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28th September

It was very much a classic mid-autumn day at the Bill with the lightest of northeasterly breezes and some substantial cloud cover resulting in a nice fall of grounded migrants that aside from another wodge of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps also included 50 Stonechats, 10 Sedge Warblers, 10 Willow Warblers, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, singles of Redstart, Grasshopper Warbler and Goldcrest as well as the lingering Barred Warbler; elsewhere singles of Pied Flycatcher and Garden Warbler at Thumb Lane plus multiple Firecrests at Suckthumb and Wakeham helped round off a varied list. Overhead migration remained unusually poor, with 300 Meadow Pipits the only passage of note, whilst out to sea a total of 54 Balearic Shearwaters, 7 Arctic Skuas, a Little Gull and a Great Skua were also logged. Finally, at Hamm Beach, the first 6 Dark-bellied Brent Geese of the autumn joined the lingering 2 Pale-bellied Brents. 

Today was all about Chiffchaffs - again; after last autumn's excesses it seems like they're continuing their quest to inherit the Earth once the present dominant species finishes making a pig's ear of its tenure and is out of the equation © Martin Cade:


Overcast morning with light variable breeze contributed to 158 birds of 16 species ringed today at PBO. @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social . CC 72 & Blacp 56 with Sedge, Grasshopr, WWarbers, Whitethrt & Redstart other migrants leaving 1st Goldcrest of autumn with 6 Stonechat & 2 GSW added to variety.

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) September 28, 2026 at 8:31 PM

Long-tailed Tit are a uncommon visitor to this end of the island. #culverwell #portlandbill @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

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— Mark Cutts (@slashercutts.bsky.social) September 28, 2026 at 12:01 PM

A few of the more interesting moths from last night’s trap

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— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) September 28, 2026 at 10:58 AM



Also from today, a gluttonous Wheatear at Ferrybridge and one of a few Wall Brown butterflies that are still on the wing © Ralph Todd:



And finally, back to yesterday for some extra photos. You'd think that in this era of lightning fast connectivity it would be possible to transmit and receive an email between Southwell and the Obs in an instant but it seems not - who knew it'd actually be quicker to send homing pigeons carrying individual pixels between the two sites. Well, Pete Saunders' photos did eventually get through to us today after being sent yesterday afternoon and they included the adult Curlew Sandpiper at Ferrybridge...



...and a few things from the morning seawatch at the Bill - two of the Teal, an Arctic Skua and a Balearic Shearwater © Pete Saunders: