2nd November

Clear skies - albeit still with a pretty brisk westerly blowing - saw overhead migrants get going again today, with 1630 Wood Pigeons, 435 Starlings, 279 Goldfinches, 125 Stock Doves, 103 Chaffinches and 19 Siskins making up the bulk of the numbers over the Bill, where 2 late Swallows, a Merlin and Brambling also passed through. The Pallas's Warbler lingered on at Avalanche Road/Thumb Lane and a/the Caspian Gull was again at the Bill but it was otherwise relatively mundane on the ground, with Dark-bellied Brent Geese increasing to 720 at Ferrybridge, 2 Pale-bellied Brents, 2 Grey Plovers, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Sanderling and a late Wheatear also there, and a Black Redstart at the Bill. The sea was again carpeted in feeding Kittiwakes, auks and the like, but passing singles of Great Northern Diver and Little Gull were the only additions of note off the Bill.

The Pallas's Warbler at Thumb Lane (top) © Duncan Walbridge and Avalanche Road (bottom) © Simon Craft:

Pallas's (Leaf) Warbler at Avalanche Road, @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social today - I've had a relatively poor autumn for birds, with limited time, so this little jewel may be the highlight:

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— alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social (@alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social) November 2, 2025 at 9:48 PM

1st November

Despite the interference of several periods of rather heavy rain, today's birding was not entirely without merit, with a few nice scarcities uncovered among the various lingering migrants seeing out the current windy conditions. The sea was once again a hive of activity, with thousands of auks and small gulls feeding close off the Bill, with 12 Eider and a single Great Skua providing the only variety among the numbers. It was a similar picture from Chesil Cove, save for the addition of a Grey Phalarope and Red-throated Diver also passing through. Elsewhere, a 1st winter Caspian Gull present in the flock below Culverwell was believed to be a different individual to one sighted past the Bill earlier in the day, the Pallas's Warbler and Ring Ouzel were still present at Avalanche Road and the Fig Tree Quarry respectively and a few Firecrests popped out of cover here and there.

We really have no idea how many different Caspian Gulls have been logged at the Bill this autumn as the situation begun to get muddied around the time double figures had been reached; however, it was interesting to note that today's bird had a noticeable limp which was also the case with one of the birds a month or so ago - probably nothing in that but it could just be the same bird resurfacing © Martin Cade:

Very few moths on a night of howling southerlies but what there was at the Obs included three singles of note: Ni Moth, Small Marbled and Blair's Mocha

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 1, 2025 at 10:04 AM

31st October

Bar a short, sharp spell of very heavy rain during the morning, today's mix of a stiff southerly and patchy sunshine was enough to provide interest on land and sea. On a day when other grounded arrivals looked to be few and far between there was a surprise in the form of the autumn's first Pallas's Warbler that showed up at Avalanche Road; the odd Firecrest here and there, a Purple Sandpiper at the Bill and a Black Redstart at Reap Lane were the only other discoveries amongst the lightest of scatters of Redwings, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and the like. The sea got lots of attention and for periods was hard work what with there being such a huge feeding aggregation of Kittiwakes and auks offshore that had at least 3 Arctic Skuas and singles of Manx Shearwater and Great Skua lingering in their midst.

Two nice photographs of the Pallas's Warbler that rather misrepresent how it was showing - on our visit during the afternoon we saw it for a couple of seconds immediately we walked into the Hump and then spent a further three hours searching for it without getting as much as another glimpse! © Thomas Miller:

There was such a big feeding flock off the Bill today that the various Arctic Skuas attracted were having an absolute field day © Pete Saunders:

Also at the Bill tip, it was nice to see an obliging Purple Sandpiper back in residence © Pete Saunders:

Today we were extremely pleased to finally receive from the printers a large consignment of our long, long overdue 'annual' report - so long overdue in fact that it covers the last four years! We'll soon be mailing copies out to all who were Obs members during this four year period - if you're one of these folk and you happen to call at the Obs in the next few days do please pick up your copy as anything that saves us from even a little bit of the monumental amount of packing, franking and mailing we'll be doing will be very welcome!

30th October

A perfectly birdable if largely uneventful morning gave way to an increasingly unpleasant afternoon as an onshore gale set in - seemingly setting the tone for the next few days. Overhead passage again provided the day's numbers, although they were considerably down on recent totals, with 970 Wood Pigeons, 75 Chaffinches, 115 Meadow Pipits, 115 Redpolls and a single Yellowhammer the best of it at the Bill. Quality and numbers were again lacking on the ground, with a spread of Firecrests around the centre of the island and singles of Water Rail and Black Redstart at the Bill providing the only particular interest amongst the thin spread of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and the like. The increasing wind did nothing for the sea, with little more than 3 Arctic Skuas and the first Fulmar for a while through off the Bill.

Redpolls are certainly the birds of the moment: we've long since beaten their all-time ringing record - in fact today's 16 ringed saw to it that the previous best annual total has been more than quadrupled this year - and we're sure that when we find enough time to check the logs we'll be able to confirm that this year's vismig totals are also the highest ever © Martin Cade:

Still ticking over on the ringing front - at least until the afternoon when the ever-increasing wind became too much of an issue. 41 new birds included another 16 Redpolls that takes their annual total into three figures - previous highest year total only 24! 5 more Reed Buntings best of the rest.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 30, 2025 at 3:01 PM

29th October

Although the occasional mizzly outbreak cropped up from time to time today had far more positives going for it, not least the wind dropping right away. In truth, migration was hardly rip-roaring but some decent visible passage, including 780 Goldfinches, 460 Linnets, 240 Chaffinches, 180 Meadow Pipits, 114 Redpolls and 46 Siskins over the Bill, along with a nice patch of 8 Firecrests and a Woodlark at Coombefield/Thumb Lane (that made up for the almost complete absence of warblers and the like amongst the arrivals at the Bill) and 2 Great Northern Divers, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Sooty Shearwater through off the Bill provided at least some interest on all fronts. Other odds and ends worth a mention included a late Yellow Wagtail over the Bill, singles of Yellow-legged Gull and Ring Ouzel on the ground there and 500 Kittiwakes and 250 Mediterranean Gulls lingering offshore.

Although they've been in ones and twos quite widely in the last few days, today's eight Firecrests in the Coombefield area was a notable influx © Duncan Walbridge:

Welcome amelioration in the weather allowed for fuller ringing activities at the Bill today. 43 birds trapped; 17 of the new birds were Redpolls and the one control was another Redpoll that had first been ringed at Thorpe Marsh, South Yorkshire, on 26th September - nice!

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 29, 2025 at 6:11 PM

Very small uptick in migrant moth activity at the Obs last night with singles of Vestal and Migrant Sable presumed new arrivals; only tiny numbers of other migrants

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 29, 2025 at 12:39 PM

28th October

It got worse today! The blustery westerly airflow seems to be doing less and less for us every day with, for example, an all-day mist-netting effort in the Obs garden (...only stoic visitors would be that barmy) returning the sum total of just one new bird ringed. A handful of routine finches and the like on the move overhead did include a lone Crossbill, whilst odds and ends from around the Bill area included singles of Little Egret, Merlin and Water Rail; additionally, a single Manx Shearwater passed by on the sea there.

27th October

A day of rather low quality, with the continuing brisk northwesterlies doing no favours for the increasingly needy fieldworkers. Overhead passage accounted for all the numbers, with 3900 Wood Pigeons and 1300 Starlings the high totals at the Bill, where 14 Redpolls and 2 Crossbills were as interesting at the variety got. Two Ring Ouzels, 2 Merlins and singles of Cetti's Warbler and Firecrest were scattered about the Bill, with a Water Rail and a Firecrest at Church Ope/East Weare.

26th October

For the most part another vismig day, with the stiff wind a continuing irritation for both the ringers and the seekers of grounded migrants. A Richard's Pipit over the Obs was the highlight of the morning's overhead passage at the Bill, where 4650 Wood Pigeons, 430 Goldfinches, 235 Chaffinches, 105 Redpolls, 26 Siskins, 21 Bramblings, 20 Reed Buntings, 14 Crossbills and a Woodlark were the pick of the high totals and/or quality. Grounded arrivals weren't at all plentiful but a Caspian Gull provided some quality at the Bill, where singles of Cetti's Warbler and Firecrest were also new amongst the thin spread of commoner fare. Apart from reduced but still at times quite impressive gull numbers offshore there was little of note on the sea.

The Richard's Pipit flew quite low right over the Obs garden and the sound recorder picked up the single call it uttered really well; unfortunately, it was just a single call and those couple of seconds of the recording were bookended by all manner of noisy chit-chat from the birders/asylum inmates on the patio - here we've just copied the call three times to make it easier to take on board...

...by the time we grabbed a camera it was already most of the way over to the Pulpit Pub but you sort of get the idea © Martin Cade:

It's always been the case that the vast majority of Caspian Gulls at Portland are found by well-informed observers who takes the trouble to look for them - any number of other birders walk past the gull gatherings and maybe give the birds a cursory scan but they never seem to spot the Caspians! It only took Thomas a few scans through the Culverwell gulls this weekend before he spotted today's second winter bird this afternoon - we're not at all sure there's actually been a bird in this plumage at Portland before © Thomas Miller:

Amongst the day's vismig action another Woodlark was nice © Thomas Miller:

Our voyages around the Crown Estate Field mist-nets have become very stop-start affairs of late, what with having to carefully scrutinize every non-calling Reed Bunting that drops in or flies over for fear of overlooking a Black-faced Bunting! © Martin Cade:

Ferrybridge 26 Oct Knot 3, Bar-wit 3, Grey Plover 2, Curlew 1 Pale-bellied Brent 2 Colour Ringed Brent 4C Wheatear 1 on Chesil pushing west. Sea Campion and sea pinks still in flower. @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

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— Steve M (@steveweynature.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 2:54 PM

Still slow on the ringing front - as much because the strength of wind restricted opportunities. Another Cetti's Warbler at Culverwell (photo Alan Pomroy) was the 5th ringed this autumn which is a new record annual total here (previous highest 4 in 2018 and 2022). Otherwise just 18 new birds today.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 10:32 PM

And so, another Portland autumn comes to an end... www.instagram.com/p/DQSG4DnjDJ...

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— Joe Stockwell (@joestockwell.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 6:44 PM

25th October

Another difficult day with the strength of the wind an issue throughout. Overhead passage had looked likely to be the day's salvation but, sadly, fell short of expectations, with 2000 Wood Pigeons, 1400 Starlings, 355 Goldfinches, 225 Chaffinches, 85 Siskins, 51 Redpolls, 26 Crossbills, 7 Bramblings and some under-par totals of other regulars a relatively poor return at the Bill. On the ground it was considerably quieter than of late, with many sheltered spots of cover almost devoid of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests; a scatter of Black Redstarts and Firecrests were again the best of the less regulars. Sea passage was almost non-existent although good numbers of gulls including 500 Mediterranean Gulls, 200 Kittiwakes, 80 Common Gulls and 30 Black-headed Gulls were feeding offshore.

The last dawn of 'summer' didn't really come up to expectations - pretty for sure but not as filled with overhead passage as had been hoped...

...pigeons trickled out in small flocks...

...but as a spectacle a single flock of c1000 departing Starlings stole the show © Martin Cade:

Ringing returns well down at the Bill with the day's only noteworthy event amongst just 17 new birds being the ringing of the two Chiffchaffs required to first equal and then overtake a record: more Chiffchaffs have now been ringed during this September and October than in any previous whole year!

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 25, 2025 at 11:20 PM

24th October

It remained way too windy to permit enjoyable fieldwork today but a steady passage developed overhead that could at least be tapped into from some sheltered spots. Totals at the Bill included 1330 Wood Pigeons, 245 Starlings and 120 Goldfinches, with 3 Crossbills and a Grey Plover providing a modicum of interest amongst the lower totals. Grounded arrivals looked to be few and far between and included little more of interest than a thin scatter of Black Redstarts, Redwings and Firecrests everywhere and a lone Yellow-legged Gull at the Bill.

23rd October

Unlike yesterday, there were no great expectations for today's birding prospects in a 40mph northwesterly and the day's list struggled to get beyond the entirely routine. Totals from around the Bill included 6 Wheatears, 2 Black Redstarts and 2 Firecrests, with additional overhead counts of 200 Wood Pigeons, 2 Golden Plover, 2 Siskin and a single Brambling.  

Yesterday's Cirl Bunting gives us an opportunity to alert folk to a Dorset-wide colour-ringing project initiated by Luke Phillips. We already know from ordinary metal-ringing that their recolonisation of the Dorset coast has resulted in some interesting movements - a nestling from the east Cornwall/west Devon population has turned up at West Bexington and there's been another movement between Littlesea, Weymouth, and Durlston; frustratingly, further metal-ringed birds have been seen at other sites but it's not proved possible to read their ring numbers in the field. Luke's project aims to shed further light on what's afoot with the Cirls, with the use of colour-rings enabling individual birds to be more easily identified in the field. Our bird is the sixth to be colour-ringed in the county so far this summer and autumn so keep an eye out - yesterday afternoon Jodie stumbled across our bird that had already moved hundreds of metres away from the Crown Estate Field where it had been trapped and her photo shows how relatively easily the rings can be seen/read in the field. Please report any sightings to Luke lukephillips0988@hotmail.com or via CR Birding © Joe Stockwell, Martin Cade and Jodie Henderson:

22nd October

There was a slight feeling of injustice about proceedings today: it was the loveliest of days both for migration and for birding, with plenty to sift through both on the ground and overhead but, whilst things like a Siberian Chiffchaff at Reap Lane and the year's first Cirl Bunting trapped in the Crown Estate Field were nice oddities, it really felt like the sort of day when something far better should have been uncovered. On the ground, for the most part variety was greater than pure quantity although the better quality cover was still stuffed with Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests, and there were still plenty of big gatherings of off-passage Meadow Pipits and Linnets; elsewhere, seasonable fare of the likes of Stonechats and Reed Buntings were liberally spread and likely amounted to some really decent totals, whilst a spread of Firecrests and a Short-eared Owl provided some quality and singles of Yellow Wagtail, Redstart and Whitethroat were among the late-ish migrants logged. The conditions were so benign that a lot of visible passage was progressing at a height that made it tricky to tap into but 345 Linnets, 320 Wood Pigeons, 290 alba wagtails, 225 Chaffinches, 195 Starlings, 175 Goldfinches, 100 Swallows, 70 Skylarks, 60 Redpolls, 60 Siskins, 19 Cormorants and 10 Bramblings were among the movers logged from the Obs, with several Crossbills among the loggings from viewpoints further up-island. At least 1000 Mediterranean Gulls were an impressive spectacle off the Bill but there was little actual passage underway offshore.

In contrast to last year, Siberian Chiffchaffs have been few and far between so far this autumn so a nice view of this one at Reap Lane was welcome © Nick Hopper:

We sometimes wonder if we get the mix of science and social care quite right on the Obs patio: by virtue of it being an outstanding birding spot it does attract a succession of visitors that encompass the whole spectrum between downright dysfunctional and utterly inspired - which lends itself to creating an environment where bird recording isn't necessarily everyone's priority; whilst they were discussing how they might make their day worthwhile by listing the Fig Tree Quarry Ring Ouzel or the Obs Quarry Wryneck, we wonder how many of those present this morning actually heard any of these migrants that Joe was recording over their heads: 

Cirl Bunting trapped in the Crown Estate Field

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 22, 2025 at 11:43 AM

Perfect mist-netting weather and some nice late season variety trapped at the Bill today. The Cirl Bunting the best but 13 Redpolls, 8 Stonechats and 6 Reed Buntings were all good totals along with 22 Goldfinches and 13 Chiffchaffs. Late pulse of 18 Swallows and a House Martin a surprise.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 22, 2025 at 4:54 PM

21st October

 After several days of inclement weather, visible migration was back on track today, with a steady stream of migrants overhead at the Bill including 1200 Starlings, 435 Goldfinches, 380 Linnets, 150 Meadow Pipits, 70 alba wagtails, 63 Siskin, 50 Redwing, 40 Chaffinches, 9 Crossbills, 9 Redpolls, 7 Greenfinches, 3 Brambling and singles of Golden Plover and Fieldfare. With the nagging wind lingering on, quantifying the grounded migrants at the Bill was less straight forward, but amongst a noticeable decrease in Chiffchaffs and increase in Goldcrests, new arrivals of note included 5 Firecrests, 4 Wheatears and singles of Merlin, Ring Ouzel, Whinchat, Black Redstart and Cetti's Warbler - along with the long-staying Wryneck - with a Siberian Chiffchaff at Thumb Lane and several more Firecrests and another Ring Ouzel there and at other spots further up-island. Sea interest waned, with a lone Great Skua as good as it got off the Bill.

Moving Starlings were the feature of the morning's visible passage over the Bill, with a constant procession of flocks heading southwest © Martin Cade...

...not before time, we also tapped into a modest number of Crossbills, although why it's taken this long to see more than just the very occasional single when they've been moving along the mainland coast in quantity for literally months remains a mystery © Joe Stockwell:

With better coverage of the extremities of the island today's total of two Ring Ouzel would likely have been increased © Joe Stockwell:

Where have all the maurus Siberian Stonechats gone? Today's late-ish Whinchat was nice but it did bring to mind that it's umpteen years since there's been a maurus on Portland - in fact, it's so long ago that off the top of our head we can't even remember when the last one was; surely, another must be massively overdue © Joe Stockwell:

Ringing attempts resumed today at the Bill after a couple of days of weather interruption. 88 ringed a decent catch but changes afoot with Chiffchaffs down to just 3 new; Goldcrests still arriving with 11 new but a good hit on Linnets saw them tops with 31. Fourth Cetti's W of the autumn a highlight

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 21, 2025 at 6:38 PM

20th October

Not quite as wet as yesterday but increasingly windy to the extent that today it was really hard work looking for passerines in anywhere but the most sheltered spots up-island: these did look to be harbouring plenty of birds, with at least 4 Firecrests scattered amongst a lot of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests; the Red-breasted Flycatcher also lingered on at Avalanche Road - as did the Wryneck at the Bill - to provide a bit of scarcity interest, whilst singles of Short-eared Owl, Black Redstart and Cetti's Warbler were at the Bill. The sea was again awash with auks and Kittiwakes, amongst which a passing Little Auk off the Bill was of high interest; more mundane fare there included 5 Manx Shearwaters and singles of Balearic Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Great Skua and Arctic Skua.

Kittiwake, Sooty Shearwater and Great Skua from the day's seawatching at the Bill © Joe Stockwell:

On the land, the Red-breasted Flycatcher continued to entertain © Pete Saunders...

...and the most Firecrests since their early flurry back in late September were uncovered amongst some really good concentrations of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests © Joe Stockwell:

Avalanche Road hump this morning and the Red-breasted Flycatcher gave birders there, really good views. portandwey.blogspot.com/2025/10/20-o...

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— Port and Wey (@portandwey.bsky.social) October 20, 2025 at 2:26 PM

Poor reward at the Obs on the migrant moth front last night: low numbers and duff variety, with 2 White-specks and singles of Old World Webworm and Hummingbird Hawk the best.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 20, 2025 at 4:29 PM

19th October

Little meaningful coverage today in constantly wet and increasing windy conditions. There were plenty of migrants about in wherever shelter could be found but quality was limited to the Red-breasted Flycatcher still at Avalanche Road; the news services reported a sighting of the Radde's Warbler at the Bill but searches for it both before and after this sighting drew a blank.

We dropped in on the Red-breasted Flycatcher during a short window of slightly less wet weather during the afternoon - it was showing quite nicely from time to time although the unyielding gloom ensured that the camera was struggling to focus on anything! © Martin Cade

Ferrybridge is always worth a look in today's sort of weather that doesn't bother the waders © Pete Saunders:

Yesterday's Death's-head Hawkmoth disappearing off into the night after release

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 19, 2025 at 12:48 AM

18th October

As is so often the case, a change in the weather seemed to be just what was needed to liven up proceedings once again, although it was very much a case of quality over quantity in the assemblage of birds present. With a brisk southeasterly to contend with, getting amongst any new migrants was fairly hard work but the rewards were there to be had with a brief Radde's Warbler at the Bill and showier Red-breasted Flycatcher at the Avalanche Hump the highlights from what was otherwise a fairly routine selection of oddities that also included 2 Firecrests, a Merlin, a Ring Ouzel and the lingering Wryneck. An influx of Goldcrests saw them move to the top of the grounded migrant leader board, with a constant throughput at the Bill totalling a good 75; however, little else responded to the conditions in the same way, with Chiffchaff numbers notably reduced. At Ferrybridge, the winter brent flock continued to increase, with 3 Pale-bellied Brents amongst the c500 Dark-bellied Brents. Reduced totals were also the way of things overhead, with 370 Linnets, 155 Meadow Pipits, 110 Goldfinches and 100 Jackdaws the best of it over the Bill and 40 Redwings and 8 Crossbills of note over Ferrybridge. The sea was extremely busy for periods, with a large feeding flock of Gannets off the Bill, where 750 Mediterranean Gulls, 300 Kittiwakes, 165 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Arctic Skuas, 2 Pintail and singles of Sooty Shearwater, Teal, Tufted Duck and Caspian Gull were among the varied list of lingerers or movers.

The Avalanche Red-breasted Flycatcher © Joe Stockwell:

The mix of Brents at Ferrybridge that'll likely become customary for a few weeks now © Pete Saunders:

Far too windy for a full complement of mist-nets at the Bill today but tapped into a nice arrival of Goldcrests that made up 27 of the 61 birds ringed. Totting up of the totals also revealed that yesterday we broke the all-time Stonechat record - now 81 ringed this year (previous record 78 in 2024)

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 18, 2025 at 6:17 PM

Death's-head Hawk from the Obs moth-traps this morning

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 18, 2025 at 10:05 AM

17th October

Unlike on several recent days, the overcast skies of dawn didn't clear as today went on and this appeared to result in an almost continuous arrival of Chiffchaffs in particular in off the sea: well over 250 passed through at the Bill, with significant aggregations reported from several spots further up island. To a lesser extent, Goldcrests were involved in this arrival with 40 through at the Bill, but thrushes were notably few in conditions that often also favour them. Less frequent migrants didn't feature prominently, with 2 Ring Ouzels and singles of Marsh Harrier, Woodcock, Black Redstart and Firecrest as good as it got at the Bill, where the lingering Wryneck did continue to pop up from time to time; elsewhere, at least another 4 Black Redstarts were dotted about and 2 Grey Plovers were new at Ferrybridge. Overhead passage perked up a little, with 670 Linnets, 380 Meadow Pipits, 96 Siskins, 90 Chaffinches, 82 Starlings and 40 Jackdaws amongst other through over the Bill. Auks tailed off at the Bill, but 500 Mediterranean Gulls were still offshore and 2 Arctic Skuas and a Great Northern Diver passed by.

We're not sure whether it was us or the Marsh Harrier that got more of a surprise when it suddenly sprung up from cover only a couple of metres from a mist-net in the Crown Estate Field © Martin Cade:

Chiffchaffs firmly to the fore on the ringing front, totalling 72 of today's 116 birds ringed at the Bill: amazingly, more have now been ringed this September and October than in all but one whole year in PBO's history...and we're usually thought of as a spring migrant hotspot!

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 5:40 PM

Nothing else really got a look in ringing-wise, but a Wheatear was the first for the month and a Firecrest only the fourth - our numbers of the latter have been far lower than at some other SW migrant spots

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 5:49 PM

16th October

In the absence of any of the avian surprises of the last few days, today's birding was all fairly low-key, with the assemblage of birds more or less what you would expect for the time of year. Seasonal fare from around the Bill included an impressive count of 8 Dartford Warblers, as well as 6 Black Redstarts, 2 Merlin and singles of Marsh Harrier and Woodlark, whilst late records of Whimbrel (the long term lingerer), Yellow Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Whitethroat and Whinchat were also logged; elsewhere, there were several addition Black Redstarts as well as a single Firecrest. Suitably brief appearances of both the Wryneck and Cetti's Warbler at the Bill confirmed their presence for their sixth and eighth days respectively, but the Red-backed Shrike seemed to moved on to pastures new. Among the day's common migrants totals the 100 Chiffchaffs at the Bill looked be just a small proportion of the whole island tally that was surely up around the 500 mark, whilst overhead 60 Chaffinches and 55 Siskins were fair totals on a day when there wasn't really that much moving. The sea chipped in with its now customary several thousand auks and 500 Mediterranean Gulls, together with a lone Balearic Shearwater and an increase to 45 Common Gulls.

Usually a tolerably regular October vismig special, Woodlarks have been inexplicable absentees with today's single heading north over the Bill the first logged all month © Jodie Henderson:

Some more standard October fare - Merlin and Black Redstart © Joe Stockwell:

Less expected in October has been this off-passage Whimbrel that's been hanging around in Top Fields all month © Martin Cade:

After yesterday's Stone Curlew action we'd imagined that as night fell the flock - if they were still about - might start to get vocal so at dusk we spent a while on a high point in Kingbarrow Quarry with the sound recorder ready but drew a blank. What we hadn't realised until today when we got a chance to run through the previous night's nocmig recording from the Obs was that one or more of the birds had actually been overhead there in the early hours of Wednesday morning: the first calls were logged at 02:03am, another louder sequence cropped up at 03:09am and between 05:15am and 05:51am distant calls could be heard quite frequently. Here are four little sequences of calls picked from those periods:

 

Progressively quieter on the ringing front as the anticyclonic conditions continue. Down to 60 new birds at the Bill today among which Chiffchaffs made up half the total; no surprises amongst the selection of other expected October migrants.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 16, 2025 at 6:03 PM

Female Blackcap and Chiffchaff in the apple tree this evening. Migrant birds in the garden today: 7 Chiffchaffs, 6 Blackcaps and 3 Goldcrests, also several Robins

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— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) October 16, 2025 at 9:27 PM

15th October

With dreary, anticyclonic conditions firmly established, diminishing returns are inevitably setting in. However, it's the middle of October so just about anything's possible and today's utterly out-of-the-blue arrivals were a party of 6 Stone Curlews that looked as though they'd just flown onto the island when they were first spotted over the north end; after settling for a while the flock broke up and although there were later sightings here and there - some even wandering as far south as the Bill - they proved tricky to pin down and didn't aggregate together again. Apart from this exceptional event, today was for the most part a lower-key repeat of the week so far, with the Red-backed Shrike and Wryneck remaining at the Bill and 8 Black Redstarts, 2 Dartford Warblers, a Cattle Egret, a Short-eared Owl and a Ring Ouzel amongst others providing further scarcity interest there. On the ground, Chiffchaffs returned to prominence including upwards of 100 at the Bill, with late-ish singles of Redstart, Garden Warbler and Whitethroat of note amongst the back-up migrants; overhead, the usual suspects were all represented in decent supply, with 2 Merlins over the Bill and a lone Crossbill over the north of the island the best of the oddities. The sea was again carpeted in auks including an absolute minimum of 5000 off the Bill, where 21 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 6 Arctic Skuas, 3 Sooty Shearwaters, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Wigeon and a Manx Shearwater also passed through. 

We've had some pretty good birds this year but to some extent most have been things that weren't all that shocking - if you walk around the Crown Estate Field often enough you're eventually going to stumble across a Booted Warbler (...it'll be a Lanceolated Warbler next) and if you spend long enough staring at the sea you're eventually going to jam a Fea's Petrel - but for sheer unexpectedness we're not at all sure that anyone would have chalked a flock of 6 Stone Curlews on their card for today, so we can well imagine Dave Foot's shock when he spotted these birds overhead. They were a fine sight in the air...

...but they weren't so easy to spot on the flew times that they were found on the ground © Jodie Henderson:

Short-eared Owls haven't been much of a feature so far this autumn so several sightings of what may or may not have been the same individual provided some entertainment at the Bill this morning © Jodie Henderson:

 

In the same way that some birds are inevitably going to turn up if you keep looking, so there are a few moths that we've always thought would eventually turn up at Portland - the question was always whether we'd live long enough to bear witness. Although its home range is a rather restricted area of heathland between east Dorset and Sussex, the Southern Chestnut has had just about enough of a propensity to stray away from the furze to pique our interest since it was first discovered in Britain in the early 1990s; however, it's quite a subtle moth so Jodie did well to spot last night's sub-optimal specimen in the trap she looks after in the Obs garden. By the look of the distribution map, this must be vying with Paul Harris' record from his garden at Upwey as the furthest west the moth has been recorded in Britain © Martin Cade:

Ringing numbers dropping slightly each day in the prevailing samey conditions: 77 new birds at the Bill today with 31 Chiffchaffs putting them firmly back at the top of the numbers; otherwise, only Blackcap made double figures but late-ish singles of Redstart, Whitethroat and Garden Warbler of note.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 10:07 PM