallows and House Martins. The sea fared no better, with 28 Bar-tailed Godwits, 26 Common Scoter, 25 Whimbrel, 4 Shelducks, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua the best of a very bad job at the Bill.

Beautiful vistas, enticing habitat but conditions still way, way too nice today to drop many migrants - this Redstart one of the few of note amongst the meagre dozen trapped between the Obs and the Crown Estate Field this morning

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) April 27, 2026 at 2:12 PM

4 or 5 small blue at the church ope cove end of bottomcombe today , a dingy skipper there was also nfy for me today and more bizarrely red admiral. several wall brown at yeolands quarry pool but no dragons of any sort.

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) April 27, 2026 at 6:51 PM

always think of ivy broomrape as the portland plant, this one at church ope cove today

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) April 27, 2026 at 6:48 PM