24th July: Not a bad migrant tally at the Bill, with the first obvious aggregation of c100 Sand Martins of the season, along with grounded totals of 30 apiece of Sedge W & WW. Singles of Teal & Bonxie + 150 Med Gulls the best from the sea; still no return of Balearic Shearwater to local waters.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 10:52 PM
Another successful ringing day at the Bill: 131 new birds incl migrant totals of 19 Sedge W, 17 WW & 4 Sand Martin; also another 3 Storm Petrels overnight. News back on one of our 'control' Storm Petrels from two nights ago - it had first been ringed just the night before on the Isles of Scilly!
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 10:47 PM
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Great to join the crew at @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social last night and see three new Storm Petrels being ringed. Brilliant little pelagic birds with phenomenal recovery rates of ringed individuals between breeding/ringing sites. Magic! #seabirds #ukbirding @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
— Baldbirder: Ross Newham (@baldbirder.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 10:23 AM
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Another panopoly of July migrants/dispersers overnight in the Obs garden moth-traps. Chief interest for us in the form of the year's first Convolvulus Hawk although in any other year star-billing would have gone to the likes of 2 more Striped Hawks and further singles of Eastern Bordered Straw & Ni
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 1:43 PM
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