When it takes more than half an hour to register the first entry on the day-sheet and two hours before the first migrant's ringed at the Obs you know the portents for the day aren't great - and, with a few exceptions, so it proved. The most notable exception was a very strong passage of hirundines with the first decent pulse of Swifts tagging along- seemingly funneled in quantity along the leading edge of an almost stationary Channel-wide band of rain only a few miles to the the west of the island - whilst in view of the lack of quantity on the ground a scatter of 6 Ring Ouzels and 60 Wheatears was a surprise. Also on the ground, the year's first Spotted Flycatcher was an on-cue arrival at the Grove, with 3 Common Sandpipers, the first 2 Purple Sandpipers for several weeks and a Hobby also logged. The block of rain to the west wasn't looked on favourably by the seawatchers so their return of 30 Bar-tailed Godwits, 22 Whimbrel, 12 Dunlin, 9 Shelducks, 2 Red-throated Divers and a Pomarine Skua through off the Bill perhaps slightly exceeded expectations.
It's looking like a good many of the Ferrybridge Little Terns are back in the vicinity even if they're not yet firmly settled in the breeding colony...
Call yourself a Bird Observatory? - just at the moment we're verging on incurring the scrutiny of Trading Standards for purporting to be some sort of ornithological hotspot when by just about every metric it's blindingly obvious we're falling way short of the mark. In truth - although only by dint of a lot of legwork and gawping at the sea - today did come up with fair-ish day-list even if numbers were pretty dreadful. Swallows, and to a lesser extent House Martins, were again arriving in decent supply but on the ground none of the routine migrants managed even a double figure total at the Bill where there were no surprises amongst what little could be found; elsewhere, a Black Redstart at Ferrybridge was about as good as it got. In a freshening southeasterly the sea should have provide salvation but it too was far quieter than expected, with combined Bill/Chesil totals that included 130 Bar-tailed Godwits, 100 Arctic/commic Terns, 84 Common Scoter, 80 Whimbrel, 7 Red-throated Divers, 4 Arctic Skuas, 2 Great Northern Divers and singles of Black-throated Diver, Red-breasted Merganser and Great Skua.
After yesterday's migration debacle today saw a considerable improvement, with the waft of an easterly and clear skies no impediment to potential movers; a great many nocturnal migrants no doubt carried straight on over without stopping but there was still a decent variety of laggards that'd grounded to take a break, whilst diurnal passage - particularly of Swallows - was very strong. More than materialised might have been expected from the sea although there were hints towards nightfall of wader passage picking up. The grounded selection included most of the late April regulars even if numbers were hardly impressive; a Corn Bunting at the Bill and a Serin at Wakeham were the best of the new arrivals, with the likes of 5 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Reed Warblers and a Pied Flycatcher scattered amongst the commoner fare around the south of the island. A sample count of 352 Swallows, 32 House Martins, 5 Sand Martins, a Yellow Wagtail and a Tree Pipit through in an hour at Blacknor looked to be wholly representative of some strong day-long diurnal passage that was still ongoing along Chesil as dusk approached. Four Red-throated Divers, 2 Great Northern Divers, a Balearic Shearwater and an Arctic Skua were the relatively poor rewards from morning seawatching at the Bill but there was a suggestion of passage picking up during the evening, when 80 Bar-tailed Godwits and 30 Whimbrel headed over Chesil in quick time.
Sometimes overnight rain works for us - just a couple of days ago it worked a treat - but on just as many days it kills migration dead which is just what happened today, with an overnight downpour and associated strong winds doing nothing for the land or sea. Grounded arrivals were woefully represented, with only Wheatear just managing a double figure totals at the Bill, where 3 Common Sandpipers and a Black Redstart were the only newcomers of interest; Ferrybridge fared hardly better, with 12 Whimbrel and 2 Sanderlings the only waders of note. The weather had blown through by dawn to the extent that hirundines got moving under the clearing sky but even their numbers were nothing to shout about. The sea was well watched but 2 Sanderling, 2 Arctic Skuas and a single Great Skua were the only worthwhile returns off the Bill.
After yesterday's bumper day, today saw a return to the more pedestrian rate of migration that we've grown accustomed to of late with, Swallows excepted, both quantity and variety in short supply. Lone individuals made up the majority of new arrivals at the Bill, including singles of Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail. Sample counts suggested the day's Swallow tally got well into four figures on West Cliffs. Other reports included 7 Whimbrel and 4 Red-throated Divers from the sea at the Bill, 2 Common Sandpipers on the shore there, another 5 Whimbrel at Ferrybridge and the first Wall butterfly of the year in the Obs garden.
Finally - after what's seemed like an interminable wait - all the variables aligned as fair conditions over the near continent coupled with a light northwesterly and some early bands of drizzly rain over Portland to facilitate what was easily the largest and most varied fall of migrants so far this spring. Whilst the day's star bird was a Wood Warbler in the Obs garden, it was Willow Warblers that unsurprisingly made up the bulk of the numbers on the ground with 200 through at the Bill; overhead hirundines were arriving steadily everywhere. A strong back-up cast at the Bill including 40 Chiffchaffs, 30 Blackcaps, 25 Whitethroats, 20 Yellow Wagtails and 20 Wheatears, along with single figure totals of Swift, Tree Pipit, Whinchat, Redstart, Grasshopper Warbler, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Pied Flycatcher made for some thoroughly entertaining bank holiday birding.Fortunately, all the goings-on on the land provided plenty of distraction from what was a pretty woeful seawatch, with just singles of Arctic and GreatSkuas of note off the Bill.
April continues to tick along in a largely underwhelming manner, with most species turned up more or less on cue but for the most part in far lower numbers than might be hoped. Today did see a slightly stronger arrival of Willow Warblers, including 75 at the Bill, whilst variety included a handful each of the likes of Whinchat, Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler together with the lingering Pied Flycatcher at Sweethill and a Black Redstart at the Verne; overhead, a steady arrival of Swallows had 6 Yellow Wagtails, a Hobby and a Swift tagging along (we also received belated news from yesterday of the first 2 Swifts of the year through over Southwell). The day's particularly miscellaneous selection of oddities included a Mandarin at Rufus Castle, a Green Sandpiper over the Bill and singles of Great White Egret and Canada Goose through on the sea there; more conventional sea passage was disappointing, with a single Arctic Skua the best of a bad job off Chesil and the Bill.
With yesterday's rain only finally clearing through just as dawn broke and with a stiff and cold easterly still well established hopes weren't high for the land but the seawatchers were certainly expectant and, perhaps more by dint of dogged persistence than heavy passage, it was they that came up with the day's chief rewards. Chesil and the Bill were well watched and returned combined totals that included 410 Bar-tailed Godwits, 357 Little Terns, 230 Common/commic Terns, 110 Manx Shearwaters, 50 Sandwich Terns, 60 Whimbrel, 17 Arctic Skuas, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Teal, 2 Shovelers, 2 Little Gulls and a Pomarine Skua; an associated increase in waders at Ferrybridge included 20 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Sanderling, 3 Whimbrel and a Grey Plover. Things were appreciably quieter on the land although it wasn't a complete write-off, with 7 Whinchats, a Common Sandpiper and a Hobby amongst others at the Bill and a Pied Flycatcher at Sweethill.
We arrived at Ferrybridge just after dawn in the rain, the early birds there were the Grey Plover, the Redshanks and the Whimbrel, here's some low light photos
Well, we needed some rain. On most fronts today was a write-off, with respectability just about provided by some pedestrian sea passage in between the periods of rain. In a stiff easterly Chesil provided the better returns that included 87 Little Terns, 86 Bar-tailed Godwits, 82 Common/commic terns, 75 Sandwich Terns, 18 Whimbrel, 3 Arctic Skuas, 2 Red-throated Divers and a Great Skua; mainly lower numbers of a similar selection at the Bill came with the addition of 50 Pale-bellied Brent Geese.
Despite distinctly sub-optimal conditions a small arrival of migrant moths at the Obs last night: another Blossom Underwing along with 5 Diamond-backs and a Silver Y
It was far too fine a day to expect much in the way of new arrivals and apart from the literally flying visit of a Hoopoe at Weston things were quiet everywhere, with just a small increase in Blackcaps - including 30 at the Bill - a Pied Flycatcher at Sweethill and the season's first Reed Warbler at Thumb Lane the most noteworthy events amongst the thin spread of grounded migrants. Hirundines continued to trickle through overhead although in far lower numbers than might have been hoped given the conditions. It was pretty much the same story on the sea, with 140 Kittiwakes, 115 Sandwich Terns, 20 Common Scoter, 2 Arctic Skuas and singles of Manx Shearwater and Sanderling the best of it at the Bill.
With last night's blasting southwesterlies - the official peak windspeed was evidently up towards 60mph - taking most of the morning to subside, it took a fair amount of trudging around in less than ideal conditions before the day's highlight of a Cattle Egret was uncovered along the East Cliffs. With other grounded migrants either tucked well away or more likely absent altogether, the day's only other migrant happenings concerned a steady trickle of Swallows that carried on well into the evening and a lone Sanderling joining the few waders at Ferrybridge. The onshore wind failed to liven up the seawatching, with just 9 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Whimbrels and singles of Arctic Skua and Bonxie logged past the Bill and 60 Sandwich Terns and 20 Bar-tailed Godwits through off Chesil.
Another day with plenty of potential that sadly fell short of the mark, with any improvement in the grounded migrant situation being right at the low end of incremental. A series of drizzly showers advancing from the south delivered around 50 Willow Warblers at the Bill and there was a steady trickle of arriving Swallows overhead, but 2 Hobbys in-off, 2 Whinchats at Barleycrates, a Great Spotted Woodpecker at Southwell and a Pied Flycatcher at the Obs were the only reports of particular note from around the island. Likely blocked by more substantial rain just to the west, the seawatching was a bit of a non-event, with 30 lingering Sandwich Terns, 5 Red-throated Divers, 5 Arctic Skuas and a Whimbrel logged at the Bill.
A day of painful inadequacies on all front: a fresh southerly in mid-April might have been construed to offer the possibilities of a fall of migrants, overshoots galore and an epic seawatch but in the event an Obs garden ringing tally that didn't even manage double figures, the only scarcity a Turtle Dove that eluded widespread attention and a seawatch that was only really memorable for an exceptional tally of Little Terns was not the stuff of dreams. The grounded migrant situation was dismal, with no more than single figure totals of the usually commonest fare, and 3 Whinchats at the Bill the only one of the less regulars to feature. It was a little busier overhead: the Turtle Dove through at the Obs was the highlight, but incoming Swallows featured at a slightly steadier rate than in recent days, whilst odds and ends including 2 Merlins and 2 Yellow Wagtails provided further interest. Numerically, the day's chief rewards came from the sea: 126 Little Terns through off Chesil was a spectacularly high count of passage birds (there have been totals in the past of up to 250 at Ferrybridge/Portland Harbour but we're not sure there's been a seawatch total of as many as 126 before today); 33 Pale-bellied Brent Geese also over Chesil was another good total, whilst Chesil/the Bill combined also came up with the likes of 91 Common Scoter, 17 Whimbrel, 8 Red-throated Divers, 5 Arctic Skuas, an Eider and a Great Skua.
First bike ride of the year to Portland Bill was productive on the sea if not the land - Puffin (not pictured), Red-throated Diver, Kittiwake and my first Dorset Bonxie since 2022 all added to the yearlist. Common Scoter also pictured @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social
We're fans of changes in the weather but today's switch of the wind into the west after weeks of almost constant easterlies did no favours at all, with migrant numbers and variety hugely reduced. Two Hoopoes escaped the attention of almost everyone - one made a fleeting visit to Barleycrates Lane, whilst photos were again posted on Facebook of a second individual that continues to frequent a private garden at Southwell - and the only commoner migrants reported were a thin scatter of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers on the ground, the first Lesser Whitethroat back on territory at Bumpers Lane and a few Swallows overhead. A steady passage of Kittiwakes offshore was accompanied by another 9 Red-throated Divers but the only other interest on the sea concerned a small evening movement of Manx Shearwaters.
Another day with things just about ticking over, albeit with the general feeling among the fieldworkers that despite the increasing cloud cover there was slightly less on offer than in recent days. A local Facebook posting reported the presence of a back garden Hoopoe at ?Southwell but this escaped the attention of birders who had to make do with the likes of the first 2 Grasshopper Warblers of the spring at the Bill, a Jay over Sweethill, a Corn Bunting at Reap Lane and the odd one or two Yellow Wagtails, Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers amongst the more numerous spread of Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers. Overhead passage remained rather pedestrian, with inbound Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Goldfinches far more numerous than hirundines. A positive from the day was a noticeable uptick in sea passage, with 250 Common Scoter, 29 Whimbrel, 18 Red-throated Divers, 7 Bar-tailed Godwits, 5 Arctic Skuas and 4 Little Gulls through off the Bill; 37 Manx Shearwaters and 19 Whimbrel were amongst the sea selection logged at Chesil.
We're sure migration has plenty of momentum in the ongoing extremely fair weather but the fact remains that we're not actually tapping into too much of that momentum as a lot of the birds presumably overfly us at night. Today had its moments, not least when the second Red-rumped Swallow of the spring shot through at High Angle Battery, a Hooded Crow pitched in on top of the Bill lighthouse after arriving in off the sea and a Hoopoe made a subliminal pass over the Southwell Business Park, but a very samey selection and quantity of grounded arrivals to every other day this week didn't really inspire. A scatter of 4 Ring Ouzels and a new Firecrest were nice and the other usual suspects included a Whinchat and a few Common and Black Redstarts, but it was left to Wheatear, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler to make up the overwhelming bulk of what numbers there were on the ground. Diurnal passage remained strangely subdued, with the sudden appearance of a flock of 100 Sand Martins on West Cliffs one of the few noteworthy events overhead. The sea tried its hardest to overcome the shortfall in numbers but was also left wanting, with just 29 Sandwich Terns, 28 Red-throated Divers, 19 Whimbrel and singles of Balearic Shearwater (a very early first of the 'summer'), Greylag Goose, Red-breasted Merganser and Arctic Skua through off the Bill and 17 more Whimbrel over Chesil.
Bar another flurry of Hoopoe sightings today didn't have tremendously much going for it; the unbroken sunshine was again nice but an unwelcome dip in the temperature had attracted plenty of less than complimentary comment at dawn. One Hoopoe was certainly a new arrival since it was watched flying in off the sea at the Bill, but how many of the day's other sightings - that came from Bill (possibly a second individual), Southwell and Weston - involved the later onward movements of this bird, the reappearance of recent individuals or additional wholly new arrivals wasn't at all clear. The grounded migrant tally included a thin but wide scatter of Wheatears, Common and Black Redstarts, Blackcaps, both phylloscs, a Pied Flycatcher and the like, but overhead passage was dismal: a Short-eared Owl passed through at the Bill but pipits, hirundines and finches slowed to no more than the lightest of trickles everywhere. The sea wasn't a lot better, with 21 Whimbrel, 12 Red-throated Divers, 2 Shoveler and 2 Arctic Skuas the best of a bad job off the Bill; the long-staying but erratic Long-tailed Duck also showed up again in Portland Harbour.
Anyone who likes a Hoopoe - is there anyone who doesn't? - is having a field day this spring. Very excitingly, today's bird at the Bill was actually watched flying in from far out to sea and later settled quite well for a while in one of the lanes leading down to East Cliffs...
Another day that ticked along under a blazing sun and in a still cool northeasterly. For Hoopoe-aficionados it was a day of frustration and then delight, as first off one showed all too briefly for just its finder at Wakeham; however, a second individual later showed fabulously well for all-comers inside the Verne Citadel. Common migrants weren't at all plentiful, with Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler barely making 30 apiece at the Bill, but a nice selection of the less routine around the island included double figures of both Common and Black Redstarts, 3 Ring Ouzels, 3 Pied Flycatchers and at least singles of Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Whinchat and Redpoll. The sea was never busy but did come with 27 Red-throated Divers, 3 Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua through off the Bill.
Once the chill of dawn had passed, an appreciable drop in the strength of the wind made for a pleasant day's birding, even if what was on offer was in a very similar vein to recent days. Bits and pieces of interest around the Bill included 7 Redstarts, 5 Black Redstarts, 2 Ring Ouzels and singles of Yellow Wagtail, Pied Flycatcher and a Bullfinch, with a Marsh Harrier over Reap Lane the only oddity reported amongst the similar selection further up island. It was another fine day for hirundines to be on the move, with 100 Sand Martins and 56 Swallows logged in a sample hour on West Cliffs where a constant trickle of Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Goldfinches, along with a single Redpoll, accompanied them. Sea passage off the Bill included 139 Common Scoters, 62 Sandwich Terns, 24 Red-throated Divers, 3 Shelduck, a Whimbrel and a Manx Shearwater.
With not a sniff of a change in the weather there was a real feel of diminished returns about today's proceedings, with a much thinner spread of migrants on the ground as well as less on the move both overhead and on the sea. An Osprey heading north over Southwell was an a nice afternoon highlight and saved the day after the earlier returns had been so relatively impoverished, with 3 Black Redstarts, 2 Sanderling, 2 Redstarts, 2 Fieldfares and a Bullfinch the best on offer at the Bill and the year's first Common Sandpiper at Ferrybridge the pick of the bunch elsewhere. Sea passage off the Bill included 23 more passing Red-throated Divers.
We received details today of another interesting Chiffchaff ringing recovery: a bird originally ringed here at the Bill in October 2018 was controlled three days ago by the guys at Hilbre Bird Observatory; the oldest Chiffchaff from UK ringing is apparently a bird of seven years and seven months, so at six years and six months this individual's already lived to a grand old age and is still going strong:
Today had a little bit of everything going for it, with a bountiful selection of grounded common migrants including a couple of firsts for the spring, some strong overhead passage including a classic spring overshoot and a least a small uptick in sea passage to boot. Chiffchaffs were once again the most numerous of the grounded arrivals everywhere, with the 400 or so logged at the Bill including many that were really actively moving straight through; the wide selection of lower totals around the island included the likes of 100 Wheatears, 25 Redstarts, 10 Black Redstart and singles of Ring Ouzel, Pied Flycatcher and Bullfinch, with a Garden Warbler at Southwell and a Whitethroat at Verne Common both firsts for the year. Overhead passage was strong through the morning before tailing off sharply towards midday; a Red-rumped Swallow through over the Crown Estate Field was by far the highlight, whilst 400 Meadow Pipits and 280 Linnets from a two and a half hour sample count at Wallsend gave an indication of the numbers involved. Sea passage picked up a little, with 105 Common Scoters, 8 Red-throated Divers and a Gargeney amongst others through off the Bill.
A first dragonfly on the wing this year - a Broad-bodied Chaser - emerged from one of the Obs garden ponds.
