19th May

19th May: mostly about seawatchihg today, apart from the Fea's type Petrel, c1000 Manx, 33 Com Scoter, 10 Sanderling, 3 GNDiver, 2 RtDiver, 2 Arctic Skua, 2 Pom Skua, singles GCGrebe, YLGull & Bonxie; 8 Spot Fly & 2 CC new on the land - very weirdly CC still running at twice the nos of WW this month

[image or embed]

— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 19, 2026 at 10:27 PM

A Fea's type Petrel east off the Bill at c09:00 - seen briefly but well going past mid-distance with a Manx but lost while then trying to photograph it. Being looked for constantly from the Bill and the Obs since then but still no further sign so presumed to have moved through rather than lingered.

— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 19, 2026 at 9:48 AM

Four and half hours more at the Bill tip and no further sign of the Fea's Petrel - the way it suddenly/inexplicably vanished suggested it might have landed but if it did it seems not to have lingered. Constant trickle of sev hundred Manx throughout the watch mainly heading away west into Lyme Bay

— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 19, 2026 at 2:09 PM

A flavour of this morning's seawatch...

[image or embed]

— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 19, 2026 at 2:30 PM

...and some of the skuas - unfortunately we missed the 2 Poms that were just before we arrived

[image or embed]

— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 19, 2026 at 2:32 PM

Evening seawatch - just in case: another c300 Manx Shearwaters with about equal movement in both directions but few actually lingering; passing Great Crested Grebe a bit of a Bill oddity.

[image or embed]

— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 19, 2026 at 10:13 PM