12th October

For a day that dawned downright miserably - windy, mizzly and with almost no visibility - and promised nothing more than a nice lie-in, being salvaged by a half-decent seawatch seemed like a pretty good result, with totals of 2500 auks, 1000 Kittiwakes, 14 Arctic Skuas, 13 Sooty Shearwaters, 12 Common Scoter, 2 Great Skuas and singles of Great Northern Diver, Common Tern and Arctic Tern accumulated at the Bill. There were a few new arrivals on the land that included 4 Redwings and 10 Song Thrushes amongst the light scatter of Wheatears, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs at the Bill.

Portland Day 1 - Yes, I'm at it again! A slow start with strong S wind + stubborn drizzle, eventually a few hundred meters of sea became visible so that was the order of the day! 13 Sooty, 9 Arctic Skua, Great Skua, Arctic and Common Tern, GN Diver, 2k Auks, 800 Kittiwake, better than expected!

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— Joe Stockwell (@joestockwell.bsky.social) October 12, 2026 at 5:33 PM

Good to chat with Martin Cade watch Red-backed Shrike & a 2 mm long extremophile beetle Octhebius lejolisii, somehow it survives in splash zone pools with extremes of heat and dessication, true survivors that will probably still be going strong when we are all gone! @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

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— John Walters (@johnwalterswildife.bsky.social) October 12, 2026 at 7:46 AM

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio, Crown Estate Fields, @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social Dorset yesterday

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— John Walters (@johnwalterswildife.bsky.social) October 12, 2026 at 11:29 PM