Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre

15th-19th December

The downward spiral into very samey mid-winter birding continued this week, with one day entirely rained off and little to show beyond the regulars when conditions did allow for some fieldwork. A Black Redstart at Church Ope Cove on 19th was added to their seemingly meagre tally so far this winter, a Slavonian Grebe (also on 19th) was new in Portland Harbour, Purple Sandpipers increased to 12 at the Bill tip and a Redwing was a likely tardy migrant at the Obs on 16th. Regulars still about included the Black-throated Diver in Portland Harbour.

These days, the Purple Sandpiper flock at the Bill is only half the size it once was but this week's increase to a dozen at least brings their numbers up to what's become par in recent times © Debby Saunders (top) and Pete Saunders (bottom):

A sad sight off the Bill this week have been a few badly oiled seabirds like this Kittiwake © Pete Saunders:

felt a bit better today and my first male black redstart of the winter was a nice lift.

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) December 19, 2025 at 5:50 PM

plenty of other birds enjoying the flies off the washed in vegetation in church ope cove, 1cy grey wagtail the pick of them but stonechat, rock pipit, pied wagtail and wren were knocking about and could hear a chiffchaff in the background. surprisingly no butterflies at all.

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) December 19, 2025 at 7:42 PM

Still the odd migrant moth showing up at the Obs - last night's tally from the moth-traps singles of Rusty-dot Pearl and Pearly Underwing

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) December 15, 2025 at 11:26 AM

17th November

The majority of Obs members should now have received their copy of our latest report - the last batch was posted this morning so if you haven't received a copy by the end of the week do please let us know.

Unfortunately, we have incomplete or in some cases even no address details for a few members who we know from our bank statements are paid-up - if you spot your name on the list below do please pop us through a message so we can update our records and send you a report. Many thanks.

Des & Pat Barwell

Janice Beck

Francis Buckley

Gill Bumphrey

I Carpenter

F Cotte

J Davis

Derrick Dawson

Ian Dickie

P Gray

Julian Green

Philip Macleod Hill

Teresa James

Jeremy King

Steven Mortimer

MG Olney

G Packer

Robert Payne

Lucy Starling

Justin Tunstall

R Venables

BJ Whitfield

A & E Whittlesea Reed

R Wilson

SD Wood

11th-14th December

A few days of relatively settled conditions that allowed for better coverage. The tail end of late autumn passage was evidenced by 20 Redwing and 2 Song Thrush calls logged by the nocmig recorder at the Obs overnight on 12th/13th and some apparent new Chiffchaffs at the Bill, including 5 in the Crown Estate Field on 13th; the total of at least 11 Goldcrests scattered about between the Obs and the Grove were presumed winterers as were the singles of Water Rail and Reed Bunting at the Bill and 2 Black Redstarts at Chesil Cove. The Goosander continued from time to time at Portland Castle, with 5 Black-necked Grebes and a Black-throated Diver amongst the harbour regulars. Daily Red-throated Divers off the Bill peaked at 8 on 13th with 4 Pintail also through on that date, when 11 Common Scoter represented their peak of the month to date.

The Portland Castle Goosander was still putting on a good show on 11th © Pete Saunders:

Red-throated Diver © Debby Saunders and Common Scoters © Pete Saunders passing the Bill on 14th:

managed to dodge the black redstarts again despite hearing one, great to watch the portland castle goosander hunting and a GND there with two more off hamm beach. not sure if this one has an eel or pipefish. oddest spectacle was an early fulmar return circling over chesil cove and fortuneswell

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) December 11, 2025 at 6:14 PM

Calm night saw a mini flurry of migrant moths at the Obs: 4 Rusty-dot Pearl, a Turnip and a Silver Y + a late Radford's Flame Shoulder. This mrng a Red Admiral on the wing at the Obs (yesterday, there was another Painted Lady there).

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) December 13, 2025 at 10:43 AM

8th-10th December

Two more days of wind and rain finally gave way to welcome sunshine. A showy Goosander at Portland Castle joined the customary selection of divers and grebes in Portland Harbour; Purple Sandpipers increased to 11 at the Bill, where 3 Chiffchaffs lingered on and ones and twos of Red-throated Divers passed by on the sea; elsewhere, 7 Redwings were at Easton and 2 Black Redstarts remained at Chesil Cove.

Goosander, Black-throated Diver © Debby Saunders and Great Northern Diver © Pete Saunders at Portland Harbour:

News from Facebook of one of two Painted Lady butterflies on the wing today - the other was at the Bill:

5th-7th December

Persistent unsettled weather, including wind speeds up to 50mph and periods of lashing rain, has severely curtailed opportunities for birding of late, with very little of note from around the Bill and just the few regular winterers still in residence around Ferrybridge and the Harbour.

2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese remain among the 350 or so Dark-bellied currently at Ferrybridge...

Whilst singles of Slavonian Grebe and Goosander were also nearby © Pete Saunders:

4th December

Portland Bill: Chiffchaff 2, Sparrowhawk 1, Firecrest 1.

Ferrybridge: Shelduck 5.

An impressive catch from one of the 2 Kingfishers present around Portland harbour © Pete Saunders:

3rd December

Mild and settled conditions saw little change on the birding front, with totals of 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrests and singles of Sparrowhawk, Song Thrush and Reed Bunting logged around the Bill, with 4 Purple Sandpipers still in attendance below the Obelisk. More attention looking out to sea was rewarded with 5 Red-throated Divers, 2 Common Scoter and a Black-throated Diver amongst the regular feeding flock of gulls that included over 500 Kittiwakes. Elsewhere in the harbour most of the current winterers were accounted for, with 6 Black-necked Grebes, 2 Black-throated Divers and singles of Slavonian Grebe, Great Northern Diver and Goosander.

At least the local Herring Gull is continuing to make the most of this year's harvest of apples now most of the lingering migrants have departed © Martin King:

1st-2nd December

After yesterday's wash-out, today's birding didn't exactly improve despite the more favourable conditions, with just 2 Goldcrests and a Sparrowhawk around the obs garden, plus 54 Greenfinches, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Stonechats along Ferrybridge.

The Ferrybridge Greenfinch flock continues to grow © Pete Saunders

30th November

Whilst sunny conditions and an appreciable drop in the wind made for an unseasonably pleasant end to the month, the birding remained far more typical for the time of year, with just 4 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff and singles of Black Redstart, Water Rail and Reed Bunting logged around the Bill plus a Red-throated Diver out to sea. Elsewhere at Ferrybridge, a total of 112 Dunlin and 12 Ringed Plover were present, with 2 Goosander seen heading south.

Reed Buntings become a pretty scarce sight at the Bill as the winter progresses, with just 4 of the last 10 years seeing birds linger on into December © Jodie Henderson:

29th November

Another day of fairly meagre returns as November draws to a close, with just 5 Purple Sandpipers, 3 Common Scoters, a Great Skua and a Chiffchaff logged around the Bill.

28th November

A day of samey conditions and even fewer rewards, with just 4 Purple Sandpipers and 3 Cormorants heading out to sea to report from the Bill.

Milder temperatures overnight saw a small arrival of migrants present in the obs moth traps, with 4 Rusty-dot Pearls, 2 Pearly Underwings and a Turnip; conditions that also encouraged this Western Conifer Seed bug out of it's winter hibernation © Jodie Henderson:

27th November

A grey day that turned increasingly drizzly and blustery as time went on was inevitably rather scant on the birding front, with just 5 Common Scoter, 4 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Firecrests and a Merlin logged from around the Bill, with an additional 4 Black-necked Grebes and Great Northern Diver present in the harbour.

Some of today's Purple Sandpipers and Common Scoters from the Bill © Pete Saunders

Portland Castle: the closest Goosander I've ever seen, down to 1 foot off the shoreline! Flyby Kingfisher and Little Egret. Manic feeding flock of ~30 Cormorant (and a few Shag) also coming very close. 15+ Mergs more distant. Castle Cove: 4 B-n Grebe + 1 GNDiver. @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

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— Paul Harris (@paulupwey.bsky.social) November 27, 2025 at 1:26 PM

26th November

Another cool and bright start saw a varied if not particularly numerous selection of new arrivals uncovered around the Bill before the wind veered further round into the south-west and the afternoon cloud cover rolled in. Overhead, a total of 4 Siskin, 3 Redwing and a Reed Bunting were logged plus a roaming group of 3 Lapwing. Whilst the grounded migrants likely included a number of lingering birds, with totals of 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Song Thrush and singles of Black Redstart, Firecrest and Water Rail, 3 new Blackcaps at Southwell suggested some possibility for new arrivals. On the sea, a Goldeneye marked the day's chief reward alongside a total of 2 Red-throated Divers and a Wigeon, whilst a large pod of Common Dolphin represented the first sighting since October. Elsewhere, 5 Black-necked Grebes, 3 Great Northern Divers and a Slavonian Grebe were present in the Harbour with just a single Goosander at Ferrybridge. Lastly, some belated news of a House Martin over Weston on the 23rd November.

25th November

A return to last week's bright and wintery conditions saw another pleasant but quiet day at the Bill, with a total of 6 Purple Sandpipers, 3 Chiffchaffs and singles of Song Thrush, Brambling, Black Redstart and Blackcap tempted out by the day's sunshine. Elsewhere, the 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and Knot were still present at Ferrybridge, whilst a single Slavonian Grebe was the sole report from the harbour.

Whilst just a few of our resident birds remain, 2025 marked another excellent year for Stonechat ringing records with a total of 107 new birds ringed, surpassing the previous record of 87 set only last year and representing the first 3-figure annual total in PBO history © Jodie Henderson:

24th November

Asides from the wind veering slightly more to the north and some light showers during the early part of the morning, there was very little detectable change at the Bill, with a Merlin the only sighting of note among a fairly meagre spread of the current winterers/long-stayers. The same could be said of Ferrybridge, where variety remained limited to just 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Grey Plovers and a single Knot. The situation was slightly improved in the harbour, with the first Black-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe of the winter plus 2 Great Northern Divers as viewed from Sandsfoot Castle.

Today's Merlin was particularly obliging as it dropped into the obs garden before settling itself along the patio wall © Jodie Henderson

a few local ones today, 3x little egret osprey quay. this dbbrent juv has been on its own a few days off the causeway but seems ok, 2x grey plover ferrybridge and a shag

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) November 24, 2025 at 8:22 PM

23rd November

Today's rather unrelenting westerly wind saw attentions finally get back to the sea, where asides from the near constant stream of auks passing by at a rate of over 4,500 an hour, it was all fairly quiet, with just singles of Great Northern Diver and Bonxie of particular note. On the land, a total of 4 Purple Sandpipers, a Turnstone and 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese were logged around the Bill, whilst a new Black Redstart was uncovered at Freshwater Bay. Ferrybridge totals included 37 Greenfinch, 5 Shelduck, 2 Goosander and a Knot. Noticeably milder conditions saw a Hummingbird Hawkmoth on the wing around the obs, whilst the overnight moth traps revealed a small arrival of migrants including 2 White Speck, a Pearly Underwing and a Rusty-dot Pearl.

Today's 2 Pale-bellied Brents were an unusual sight among the roosting gulls below Culverwell, although it remains unclear whether they are the same individuals recently seen at Ferrybridge © Jodie Henderson

22nd November

Cold, wet and windy; all conditions better suited to a day catching up on various computer-based tasks as opposed to searching for hidden migrants among the sodden bushes. The day's only records came from up island, with 9 Goosander, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and singles of Knot and Sanderling present at Ferrybridge, plus 2 Great Northern Divers in the harbour.

The Goosanders were regularly seen driving fish into the shallows at Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders

21st November

Despite the decidedly chilly start and the first tangible signs of frost on the ground, it was in fact another glorious day, with the whole island bathed in late autumn sunshine. There was some evidence of cold weather movement at the Bill, with singles of Golden Plover, Snipe and Jack Snipe logged, whilst an increase to 2 Blackcaps and a Fieldfare were present in the obs garden. Elsewhere 2 Goosander and an Avocet were present at Ferrybridge, with a subsequent check of the harbour revealing 2 of the latter together.

This year's bountiful crop of apples has surely provided a great resource for tired migrants this autumn, with the recently arrived Blackcaps continuing to make good use of the ample supply © Martin King

Avocets are a pretty scarce visitor at Portland, with most recent winters involving just one or two single-day records © Pete Saunders

Some suspicious digging around the obs garden necessitated an impromptu deployment of the trail camera, which happily revealed plenty of nocturnal activity, with the badgers still very much in residence after their successful breeding attempt in the spring © Jodie Henderson

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) November 21, 2025 at 3:05 PM

20th November

Chilly conditions in the lingering northwesterly and very little change on the birding front, with just 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Oystercatchers, 2 Purple Sandpipers and a Little Egret from around the Bill whilst increased coverage of the Harbour uncovered up to 18 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Great Northern Divers and a single Black-necked Grebe.

One of today's Purple Sandpipers from around the Bill © Pete Saunders

I had a good look at Portland Harbour this morning from 3 different locations. Very quiet indeed out there. Apart from a host of Med Gulls, all I saw were 1 Black-necked Grebe, 2 GN Diver and 2 Common Scoter. At least one Red Admiral on the wing at Castle Cove. @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

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— Paul Harris (@paulupwey.bsky.social) November 20, 2025 at 1:33 PM

good to see the mergs back at portland castle (6x) and off billy winters (c.16x), best sighting was a small tort blown between quiddles n cove house inn, pattern showing through outer wing in light. no sign of any black redstarts surprisingly

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) November 20, 2025 at 6:30 PM

Fabulous blue sky 🌞 day #Weymouth #DorsetBirds 🇬🇧 🪶 Portland Harbour quiet with 10 Red Brested Merganser & Grey Heron! Ferrybridge @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social 120 Dunlin, 40 Ringed Plover, 8 Turnstone, 3 Little Egret, an overflying Lapwing ❤️ numerous Mediterranean Gull, Mipit, Greenfinch, 5 Skylark.

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— Geoff & Steph (@geoffsteph.bsky.social) November 20, 2025 at 5:17 PM

19th November

Whilst there is still plenty of time for some avian surprises before the year is out, today's brisk northwesterly had a distinctive wintery feel to it, with an unringed Blackcap, a Snipe and a late Swallow the only evidence of new arrivals from around the Bill. Elsewhere, a new Black Redstart was logged at Ferrybridge alongside a total of 3 Knot, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and a Bar-tailed Godwit whilst 2 Eider were present in the Harbour.

18th November

A switch round to northwesterlies plus a rather thick band of cloud saw any momentum gathered during yesterday's vismig fizzle away and, save for another pulse of over 8,000 Woodpigeons and a likely Marsh Harrier, there was very little in the way of new arrivals. With the wind strength increasing as the day went on, the search for grounded migrants was always going to be a bit of a challenge, with just 3 Song Thrush, 2 Black Redstarts and singles of Redwing, Chiffchaff and Firecrest logged around the Bill. Elsewhere, checks of the middle of the island produced another 4 Firecrests plus flyover Grey Wagtail and Brambling.

17th November

Despite the expected drop in temperature, it was nevertheless a beautiful and crisp day on the island, with plenty of birds to provide suitable consolation for any discomfort caused by numb hands and toes for the first few hours of the morning. Whilst a flyover Twite provided some nice scarcity interest, the real spectacle was another mass movement of Woodpigeons with over 20,000 logged, plus lesser totals of 390 Chaffinches, 340 Stock Doves, 58 Redwing, 9 Brambling, 8 Fieldfare, 3 Golden Plover, 2 Lapwing and a single Crossbill. The calm conditions seemed to encourage most of the current winterers out of hiding, with up to 6 Black Redstarts, 5 Purple Sandpipers and singles of Firecrest, Cetti's Warbler, Woodcock and Water Rail all seen around the Bill. Elsewhere, a Merlin was present at Ferrybridge plus belated news of a Ring Ouzel from Blacknor yesterday.

Some late autumn sunshine was enough to encourage a few migrant Lepidoptera on the wing with Hummingbird Hawkmoth © Debby Saunders and Painted Lady © Mary Snell both seen today:

A Slender Burnished Brass from last night's moth traps was the highlight of an otherwise expected selection of common migrants during the recent spell of mild weather © Jodie Henderson:

16th November

The first sign of a drop in temperature could be felt this evening after what was likely the last mild and overcast day looking at the upcoming forecast. Once again, the majority of the day's migration activity was focused overhead, with a large-scale movement of Woodpigeons heading north-east along the coast that included over 10,500 from the Bill alone, with a further 150 Goldfinches, 8 Redwing, 2 Lapwing and 2 Brambling also logged there. What grounded migrants were present seemed to involve mostly lingering birds, with 5 Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaff and a Black Redstart as well as 4 Purple Sandpipers and a Turnstone at the Bill. Elsewhere, a varied selection from Ferrybridge included 610 Brent Geese plus 2 Pale-bellied, 80 Dunlin, 66 Ringed Plover, 65 Cormorants, 19 Turnstone, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, and singles of Sanderling and Grey Plover.

With early reports of several thousand Woodpigeons over Wyke Regis, it seemed for a time as though most of the day's movement had managed to bypass the island entirely, before several huge flocks passed by in quick succession including this one numbering over 3000 © Jodie Henderson

15th November

It feels as though we have experienced every possible combination of weather this last week, and today was no exception with rolling bands of fog throughout the morning that eventually cleared to a mild and settled afternoon. With the majority of birds lost to view in the murk, totals overhead included 340 Goldfinches, 30 Chaffinches, 13 Redwing, 7 Siskin, 4 Brambling and singles of Reed Bunting, Fieldfare and Merlin. On the ground, things seemed fairly unchanged, with a minimum of 10 Goldcrests and 3 Chiffchaffs at the obs, plus 2 additional Brambling, 2 Black Redstarts and a Snipe also logged around the Bill. At sea, the recent aggregation of small gulls reached it's crescendo, with over 1,500 Mediterranean Gulls and 300 Kittiwakes stretched as far as the eye could see from the obs viewpoint, whilst over 20,000 auks were seen passing through. Ferrybridge totals included 15 Golden Plover, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Black Redstart and a Bar-tailed Godwit.

14th November

Despite overnight rain clearly dropping new migrants at the Bill, persistent showers for the rest of the day made it hard to quantify both the numbers and variety involved. At the obs, a minimum of 19 Redwing, 15 Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaff and a Firecrest were logged; elsewhere a Woodcock was uncovered at Wakeham and a total of 55 Dunlin, 31 Greenfinches and 3 Grey Plovers were present at Ferrybridge.

IN FOCUS SOUTH WEST Optics day this Sunday 16th November @PortlandBirdObs @CHOG_birds @DorsetBirdClub 01225 891352 for further info @vikingoptical @opticronuk @SwarovskiOptik Vortex @ZEISSBirding and more @DorsetWildlife pic.twitter.com/MExcjhL8YQ
— IN FOCUS SOUTH WEST (@MortimerKe93304) November 13, 2025

13th November

Another unseasonably mild day saw plenty of birds on the move overhead, with a brief Serin the highlight of a varied selection that included 600 Chaffinches, 310 Goldfinches, 75 Meadow Pipits, 10 Redpolls, 8 Crossbills, 3 Swallows and 2 Brambling. On the ground, migrants were much harder to come by, with 5 Goldcrests, 3 Chiffchaffs and the Firecrest around the obs, the lingering Hen Harrier in the Top Fields and a smattering of Black Redstarts that included 3 at the Bill plus further individuals at Blacknor and Barleycrates. Elsewhere, a check of the harbour revealed the first of the likely over-winterers, with 2 Black-necked Grebes and a Great Northern Diver, as well as a Red-breasted Merganser at Ferrybridge.

2025 will likely mark the worst ringing year on record for Greenfinches at the obs, with just 1 new bird ringed all year so it is heartening to hear the wintering flock at Ferrybridge are now back in residence © Pete Saunders

one of the better looking moffs i've seen, this crimson speckled eventually settled not far from the bench near the sailing club, was quite surprised how butterfly like it's flight was and didn't realise what it was until it settled.

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) November 13, 2025 at 3:38 PM

12th November

A drizzly start to the morning soon gave way to a mild and pleasant day which saw a more varied if not particularly numerous selection of migrants uncovered around the Bill area. A minimum of 5 Goldcrests, 3 Chiffchaffs and a Reed Bunting in and around the obs garden suggested some overnight arrival, whilst singles of Redwing and Siskin were also logged overhead. Elsewhere, the wintering flock of Purple Sandpipers increased to 4, a late Wheatear was present along the East Cliffs and the lingering Hen Harrier performed well among the Top Fields. At sea, a Little Gull and Manx Shearwater joined the regular melee of Kittiwakes and auks present off the Bill.

Whilst on the late side, there is still a way to go to equal last year's latest Wheatear date of 6th December © Jodie Henderson

11th November

Despite being a much drier and milder day, blustery conditions from the south continued to make hard work of the birding, with the lingering Hen Harrier the only sighting of note from the Bill.

Whilst both a widespread and fairly common species across the rest of Dorset, December moth is an infrequent species in the obs traps, with this individual caught last night only the 8th record since 1980 © Jodie Henderson

10th November

Increasingly heavy showers throughout the morning left little opportunity for any comprehensive check of the Bill area today, with the lingering Hen Harrier the only sighting of note among the smallest trickle of overhead passage in the brief moments of dry weather. Elsewhere, 4 Little Egrets passed over Verne Common and 20 Greenfinches were at Ferrybridge.

9th November

Today's birding was certainly a case of quality of quantity, with just a few good birds to save what was otherwise a fairly bleak day for both overhead and grounded migrants. Nowhere was this better exemplified than in the day's ringing activities, where a Pallas's Warbler trapped in the Crown Estate Field was one of only 9 new birds ringed all morning, with the Obs garden nets failing to catch a single new migrant! Away from the nets, variety was little improved, with singles of Firecrest, Fieldfare and Common Snipe logged alongside the reappearance of yesterday's Hen Harrier. Overcast conditions saw reduced numbers overhead, with 970 Woodpigeons, 495 Stock Doves, 365 Starlings, 185 Chaffinches, 3 Redpoll and a Lapwing over the Bill. Elsewhere, the lingering Yellow-browed Warbler remained at the Railway Cuttings, with an additional 2 individuals reported from a private garden in Wakeham.

Pallas's Warbler just trapped in the Crown Estate Field

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 9, 2025 at 9:13 AM

8th November

Today's lovely sunshine and mildness were the prompt for plenty of fieldwork from which the rewards were certainly varied. After a clear, moonlit night grounded arrivals weren't hugely plentiful but amongst the light spread of routines at the Bill 4 Black Redstarts and singles of Hen Harrier, Woodcock, Siberian Chiffchaff and Hawfinch were of note; both the Snow Bunting at Southwell and the Yellow-browed Warbler at Wakeham also remained on station. It was considerably busier overhead, with 8500 Wood Pigeons, 2630 Starlings, 1530 Stock Doves and 450 Chaffinches the big totals over the Bill, where another Hawfinch and a Cirl Bunting provided some quality; single Crossbills also passed over at Thumb Lane and Wakeham.

Today's star turn was provided by this Crimson Speckled moth that proved to be twitchable for an hour or more once it settled after being serendipitously flushed up during our wanders around the Crown Estate Field mist-nets © Martin Cade:

Bird-wise, there was a varied return from the day's fieldwork but star turns weren't quite at the level that was hoped. A late Wheatear was nice but you'd have imagined it could just as easily have been a Desert or Pied © Nick Hopper...

...whilst, compared with the returns from a certain other South Coast bird observatory, our sprinkle of Chiffchaffs made us very much the poor relation in the phyllosc department © Jodie Henderson:

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) November 8, 2025 at 7:04 PM

This afternoon's Hen Harrier south over Southwell Quarries, Portland 8 Nov. And this morning's GWE west over Tidmoor, The Fleet - having come overland from Chafey's/Radipole direction. One day I really must try and take some sharp photos. @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

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— Steve M (@steveweynature.bsky.social) November 8, 2025 at 5:39 PM