Despite being yet another warm and sunny day, the birding was very much in contrast to yesterday, with grounded migrants providing the bulk of the day's quality and quantity whilst the skies remained strangely bereft of new arrivals. Whilst the chief excitement concerned a
Barred Warbler trapped in the Obs garden, a nice showing of other migrants at the Bill included up to 250
Chiffchaffs, 150
Blackcaps, 2
Long-tailed Tits and singles of
Snipe,
Great Spotted Woodpecker,
Spotted Flycatcher,
Cetti's Warbler,
Sedge Warbler,
Grasshopper Warbler and a putative
Siberian Lesser Whitethroat also logged; in many ways the day's rarest sighting involved a
Serin briefly heard over Helen's Fields that pitched up in the Obs garden shortly afterwards - despite being frequent here in several other months September records are almost unknown. Reports from elsewhere included 2
Pale-bellied Brent Geese at Hamm Beach and 2
Woodlarks at Coombefield. The sea ticked over with the currently customary quantities of
Mediterranean Gulls and
Kittiwakes but 4
Arctic Skuas were the only migrants of note.
Barred Warbler trapped at the Obs
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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) September 26, 2026 at 8:35 AM
Adult and juvenile Pale-bellied Brent Geese Portland Harbour this morning
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— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) September 26, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Bath time in the garden pond this morning
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— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) September 26, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Having been caught out before by the genetic analysis of autumn Lesser Whitethroats telling a different story to what the plumage features had suggested we'll refrain from proffering an opinion as to the subspecific identity of today's bird - there should be enough here for the well-informed to make their own minds up © Martin Cade:
