20th September

The beginnings of what's apparently going to be an extended spell of quiet weather was very welcome and prompted a good deal of fieldwork even if the rewards didn't extend much beyond the expected. The highest numbers were overhead, with more than 1300 Meadow Pipits departing from the Bill along with a steady stream of Swallows - 500 at least although likely considerably undercounted as most movement took place during the afternoon - 18 Chaffinches and lower totals of a few other expected migrants. On the ground, Wheatear, Blackcap and Chiffchaff each got into the few dozen at the Bill with plenty more elsewhere, but among the infrequents a Firecrest at Coombefield and singles of Merlin, Caspian Gull or hybrid, Snipe and Grasshopper Warbler at the Bill were the best of it. Offshore, a Grey Phalarope lingered on at Chesil Cove, with movement off the Bill that included 370 Kittiwakes, 21 Sandwich Terns, 17 Balearic Shearwaters, 7 Arctic Skuas, a Great Skua and a Little Gull.

Since Caspian Gulls in any plumage other than juvenile/first-winter are vanishingly rare at the Bill we were keen to see this second-winter that Thomas Miller spotted amongst the handful of gulls below Culverwell this morning - even if Thomas was already having doubts that it was actually a pure bird as opposed to some sort of hybrid. We'll leave it to the better informed gull folk to give final adjudication but to our eyes it was so obviously something pretty close to Caspian Gull that were very pleased to see it anyway © Martin Cade:

Portland - Grey Phalarope (Chesil Cove), Grasshopper Warbler (Culverwell), Wheatear 12 (Top fields, The Bill and East Cliffs) @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

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— Dorset Bird Tours (@dorsetbirdtours.bsky.social) September 20, 2026 at 8:10 PM

Arrived on Portland with the island bathed in sunshine and warmth Tuna frolicking in the sea below the Obs Clouded Yellows in the garden Western Conifers on the door and Martin King enjoying the sunshine Its good to be back

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— Terry Brown (@terrytwitcher.bsky.social) September 20, 2026 at 3:50 PM