11th May: nothing more than odd ones and twos of the commonest migrants grounded at the Bill today; yesterday's Firecrest still about at the Obs; good eastbound movement of c500 Manx developed offshore during the evening; 15 Sanderling amongst the waders at Ferrybridge.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 11, 2026 at 10:35 PM
And folk wonder why we talk about ecological breakdowns: in the past on this sort of date, today's brisk, chilly headwind would have been a dead cert to produce a strong passage of Swifts and a good fall of migrants; today we logged 3 Swifts and 28 nets - many open for 10 hours - caught 5 migrants!
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 11, 2026 at 10:07 PM
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A much reduced moth catch at the Obs on a much chillier night so an early migrant White-speck was unexpected; 10 Diamond-backs, 2 Tunips and singles of Rusty-dot Pearl and Silver Y the only other migrants.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 11, 2026 at 9:33 AM
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Were probably hoping for a better 'first ever in a mist-net at Portland' but we'll take this Hairy Dragonfly from the Crown Estate Field nets just now - still a good rare here although expected to increase
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 11, 2026 at 12:17 PM
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