8th October

While quantity was again a feature, with Blackcap and Chiffchaff both topping 150 on the ground at the Bill alone and lots of overhead passage to get amongst, quality won out today with a new Red-backed Shrike trapped in the Crown Estate Field stealing the show. As has been the case so far this month, Meadow Pipit, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Linnet dominated the grounded totals, but further interest at the Bill included singles of Snipe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Cetti's Warbler and Dartford Warbler. Overhead totals at the Bill included 850 Meadow Pipits, 375 alba wagtails, 360 Linnets, 140 Goldfinches, 50 Chaffinches, 35 Skylarks and 16 Song Thrushes, with a lone Woodlark the best of the oddities. Offshore, 2000 auks and 400 Mediterranean Gulls passed the Bill but there was precious little else of note.

On the ground, Chiffchaffs are still pretty abundant and are popping up all of the place, often well away from their usual haunts in the trees...

...but, scarcities aside, a lot of today's interest came from overhead passage with, amongst others, the strongest passages of alba wagtails and Song Thrushes so far this autumn and yet another Great Spotted Woodpecker © Martin Cade:

Red-backed Shrike and Great Spotted Woodpecker in the hand this morning © Nick Hopper:

Dawn at PBO @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social with lightish N wind saw an exciting day of ringing with a 1stYm Dartford Warbler followed by a 1Y Red backed Shrike then Comm Snipe and GS Woodpkr. 133 birds of 14 species.incl 60CC, 53 Blcp, 3Song Th. were ringed. Oct. total now is 1061 birds of 36 spcs.

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) October 8, 2026 at 6:51 PM