May 2004

May 31st With the promised rain holding off until the afternoon there was plenty of time to see that very little had arrived overnight. The Bill area provided reports of just 3 Chiffchaffs, a Turtle Dove, a Reed Warbler, a Blackcap and a Garden Warbler, as well as one of the long-staying Pheasants. The Little Stint was again at Ferrybridge, along with 2 Sanderling and a Bar-tailed Godwit, whilst 2 Arctic Skuas and 30 Common Scoter passed the Bill ahead of the rain.

                                                 

  

  Little Stint - Ferrybridge, May 30th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 30th A Serin continued to show up from time to time at Southwell, but there was very little in the way of new arrivals around the island. Migrants in the Bill area included 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a Turtle Dove, a Reed Warbler and a Garden Warbler, with a few Manx Shearwaters being the only worthwhile sightings on the sea there. In the evening a Little Stint was amongst the small numbers of commoner waders at Ferrybridge.

                                                 

        

  Serins - Portland Bill, May 28th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 28th The Serin again made a few visits to the Obs garden during the morning, where suspicions that 2 individuals were involved in the sightings were confirmed at midday when both were trapped and ringed. A marked change in the weather saw the arrival of overcast skies and some light rain, but unfortunately commoner migrants remained all but absent on the land. On the sea, Manx Shearwater numbers picked up off the Bill and there was a marked movement of around 400 very distant commic terns, but the only other noteworthy sightings were of 4 Sandwich Terns and 2 Arctic Skuas. In the evening, 64 Arctic Terns flew east over Ferrybridge, where 6 Sanderling and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits were present amongst the common waders.

                                                 

       

  Serin - Portland Bill, May 27th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 27th A Serin made a couple of brief appearances in the Obs garden during the morning and 2 Tree Sparrows were at Barleycrates Lane early in the day, but otherwise the only new arrivals reported were a couple of Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler at the Bill, a Spotted Flycatcher at Barleycrates Lane and a Grey Plover at Ferrybridge. Despite the rather fresh easterly wind, seawatching at the Bill produced nothing more than a few Manx Shearwaters and 34 commic terns. May 26th Very quiet today, with the Bill area producing just 4 Reed Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Turtle Doves, a Yellow Wagtail, a Whinchat and a Willow Warbler; elsewhere there were 2 Common Sandpipers on the shore beneath the West Cliffs at Barleycrates Lane. A total of 68 commic terns trickled past the Bill, where a few Manx Shearwaters were again lingering offshore.

                                                 

        

  Woodchat Shrike - Barleycrates Lane, May 25th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 25th Bird of the day today was an extremely mobile Woodchat Shrike that was first found in Top Fields at the Bill and eventually settled at Barleycrates Lane. A fair passage of House Martins and Swifts was evident overhead, but the only grounded common migrants of note in the Bill area were 5 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Sedge Warblers, a Turtle Dove, a Tree Pipit, a Reed Warbler and a Garden Warbler. Another Pomarine Skua passed through off the Bill, where there were otherwise just 65 commic terns, a Mallard and a few Manx Shearwaters. May 24th Precious little in the way of new arrivals today, with only Reed Warblers and Chiffchaffs at all obvious around the south of the island; a Hobby overhead at Weston was the sole oddity on the land. Forty commic terns, 11 Common Scoter and single Pomarine and Great Skuas passed the Bill, whilst 2 unseasonable Great Crested Grebes were in Portland Harbour. On the edge of the recording area, a Nightjar lingered off Chesil Beach to the north-west of Ferrybridge for more than an hour during the evening.

                                                 

 

  Tree Sparrow - Portland Bill, May 23rd 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 23rd With the Golden Oriole having moved on it was left to a Tree Sparrow at the Obs to provide some rarity interest today (in the hand this bird was found to have a conspicuous brood-patch and so was presumably a dispersing failed breeder). The light sprinkle of commoner migrants around the south of the island included 10 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Reed Warblers, 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and a Whinchat, whilst 2 Hobbies passed through overhead. Seawatching at the Bill produced 110 commic terns and 32 Common Scoter passing through and a few Manx Shearwaters lingering offshore, and waders at Ferrybridge included 220 Dunlin, 54 Ringed Plover, 3 Knot and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits.

                                                 

 

  Marsh Harrier - Priory Corner, May 22nd 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 22nd The Golden Oriole remained in Top Fields but most of the other interest today related to birds passing straight through into the brisk north-east wind; 2 Marsh Harriers were the quality, but there were also 3 Hobbies, a Turtle Dove and a steady passage of Swifts. Grounded migrants were all but non-existent, although yet another Nightjar was seen at Avalanche Road. The sea produced 2 Arctic Skuas and a Great Northern Diver passing the Bill.

                                                 

 

  Nightjar - Culverwell, May 21st 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 21st Interest was provided today by the continued presence of the Golden Oriole in Top Fields and the arrival of 2 more Nightjars (in the Obs garden and at Culverwell). A weak weather front passed through in the night and the light pre-dawn shower and stiff north wind that it introduced helped drop a few more late migrants. At the Bill, 50 Spotted Flycatchers and 20 Reed Warblers made up the bulk of numbers, but there was also a scatter of other late arrivals together with more than 100 Swifts, 3 Hobbies and 3 Turtle Doves that passed through overhead. Three Knot were again the pick of the waders at Ferrybridge.

                                                 

 

  Golden Oriole - Portland Bill, May 20th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 20th A Golden Oriole had been on the cards for a few days and one duly appeared this morning in Top Fields at the Bill - always the island hot-spot for the species. A Nightjar was also seen there and a lone Canada Goose was again at the Bill. Common migrants were a little more conspicuous everywhere, with 10 Reed Warblers, 10 Spotted Flycatchers, 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, 4 Willow Warblers, 2 Wheatears, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Garden Warblers and a Whinchat at the Bill.

                                                 

 

  Canada Goose - Portland Bill, May 19th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 19th The fact that a fly-over Canada Goose at the Bill was the highlight just about summed up a day that was great for sunbathing but hopeless for birding. The few common migrants around the centre and south of the island included 8 Chiffchaffs, 7 Dunlin, 7 Whinchats, 5 Spotted Flycatchers, a Turtle Dove, a Reed Warbler and a Garden Warbler, whilst seawatching at the Bill produced nothing better than a lone Great Northern Diver. May 18th Still glorious summer-like weather and very few birds. A Honey Buzzard arriving in off the sea at Chesil Cove early in the morning was the day's highlight, but otherwise the best the island could offer was a Turtle Dove amongst the handful of late migrants at the Bill, a Pomarine Skua passing through on the sea there and 5 Bar-tailed Godwits, 4 Sanderling and 3 Knot with the commoner waders at Ferrybridge. May 17th With the weather still set fair there was precious little change in the bird situation, with late migrants reduced to a trickle. Chiffchaffs and Spotted Flycatchers just managed double-figure counts around the south of the island, where a couple of Turtle Doves, a late Robin and a Corn Bunting at the Bill were only faintly interesting sightings. Elsewhere, an unseasonable Black Redstart was near Blacknor. With what breeze there was still blowing offshore the only reports from the sea were of 81 commic terns, 50 Manx Shearwaters, 13 Common Scoter and 2 Great Northern Divers passing the Bill. Waders at Ferrybridge included 7 Bar-tailed Godwits, 4 Sanderling, 3 Knot, 2 Grey Plovers and a Whimbrel.

                                                 

 

     

  White Wagtail and Little Stint - Ferrybridge, May 16th 2004 © Debby Saunders (top) and Martin Cade (others)

  May 16th Another hot, sunny day. A wealth of common migrants was never on the cards, but unfortunately the hoped-for rarity failed to materialise and it was left to 2 possible Mealy Redpolls trapped and ringed at the Obs to salvage some interest from the day. Plenty of Swifts, hirundines and a lone Hobby passed through overhead, but interest on the ground was restricted to the 2 long-staying Pheasants, a couple of Turtle Doves and the lightest scatter of commoner migrants at the Bill and a single White Wagtail at Ferrybridge. The sea was just as quiet, with only 55 commic terns, 45 Common Scoter and an Arctic Skua passing through off the Bill. Waders at Ferrybridge in the evening included 3 Knot, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Little Stint.

                                                 

 

       

  White Stork - Priory Corner, May 15th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 15th A bad start to the day for island birders when belated news was received of a crucial Portland dip - a Temminck's Stint (the first record for the island) seen briefly at Ferrybridge yesterday afternoon - was somewhat tempered when a White Stork (the only previous island record occurred as long ago as 1972) appeared over the north of the island at midday before leaving towards Weymouth. In hot and sunny weather the only common migrants in anything other than ones and twos were Whinchats, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Spotted Flycatchers on the ground and Swifts and Swallows overhead. Seawatching at the Bill produced 118 Common Scoter, 35 Manx Shearwaters, 12 commic terns, 3 Great Northern Divers and an Arctic Skua passing through and a lone Little Egret arriving from the south.

                                                 

 

  Knot - Ferrybridge, May 14th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 14th There was plenty more evidence that the majority of commoner migrants have now passed through, with overcast skies and even the odd spot of rain early in the morning failing to drop anything in any numbers. A Jay at Avalanche Road was a good island-rarity and a Hobby passed through at the Bill, but the only commoner migrants that were at all conspicuous were Swifts, Swallows and House Martins overhead, and Sedge Warblers and Spotted Flycatchers on the ground. The sea fared little better, with just 100 Manx Shearwaters, 11 commic terns and a Great Skua off the Bill. Four Knot and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits were at Ferrybridge.

                                                 

     

Little Tern and Curlew Sandpiper - Ferrybridge, May 13th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 13th Despite promising-looking overcast skies at dawn there was a lot less to be seen than yesterday and - from the common migrant point of view at least - there was a distinct end of spring passage feel about proceedings. Grounded migrants at the Bill included a few of all the expected late spring migrants, as well as 3 more Wood Warblers to add to the recent good run of sightings there. Overhead, there were still plenty of Swallows on the move, as well as a Grey Heron and a Merlin at the Bill, a Crossbill at Southwell and a Hobby and a Redpoll further 'up-Island'. The best the sea could offer was a Little Egret and an Arctic Skua passing off the Bill, whilst waders at Ferrybridge included 10 Sanderling, 2 Knot and a Curlew Sandpiper. May 12th A light headwind and overcast skies saw common migrants trickle through in surprising numbers all day, with totals around the Bill area of 120 Willow Warblers, 75 Whitethroats, 50 Sedge Warblers, 30 Garden Warblers, 30 Spotted Flycatchers, 25 Whinchats and 25 Reed Warblers. A Corncrake in and around the Obs garden for a short while in the afternoon was the rarity highlight of the day, whilst scarce migrants included a Hobby, a Turtle Dove and a Firecrest at the Bill and a Knot and a Curlew Sandpiper at Ferrybridge. Seawatching at the Bill produced 95 Manx Shearwaters, 85 commic terns, 5 Pomarine and 3 Arctic Skuas, and 3 Great Northern and 2 Red-throated Divers.

                                                 

 

  Blyth's Reed Warbler - Portland Bill, May 11th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 11th There was a startling and completely unexpected start to the day when a Blyth's Reed Warbler (biometry and more in-hand photos) was trapped and ringed soon after dawn in the Obs garden; it was released into the Obs Quarry but later searches for it drew a blank. Common migrants were not at all numerous, but a miscellaneous selection of oddities and scarcer migrants included a Little Egret and a Spotted Redshank both flying north along the West Cliffs, and 2 Firecrests, a Hobby, a Wood Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher at the Bill. Early morning seawatching at the Bill produced 3 Pomarine and 2 Arctic Skuas before thick fog rolled in and hampered viewing. Waders at Ferrybridge included 100 Dunlin and 8 Sanderling.

                                                 

 

  'Continental' Coal Tit - Portland Bill, May 10th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 10th More of the same today, although numbers were somewhat reduced on both the land and sea. At the Bill, Whinchats, Sedge Warblers and Sylvia warblers dominated, whilst oddities included a Turtle Dove, a Wood Warbler and a 'Continental' Coal Tit; elsewhere there was another Wood Warbler at Weston Street. Overhead, Swifts, Swallows and House Martins were on the move in quantity, 4 Hobbies and a Merlin passed through at the Bill and a Siskin flew north over Weston. Seawatching at the Bill produced 114 Common Scoter, 96 commic terns, 2 Great Northern Divers, 2 Pomarine Skuas and an Arctic Skua, whilst 2 more Pomarine Skuas were seen off Chesil Beach.

                                                 

 

  Wood Warbler - Portland Bill, May 9th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 9th An overcast, damp dawn saw the first decent arrival of common migrants for over a week, with the Bill area producing counts of 100 Garden Warblers, 70 Sedge Warblers, 70 Whitethroats and 60 Blackcaps; most other species were poorly represented, but oddities there included a Hobby, a Cuckoo, a Grasshopper Warbler and a Wood Warbler. Pomarine Skuas featured again off the Bill where another 9 flew east; also off there were 145 Common Scoter, 8 Arctic Skuas, 4 Little Terns, 3 Great Northern Divers and a Little Gull. May 8th Despite the continuing north-west wind another 24 Pomarine Skuas passed the Bill today, where the spring total now exceeds 100 birds (the second-highest spring total ever); 100 Manx Shearwaters, 24 Common Scoter, 10 Sanderling, 4 Great Northern Divers, 3 Sandwich Terns, 2 Great Skuas and 2 Arctic Skuas also passed through there. The land remained the poor relation, with the sprinkle of common migrants at the Bill including nothing better than 10 Whimbrel, 5 Garden Warblers, 4 Wheatears, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Sedge Warblers, a Common Sandpiper, a Turtle Dove and a Pied Flycatcher. Elsewhere, an Osprey flew overhead at Kingbarrow Quarry where there was also another Turtle Dove.

                                                 

 

  Whinchat - North Portland, May 7th 2004 © Charlie Moores www.wbkenglish.com

  May 7th With precious little change in the weather it was a surprise that there was a strong movement of Pomarine Skuas past the Bill, where 31 flew east through the day (although these and all the other seabirds seen were very distant in the clear conditions); 350 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Arctic Skuas, 5 Great Northern Divers and 2 Great Skuas also passed through there. The land remained relatively quiet: a Lapland Bunting flew north over Southwell but there was otherwise just with a light scatter of common migrants everywhere. May 6th A day that did little more than confirm that clear, north-westerly conditions aren't much use on the land or sea. The light sprinkle of migrants in the Bill area included 9 Whimbrel, 7 Wheatears, 2 Curlews, 2 Garden Warblers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a Turtle Dove, a Black Redstart and a Sedge Warbler, whilst another 2 Turtle Doves were at Avalanche Road. A late afternoon pulse of 5 Pomarine and 3 Arctic Skuas off the Bill enlivened seawatching that had otherwise produced just 4 Red-breasted Mergansers and 2 Great Northern Divers. May 5th A shift in wind direction to north-westerly was no help on the land or sea. The only news was from the Bill, where there were 100 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver, and 2 Great and 2 Arctic Skuas on the sea, and 10 Purple Sandpipers, 8 Wheatears, 5 Whimbrel and a Lesser Whitethroat on the land.

                                                 

 

  Pomarine Skuas - Portland Bill, May 4th 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 4th Another seawatching day, with gale-force westerly winds having set in overnight and squally showers or longer spells of rain persisting throughout the day. Watches at the Bill produced 11 Pomarine, 10 Great and 7 Arctic Skuas, 4 Sandwich Terns and a single Great Northern Diver, with Manx Shearwaters getting moving in large numbers during the afternoon. Another single Pomarine Skua was off Chesil Cove.

                                                 

      

  Great Northern Diver and Red-throated Diver - Portland Bill, May 3rd 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 3rd Most of the interest today was on the sea, with the Bill producing 2 very early Long-tailed Skuas as well as 150 Manx Shearwaters, 48 Common Scoter, 21 commic Terns, 10 Great Northern, 4 Red-throated and a Black-throated Diver, 4 Arctic, 2 Pomarine and 1 Great Skua and 2 Eider; another 3 Arctic Skuas were seen off Chesil Beach. On the land, there was a scatter of common migrants everywhere but the only really noteworthy sighting was of a pair of Blue-headed Wagtails at the Bill; overhead, Swallows were again on the move in quantity.

                                                 

      

  Whimbrel and Serin - Portland Bill and Southwell, May 2nd 2004 © Martin Cade (left) and Debby Saunders (right)

  May 2nd The damp and dreary weather of recent days was replaced by clear blue skies and unbroken sunshine - not the conditions to provide another fall of migrants but much better for seawatchers and visible migrations counters. The sprinkle of grounded migrants included a Serin that visited a garden at Southwell twice during the afternoon, a Cuckoo and a Corn Bunting at Weston, but otherwise nothing else of particular note and nothing in any numbers. Overhead, Swallows streamed through, with sample counts suggesting a day total of more than 5000; a Bee-eater passed straight through along the West Cliffs during the morning, with 3 Hobbies and a Marsh Harrier also arriving from the south. A Black Guillemot settled off Chesil Beach was the seabird highlight of the day, with further totals of 600 commic Terns, 130 Common Scoter, 13 Pomarine Skuas, 10 Little Gulls, 9 Little Terns, 3 Great Skuas, 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Black Terns, a Red-throated Diver and a Great Northern Diver off the Bill and 370 commic Terns, 66 Common Scoter, 7 Little Gulls, 2 Black Terns and 2 Arctic Skuas off Chesil Beach.

                                                 

      

  Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat - Portland Bill, May 1st 2004 © Martin Cade

  May 1st Still no end to the supply of common migrants, with another bumper fall of birds throughout the island today. Virtually all of the expected spring migrants were numerous, with noteworthy counts at the Bill of 150 Wheatears, 150 Whitethroats, 70 Blackcaps, 60 Garden Warblers, 50 Whinchats, 30 Sedge Warblers, 20 Yellow Wagtails, 15 Tree Pipits, 11 Grasshopper Warblers, 6 Hobbies, 6 Lesser Whitethroats, a Cuckoo, a Black Redstart and a Wood Warbler; a similar wealth of migrants were reported elsewhere around the island. Rarity interest was provided by 2 Nightjars and a Wryneck at the Bill. Seawatching was hampered by poor visibility, but it was evident that there were a lot more birds on the move than in recent days. Chesil Beach provided lots of variety, including 450 commic Terns, 180 Manx Shearwaters, 54 Bar-tailed Godwits, 5 Little Gulls, a Long-tailed Duck and a Great Skua, whilst the Bill came up with 350 commic Terns, 13 Little Gulls, 6 Black Terns, 2 Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver, and 1 Great, 1 Arctic and 1 Pomarine Skua.

April 2004

                                                 

       

  Subalpine Warbler and Stone Curlew - Portland Bill, April 30th 2004 © Martin Cade

  April 30th The long wait for a quality spring rarity came to an end this morning when a male Subalpine Warbler - on plumage and measurements seemingly a bird of the eastern form albistriata - was trapped and ringed in the Obs garden (biometry and more in-hand photos); it was released into the Obs Quarry but in increasingly miserable weather conditions wasn't seen again. There was further quality in the form of a Stone Curlew at the Bill, a Nightjar at Suckthumb Quarry and a flock of 40 Black-tailed Godwits off the Bill. Common migrants were again quite plentiful, with the Bill area producing most of the species logged yesterday, although numbers of all were somewhat lower; noteworthy counts there included 60 Whitethroats, 60 Blackcaps, 30 Whinchats, 15 Garden Warblers, 10 Reed Warblers, 5 Pied Flycatchers, 4 Grasshopper Warblers, a Cuckoo and a Wood Warbler. Notable sightings elsewhere included a Knot at Ferrybridge and a Firecrest at Easton. A few Manx Shearwaters remained off the Bill, where 2 Little Terns, a Great Northern Diver and a Black Tern also passed through.

                                                 

        

  Pied Flycatcher and Spotted Flycatcher - Portland Bill and Southwell, April 29th 2004 © Martin Cade (left) and Debby Saunders (right)

  April 29th With the weather forecasters reporting grim conditions on the other side of the Channel there was no expectation of much in the way of new arrivals; fortunately the birds confounded the local pundit's predictions and the Bill area at least was awash with birds. Numbers were tricky to estimate as everything was moving through very quickly and, in strong winds and constant light rain, many of the Obs garden mist-nets were out of action. Much of the island was hardly visited, but the Bill area produced minimum counts of 300 Wheatears, 300 Willow Warblers, 250 Swifts, 150 Whinchats, 90 Whitethroats, 60 Blackcaps, 30 Yellow Wagtails (and a single Blue-headed Wagtail), 30 Sedge Warblers, 25 Tree Pipits, 20 Garden Warblers, 20 Chiffchaffs, 16 Pied Flycatchers, 15 Whimbrel, 15 Redstarts, 15 Spotted Flycatchers, 10 Lesser Whitethroats, 8 Common Sandpipers, 6 Reed Warblers, 4 Black Redstarts, 3 Cuckoos, 3 Song Thrushes, 2 Hobbies, 2 Turtle Doves, 2 Fieldfares, 2 Grasshopper Warblers and a Firecrest. The strong offshore winds saw to it that the sea produced nothing more than a few lingering Manx Shearwaters and an Arctic Skua.

                                                 

  

  Sanderling - Ferrybridge, April 28th 2004 © Debby Saunders

  April 28th Much quieter today in chilly, dull north-easterlies. Swifts trickled in off the sea all day, but the only conspicuous grounded migrants were Wheatears (mainly Greenland Wheatears) that numbered over 60 at the Bill. The handful of other migrants there included 10 Whimbrel, 10 Blackcaps, 3 Whinchats, 2 Yellow Wagtails, a Common Sandpiper, a Redstart, a Garden Warbler and a Firecrest, whilst there were 200 Dunlin, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Sanderling at Ferrybridge. The offshore wind did seawatchers no favours, with 50 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Arctic Skuas the only noteworthy sightings off the Bill.

                                                 

       

  Whinchat - Southwell, April 27th 2004 © Debby Saunders

  April 27th The return of a good cloud cover worked wonders on the land, where there was a good arrival of most of the expected late April migrants. The Bill area was distinctly busier than most of the rest of the island and produced counts including 200 Willow Warblers, 90 Wheatears, 60 Whitethroats, 40 Blackcaps, 30 Whinchats, 12 Pied Flycatchers, 10 Tree Pipits, 10 Yellow Wagtails, 8 Redstarts, 8 Sedge Warblers, 8 Garden Warblers, 7 Grasshopper Warblers, 3 Hobbies, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, a Firecrest and a Spotted Flycatcher; elsewhere there were 3 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Hobbies and 2 Pied Flycatchers in the Barleycrates Lane/Suckthumb Quarry area and 290 Dunlin and a Ruff at Ferrybridge. Swifts and hirundines passed overhead in quantity all day. Seawatching at the Bill produced 50 Manx Shearwaters, 18 Dunlin, 16 Eider, 9 Pomarine, 5 Arctic and a Great Skua, and 3 Red-throated Divers. April 26th Still not much of consequence to report. Odds and sods on the land included a 4 Whimbrel, 2 Whinchats, a Woodcock, a Turtle Dove and a Fieldfare at the Bill, and a Merlin and a Greenshank passing overhead there. The sea was quieter than over the weekend, with totals at the Bill of 100 Manx Shearwaters, 79 Common and 2 Velvet Scoter, 78 Bar-tailed Godwits, 21 commic, 5 Sandwich and a Black Tern, 2 Arctic, 1 Pomarine and 1 Great Skua, and 1 Great Northern Diver, whilst off Chesil Beach there were 350 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Pomarine Skuas. Up to 25 Little Terns are now settled in at Ferrybridge, where there were also 40 Dunlin, 14 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Sanderling and a Whimbrel.

                                                 

          

  Turtle Dove - Southwell, April 25th 2004 © Debby Saunders

  April 25th With high pressure still dominating it was another fine but birdless day on the land. A Serin flew north at the Bill but there was otherwise nothing in numbers and nothing else of note except for a Turtle Dove at Southwell and a steady passage of hirundines and a few Swifts overhead. Fortunately there was some movement at sea, with plenty more Bar-tailed Godwits and a variety of other typical spring fare passing the Bill and Chesil Beach. At the Bill there were 729 Bar-tailed Godwits, 100 Manx Shearwaters, 100 Common Scoter, 36 Black-headed Gulls, 26 commic and 6 Sandwich Terns, 5 Arctic and 2 Great Skuas, 3 Shelduck, 3 Golden Plover, 2 Red-throated and a Black-throated Diver, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, a Great Crested Grebe and a Red-breasted Merganser, whilst Chesil Beach produced 280 Bar-tailed Godwits, 50 Whimbrel, 41 Black-headed Gulls, 22 Common Scoter, 15 Common and 10 Sandwich Terns, 4 Shelduck, 4 Grey Plover, 4 Dunlin, 2 Gadwall, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Little Gulls, a Red-throated Diver, a Great Crested Grebe, a Great Skua and an overflying Hobby.

                                                 

   

  Bar-tailed Godwits - Portland Bill, April 24th 2004 © Martin Cade

  April 24th A fine, warm and sunny day with hardly a breath of wind - pretty hopeless conditions for producing any migrants! The lightest sprinkle of grounded new arrivals included 4 Redstarts, 4 Whinchats and 4 Grasshopper Warblers dotted around the island; the only oddity was the long-staying Pheasant that was still in Top Fields at the Bill. Swallows were again on the move in quantity, but the only other fly-overs of note were 6 Yellow Wagtails over the Bill. Offshore, 200 Manx Shearwaters were still off the Bill, where 175 Bar-tailed Godwits, 15 Whimbrel, 3 Arctic and a Great Skua, 2 Red-throated Divers and 2 Sanderling also passed through; another Arctic Skua was seen flying high over Barleycrates Lane. April 23rd Despite the clear, cloudless conditions there was a surprisingly good early arrival of migrants on the land although few birds lingered for more than a couple of hours after dawn. The Bill area produced totals of 100 Willow Warblers, 30 Chiffchaffs, 20 Wheatears, 20 Redstarts, 15 Blackcaps,  8 Whinchats, 4 Sedge Warblers, 3 Grasshopper Warblers and a Reed Warbler; another 100 Wheatears, as well as 5 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Chaffinches, a Hobby and a Grey Wagtail passed straight through without lingering, and hirundines got moving again in some numbers as the day went on. Another 3 Grasshopper Warblers, a Pied Flycatcher and a Garden Warbler were the pick of the grounded migrants around the centre of the island. Off the Bill, up to 200 Manx Shearwaters continued to linger but passage itself was at a virtual standstill, with just 3 Red-throated Divers, 3 Whimbrel, an Arctic Skua and a Sandwich Tern passing through all morning.

                                                 

               

  Grasshopper Warbler and Manx Shearwater - Portland Bill, April 22nd 2004 © Martin Cade

  April 22nd Another small arrival of new common migrants included totals of 10 Redstarts, 10 Grasshopper Warblers, 8 Sedge Warblers, 3 Whinchats, a Merlin, a Black Redstart and a Garden Warbler scattered around the south of the island; as the day went on hirundines also started to pass through in quantity, with 250 Swallows counted in an hour on the West Cliffs. The Hoopoe showed up again briefly on the edge of Southwell and a Serin flew over at Barleycrates Lane. Sea passage died a death at the Bill, where just 5 Arctic and 4 Great Skuas, 2 Velvet Scoter and a Great Northern Diver passed through and 100 Manx Shearwaters were lingering offshore.

                                                 

              

 

  Great, Arctic and Pomarine Skuas - Portland Bill, April 21st 2004 © Martin Cade

  April 21st Wetter and windier than for a few days although a few common migrants still managed to struggle in, with 3 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Redstarts, a Whinchat and a Grasshopper Warbler among a small flurry of new Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers at the Bill. Seawatching there produced 700 Manx Shearwaters, 79 Common Scoter, 76 commic terns, 24 Sandwich Terns, 21 Great, 10 Arctic and 5 Pomarine Skuas, 2 Red-throated Divers and 2 Whimbrel, whilst at Chesil Cove there were 2 Arctic and a Pomarine Skua. April 20th Only the most minor of pulses of passage again today, with a few new Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers but nothing else in any numbers; a Serin - seemingly not one of the birds seen on the last two days - was at Southwell briefly at midday, but otherwise a Grasshopper Warbler at the Bill was the only scarcer migrant reported although the long-staying Pheasant was also still there. The sea provided more interest, with 100 Manx Shearwaters, 21 Common Scoter, 11 Arctic, 7 Great and 1 Pomarine Skua, 2 Red-throated, 2 Black-throated and a Great Northern Diver, 3 commic terns and a Whimbrel passing the Bill. April 19th The Hoopoe remained at Southwell but there was no sign of the 2 Serins there. New common migrants were again pretty sparsely spread (just 2 new birds were trapped and ringed at the Obs all day), although the first Swift of the spring passed overhead at the Bill and there were 10 Redstarts, 3 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Whimbrel, a White Wagtail, a Garden Warbler and a Firecrest scattered around the south of the island and 4 Ring Ouzels and a Redstart at Verne Common. Seawatching at the Bill produced just a few lingering Manx Shearwaters, 21 Common Scoter, a Shelduck, an Arctic Skua and a Great Skua.

                                                 

          

  Hoopoe - Southwell, April 17th 2004 © Debby Saunders

  April 18th The Serin remained at Southwell where it was joined by a second individual for a good part of the day; the Hoopoe was also still there although it was always elusive. After a wet and windy night, new common migrants were thin on the ground, but did include the first Garden Warbler of the year at Southwell, 2 Redstarts there and another at the Bill, a Lapwing at Reap Lane, a Firecrest at Culverwell and a Grasshopper Warbler at the Bill; single Pheasants were at Culverwell and Avalanche Road. The sea provided a flurry of movement early in the morning but was quiet later in the day; totals at the Bill included 160 Manx Shearwaters, 33 commic terns, 7 Great and 2 Arctic Skuas, 6 Whimbrel, 2 Teal and a Great Northern Diver. April 17th Quite good variety today but numbers of common migrants were on the low side. A Serin was found at Southwell in the same spot that one was present a couple of weeks ago (and looked as though it could be the same individual) and a Hoopoe that showed up nearby late in the afternoon was probably the bird seen yesterday at Culverwell, but otherwise the pick of the scarcer migrants were 5 Grasshopper Warblers, 3 Firecrests, a Turtle Dove, a Black Redstart and a Ring Ouzel scattered around the Bill area, 2 more Turtle Doves at the Grove and another Ring Ouzel at Verne Common. Seawatching there produced 650 Gannets, 193 Manx Shearwaters, 17 Common Scoter, 14 Arctic, 5 Great and 2 Pomarine Skuas, 4 Sandwich Terns, 3 Red-throated Divers, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Mallard, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Brent Goose.

                                                 

          

  Hoopoe - Culverwell, April 16th 2004 © Martin Cade

  April 16th Culverwell provided the quality today with an elusive Hawfinch soon after dawn, and a Hoopoe that showed for half-an-hour or so shortly afterwards. Commoner migrants around the southern half of the island included 200 Willow Warblers, 50 Wheatears, 30 Whimbrel, 10 Redstarts, 10 Grasshopper Warblers, 6 Goldcrests, 5 Whitethroats, 2 Ring Ouzels, 3 Sedge Warblers, a Lapwing, a Cuckoo and a Bullfinch, whilst elsewhere there were another 5 Ring Ouzels at Verne Common. Hirundines, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Goldfinches were again on the move in good numbers along the West Cliffs. Sea passage was quite disappointing, with just 21 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Common Scoter, 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Great Skuas and an Arctic Skua passing the Bill. April 15th Fairly quiet again on the land with just a small arrival of new migrants everywhere. Scarcer species included 3 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Ring Ouzels, 2 Firecrests and a Bullfinch at the Bill and a Black Redstart at Reap Lane; the Pheasant was again at the Bill, with a second individual seen at Tout Quarry early in the morning. The sea provided more interest than in recent days, with the first 7 Pomarine Skuas of the spring off the Bill, where 377 Gannets, 200 Manx Shearwaters, 106 Common Scoter, 16 Whimbrel, 15 Bar-tailed Godwits, 4 Arctic Skuas, 3 Common Terns, 3 Little Gulls and a Great Skua also passed through. Elsewhere the first 7 Little Terns were at Ferrybridge, where a Little Ringed Plover was also present. April 14th Skies cleared overnight and a pleasant sunny day saw migrant numbers dwindle. Wheatear, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were the only species that just managed double-figure counts, an Osprey flew over Southwell at midday but amongst the handful of other migrants present the only faintly interesting sightings were of 2 Bullfinches, a Firecrest, a Brambling and a Reed Bunting at the Bill and the first Lesser Whitethroat of the year at Verne Common. Seawatching there produced 37 Common and 2 Velvet Scoter, 3 Canada Geese, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Shelduck, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Sandwich Tern, whilst 2 Great Skuas flew over Ferrybridge and Portland Harbour in the evening.

                                                

       

     

  Redstart and Pheasant - Portland Bill, April 13th 2004 © Guy Edwardes www.guyedwardes.com (top) and Martin Cade (bottom)

  April 13th Common migrants keep arriving in quantity, with another good fall this morning. At the Obs more birds have been trapped and ringed in the last six days than were ringed during the whole of last spring (a total of 870 birds between 8th and 13th April as against just 827 in the three months from March to May last year). Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs continued to dominate, with 400 of the former and 100 of the latter at the Bill; other counts there included 75 Blackcaps, 50 Wheatears, 30 Redstarts, 7 Grasshopper Warblers, 3 Tree Pipits, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Redshanks, 2 Goldcrests, a Black Redstart, a Firecrest and a Pied Flycatcher. The only oddity reported was the Pheasant that continued to roam the Bill area. The first 5 Whimbrel of the spring passed through off the Bill, where 21 Common Scoter, 2 Red-throated Divers, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Manx Shearwater were also logged.

                      

     

         

  Ring Ouzel, Woodlark and Wryneck - Southwell and Portland Bill, April 12th 2004 © Debby Saunders (top left) and Martin Cade (top right and bottom)

  April 12th A cracking end to an excellent Easter bank holiday weekend, with another large fall of common migrants and several more quality scarcer species. The Bill area again came up with the best of the numbers, with 400 Willow Warblers, 300 Chiffchaffs, 120 Wheatears, 60 Blackcaps, 25 Redstarts, 8 Grasshopper Warblers, 3 Redwings, 3 Fieldfares, 3 Firecrests, 2 Ring Ouzels, 2 Black Redstarts and ones and twos of all the other expected early April migrants. Passage overhead was dominated by hirundines and finches, with fewer Meadow Pipits passing through than in recent days. The pick of the commoner migrants elsewhere were another couple of Ring Ouzels and Black Redstarts and a Pied Flycatcher at Southwell. Rarity interest was provided by a Wryneck trapped and ringed at the Obs, a Little Ringed Plover and a Serin passing through on the West Cliffs, a Woodlark at Avalanche Road, Southwell, and a Pheasant wandering around the Bill area. Not much attention was paid to the sea, but a short watch at the Bill in the morning produced 15 Black-headed Gulls, 10 Common Scoter, 3 Sandwich Terns, 2 Velvet Scoter, a Red-throated Diver and an Arctic Skua.

                                                

        

  Redstart and Osprey - Portland Bill, April 10th 2004 © Martin Cade

  April 11th No repeat of yesterday's good numbers on the ground but still plenty of passage overhead. The Bill area produced 90 Willow Warblers, 25 Wheatears, 20 Chiffchaffs, 20 Blackcaps, 3 Redstarts, 2 Ring Ouzels, a Tree Pipit and a Redwing; overhead there were 750 Swallows, 500 each of Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Goldfinch, 200 Sand Martins, 40 House Martins and yet another Osprey. A similar sprinkle of common migrants were reported from elsewhere around the island. With the light breeze still blowing offshore the only movement on the sea was of 113 Common Scoter, 18 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Red-throated Divers, 2 Arctic Skuas and 2 Sandwich Terns passing the Bill. April 10th Near-perfect 'fall' conditions at dawn, with a weak weather front having arrived from the north after an otherwise clear night, saw the arrival of another bumper crop of common migrants. Totals from the Bill area included 500 Willow Warblers, 200 Wheatears, 200 Chiffchaffs, 75 Blackcaps, 25 Redstarts, 3 Tree Pipits, 3 Song Thrushes, 3 Bramblings, 2 Ring Ouzels, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Fieldfare, a Redwing and a Whitethroat; visible passage was also conspicuous, with 1500 Meadow Pipits, plenty of hirundines and an Osprey passing through. Common migrants were plentiful elsewhere around the island, where oddities included a Barn Owl at Weston, another Osprey passing overhead at Easton, and a scatter of several more Ring Ouzels, Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers. The sea provided nothing more than a couple of Red-throated Divers past the Bill. April 9th Much quieter today, with a crystal-clear night and bright, sunny day being less than ideal for dropping migrants in any quantity. The Bill area produced 50 Willow Warblers, 25 Wheatears, 15 Chiffchaffs, 3 Redstarts, a Common Sandpiper, a Short-eared Owl, a Grey Wagtail and a Firecrest, whilst elsewhere an Osprey flew north at the Grove during the morning, a Hobby was over Southwell during the evening, and there were single Yellow Wagtails at Reap Lane and Barleycrates Lane, a White Wagtail and a Grasshopper Warbler at the latter, a Tree Pipit over Weston and a Corn Bunting at Watery Lane; overhead passage was less conspicuous than yesterday, although Swallows were still on the move in good numbers. Two Buzzards - presumably the 2 semi-resident birds that have been roaming the north of the island lately - were seen widely between Southwell and the Verne, and 4 wintering Purple Sandpipers were still at the Bill. Seawatching at the Bill provided totals of 64 Common Scoter, 6 Manx Shearwaters, 5 Sandwich Terns and a miscellany of 5 identified and unidentified divers.

                                                

   

  Willow Warbler - Portland Bill, April 8th 2004 © Martin Cade

  April 8th After a quiet start to the month a good arrival of migrants was on the cards and today duly produced the goods. A classic Portland spring day - something sadly lacking during the whole of last spring - saw a good arrival of grounded migrants, some heavy visible passage overhead and a few quality rarities. Grounded migrants in the Bill area totalled 200 Willow Warblers, 100 Blackcaps, 50 Chiffchaffs, 40 Wheatears, 5 Redstarts, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, a Sedge Warbler and a Brambling, whilst overhead 500 Meadow Pipits, 500 Linnets, 150 Swallows, 75 Goldfinches, 10 Sand Martins, 2 House Martins, a Grey Heron, a Merlin and a Tree Pipit passed through. Rarity interest was provided by an early morning Hoopoe at Southwell that quickly left to the north over the village, a Serin that flew north with Linnets at the Bill, a Hen Harrier that arrived in off the sea over the Bill and an Osprey that flew north-east over the north of the island. April 7th The strong north-west wind had abated somewhat but there was still precious little to see around the island. A fly-over Yellow Wagtail was a first for the year at the Bill, where there were also 5 Wheatears, 2 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Goldcrest; seawatching there produced 57 Common Scoter, 10 Manx Shearwaters and a Sandwich Tern. Elsewhere the only interest was generated by another instalment in the ongoing Pheasant saga: today one paid a brief visit to a garden in Wakeham. April 6th A really grim day with a blasting north-west wind and frequent showers spoiling any attempts at serious birding. The Serin was reported again at Southwell early in the morning but couldn't be found later in the day. Otherwise the only reports of any interest were of 17 Common Scoter, 3 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Red-throated Divers and a Sandwich Tern passing through off the Bill, and 8 Purple Sandpipers, a Curlew and a Blackcap on the land there.

                                                

   

  Serin - Southwell, April 5th 2004 © Martin Cade

  April 5th The first Serin of the spring - a rather mobile individual at Southwell - was today's highlight; a Redstart at the Bill and a Pied Flycatcher at Avalanche Road were also first records for the spring, whilst a House Martin over the Bill was the first seen since the exceptionally early individuals reported way back in February. Despite these quality new arrivals, common migrants otherwise remained thin on the ground, with a few Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, 3 Swallows, a Grey Heron, a Grey Plover, a Black Redstart, a Blackcap and a Firecrest the only other worthwhile sightings at the Bill. Seawatching there produced 56 Common Scoter, 3 Red-throated and 2 Black-throated Divers, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and an Arctic Skua. April 4th Blustery westerlies and clear skies promised little and delivered even less. Seawatches at the Bill produced 18 Common Scoter, 10 Manx Shearwaters, 6 Sandwich Terns, 3 Red-throated Divers, a Mediterranean Gull, a Great Skua and an Arctic Skua, whilst the land there mustered just a handful of Wheatears, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, 3 passing Swallows and a Black Redstart. The only report from elsewhere was of a Ring Ouzel at Priory Corner. April 3rd Despite the promised wet weather holding off until late in the afternoon, plenty of fieldwork by the weekend visitors failed to reveal much on either the land or sea. Seawatching at the Bill produced 133 Common Scoter, 46 Manx Shearwaters, 36 Sandwich Terns, 7 Red-throated Divers, 2 Eider, a Grey Heron and a Great Skua, whilst the best the land could offer was a Black Redstart and single figure totals of Wheatear, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest.  April 2nd Another seawatching day, although with scoter passage reduced to a trickle it seemed a lot quieter than yesterday. Up-Channel passage off the Bill totalled 500 Gannets, 170 Common Scoter, 86 Manx Shearwaters, 56 Sandwich Terns, 14 Arctic Skuas, 12 Red-throated Divers, 6 Black-throated Divers, a Great Northern Diver, a Mediterranean Gull and a commic tern. Passage on the land remained at a virtual standstill, with a handful of Wheatears, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Goldcrests, 6 Swallows, 2 Blackcaps, a Fieldfare and a Firecrest at the Bill. Finally, there was a good island rarity in the form of a Pheasant at East Weare (in addition to the remains of a dead individual found several weeks ago at Verne Common, there has evidently been a live bird and the remains of a second dead bird found at that site in the last fortnight, whilst elsewhere one has been been seen on the Beach Road near the oil tanks).

                                                

   

  

  Common Scoter and Gannets - Portland Bill, April 1st 2004 © Martin Cade

  April 1st All the action was on the sea today, with a heavy passage of Common Scoter and other quality fare off the Bill. Day totals of birds moving east there included 1894 Common Scoter, 50 Teal, 45 Shoveler, 37 Sandwich Terns, 12 Wigeon, 8 Avocets, 6 Red-throated Divers, 6 Garganey, 6 Arctic Skuas, 3 Black-throated Divers, 3 Scaup, 2 Little Gulls, 1 Shelduck, 1 Pintail, 1 Sanderling and 1 Great Skua. The land was again the poor relation, with 3 Firecrests and a Fieldfare being the pick of a meagre bunch at the Bill, and 2 Merlins at Chesil Cove and a Ring Ouzel at Southwell being the only worthwhile sightings elsewhere. A trickle of birds overhead included 110 Meadow Pipits, 6 Sand Martins, a Kestrel, a Swallow and a Grey Wagtail arriving in off the sea at the Bill.

March 2004

March 31st A day with plenty more movement overhead and the first good sea passage of the spring, but again precious little in the way of grounded migrants on the land. A sample count on the West Cliffs for an hour-and-a-half in the morning produced totals of 315 Meadow Pipits, 280 Linnets, 14 Sand Martins, 7 Goldfinches, 4 alba wagtails and a Swallow moving north; other northward moving birds elsewhere included a Kestrel, a Song Thrush and a Redwing over the Obs and a Redpoll over Weston. Odds and sods on the land included a Firecrest at the Bill. The vanguard of up-Channel Common Scoter passage was the highlight off the Bill, where 569 passed through during the day; 15 Manx Shearwaters, 6 Sandwich Terns, 2 Curlew, a Red-throated Diver, a Garganey and an Arctic Skua also passed through there.  March 30th A stiff east wind and clear skies saw to it that visible passage was conspicuous everywhere. The main thrust of movement was along the West Cliffs, where 1000 Meadow Pipits, 200 Linnets, 32 Greenfinches, 25 Sand Martins, 20 Goldfinches, 15 alba wagtails and 11 Swallows passed through during the morning; elsewhere, the highlight was an early Cuckoo passing through at Culverwell. Not surprisingly, grounded migrants were hard to find, with just a handful of Wheatears, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests at the Bill. The sea was disappointingly quiet, with a Red-throated Diver and a Mediterranean Gull being the only worthwhile sightings off the Bill. March 29th A distinct change in the weather brought the return of clear skies and unbroken sunshine but also saw the supply of migrants dwindle. The Bill area provided totals of 50 Wheatears, 20 Chiffchaffs, 20 Willow Warblers, 6 Goldcrests, 3 Sand Martins, 3 Firecrests, 2 Bullfinches a Fieldfare, a Song Thrush, a Siskin and a Brambling; the only noteworthy sighting elsewhere was of a lone Swallow passing through at Blacknor. Seawatching at the Bill produced 38 Common Scoter, 20 Eider and 3 Shoveler.

                                                

   

  Chiffchaff - Portland Bill, March 28th 2004 © Martin Cade

  March 28th Another bird-filled day, with overcast skies dropping plenty more early migrants around the island. The Bill area produced 200 Chiffchaffs, 150 Wheatears, 50 Goldcrests, 5 Fieldfares, 3 Sand Martins, 2 White Wagtails, 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Firecrests, a Golden Plover, a Swallow, a Black Redstart, a Ring Ouzel, a Redwing, a Blackcap and a Reed Bunting. Sea passage picked up a little in light onshore winds, with the Bill producing 39 Common Scoter, 13 Red-throated Divers, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Shelducks, a Manx Shearwater, a Mallard, a Garganey, an Eider and a Curlew.

                                                

   

  Brambling - Portland Bill, March 27th 2004 © Martin Cade

  March 27th A damp, overcast dawn dropped much better numbers of common migrants, with 75 Chiffchaffs, 35 Wheatears, 20 Goldcrests, 3 Snipe, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Blackcaps, a Redwing, a Firecrest, a Brambling and a Yellowhammer in the Bill area. Elsewhere around the island there were smaller numbers of the same species, and late in the afternoon an Osprey flew in off the sea over Southwell. A good island rarity in the form of 2 Garganey were the highlight on the sea at the Bill, where 2 Red-throated Divers, a Great Crested Grebe and an Eider also passed through.

                                                

       

  Long-eared Owl and Grey Plover - Portland Bill and Ferrybridge, March 26th 2004 © Martin Cade and Guy Edwardes www.guyedwardes.com

  March 26th There was a good start to the day with a Long-eared Owl trapped and ringed in the Obs garden and a Woodlark seen at Nicodemus Knob early in the morning; unfortunately the rest of the day proved to be an anticlimax, with few other migrants in evidence. The Bill area produced 26 Wheatears, 10 Chiffchaffs, 2 White Wagtails, a Firecrest, a Siskin and a Brambling, whilst the handful of new arrivals elsewhere included a Willow Warbler at Weston and a Grey Plover at Ferrybridge. A single passing Red-throated Diver off the Bill was the only worthwhile sighting on the sea. March 25th Despite promising-looking conditions, with overcast skies and light winds at dawn, there were again precious few migrants to report. The Bill area produced 20 Chiffchaffs, 15 Wheatears, a Firecrest and a few alba wagtails arriving in off the sea, whilst seawatching there saw 23 Common Scoter, 9 Red-throated Divers and a Manx Shearwater move east and 2 Mute Swans leave to the south. March 24th Still not a lot of change in fine but quite chilly conditions. Visible passage overhead was reduced to a trickle although there were a handful more grounded migrants, with the Bill area producing 20 Wheatears, 15 Chiffchaffs, 3 Firecrests, 2 Goldcrests, a Blackcap and a Brambling. Three Puffins were again off the Bill, where 2 Red-throated Divers also flew past. March 23rd Little change in either the weather or the birds, save for the appearance of Portland's earliest-ever Osprey that flew over Weston at midday. Meadow Pipits and alba wagtails trickled overhead everywhere, 5 Redpolls flew north over Southwell and a Sparrowhawk flew north along the West Cliffs at the Bill, but the only grounded birds at the latter were 9 Wheatears, 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Firecrests and a Goldcrest. The wintering Water Rail remained at Culverwell, whilst 2 Buzzards were over the centre and north of the island  during the middle of the day. Seawatching at the Bill produced 25 Black-headed Gulls, 12 Common Scoter and 4 Red-throated Divers. March 22nd Clear blue skies and a brisk westerly wind didn't look likely to produce much in the way of new arrivals, and there were certainly no numbers to speak of. Three Firecrests were the highlight at the Bill, where there were otherwise just 11 Purple Sandpipers, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 6 Wheatears, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Curlew, a Goldcrest, a Rook and a Brambling. The sea produced a good Bill rarity in the form of a Black-necked Grebe, with 50 Common Gulls, 2 Eider and a Red-throated Diver also passing through there. March 21st Still very windy but without the rain of recent days. The sea provided most of the interest again, with 25 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Black-headed Gulls, 2 diver spp, a Sandwich Tern and frequent sightings of at least 3 Puffins off the Bill. The only migrants of note on the land were a dozen Wheatears at the Bill and a couple of Chiffchaffs at Weston. One of the wintering Eider remained in Portland Harbour. March 20th Another wet and windy morning that gave way to a clearer but even windier afternoon. Seawatching produced just 2 Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver at the Bill and 2 Sandwich Terns and a Mediterranean Gull at Chesil Cove. On the land there were still 8 Purple Sandpipers at the Bill but the only migrants found were 7 Wheatears. March 19th A wet and windy morning restricted observations to the sea, where the only reports were of 5 Manx Shearwaters passing the Bill and the Eider still lingering offshore there. A clearer afternoon revealed that virtually no new common migrants had struggled in: the only birds in the Bill area were 11 Wheatears, a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest. March 18th A day of very contrasting conditions: another calm, foggy dawn gave way to a clear, sunny middle of day before wind and rain swept in during the afternoon. Migrant numbers were not too bad again at the Bill, where totals included another 100 Chaffinches, 25 Chiffchaffs, 15 Goldcrests, 10 Wheatears, 3 Fieldfares, 3 Redwings, a Lapwing, a Black Redstart, a Willow Warbler, a Firecrest and a Brambling. Some sea passage was evident off the Bill once the fog cleared, with 160 Gannets, 20 Common Scoter, 16 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Red-throated Divers, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Shelduck passing east.

                                                

                              

  Ring Ouzel - Portland Bill, March 17th 2004 © Martin Cade

  March 17th A clear night gave way to a drizzly, foggy morning and there were plenty more common migrants to see. Highlights at the Bill were at least 2 Ring Ouzels and an exceptional passage of 300 Chaffinches; other totals there included 100 Starlings in off the sea, 40 Wheatears, 35 Chiffchaffs, 30 over-flying alba wagtails, 15 Robins, 15 Goldcrests, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Blackcaps, 3 Swallows, 2 Redwings, 2 Bramblings, a Yellowhammer and a Reed Bunting. Elsewhere there was another Ring Ouzel at Tout Quarry. March 16th Fine weather and plenty of birds today, with the best fall of migrants so far this spring. The Bill area produced 60 Wheatears, 25 Stonechats, 25 Chiffchaffs, 20 over-flying alba wagtails, 13 Fieldfares, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 3 Sand Martins, 2 Redwings, a Redshank and a Blackcap; the first returning Puffin was also off the West Cliffs at the Bill. Elsewhere there were 4 Sand Martins over Ferrybridge, a Dunlin and a Grey Wagtail over Reap Lane and a Sandwich Tern in Portland Harbour. March 15th The sea again provided most of what little interest there was today, with 22 Brent Geese, 2 Red-throated Divers, 2 Common Scoter, a Manx Shearwater and a Mediterranean Gull seen off the Bill. Five alba wagtails arrived in off the sea at the Bill, where a lone Wheatear was the only grounded migrant of note. March 14th The first good south-westerly blow for quite a while stirred up a few things on the sea, with 7 Common Scoter, 5 Manx Shearwaters, a Red-throated Diver, a Golden Plover and an Eider off the Bill, and a Red-throated Diver and a Great Crested Grebe off Chesil Cove. The only news from the land was of a Golden Plover at the Bill and a Chiffchaff and a Black Redstart at Southwell.

                                                

                     

  Wheatear - Portland Bill, March 13th 2004 © Martin Cade

  March 13th A Long-eared Owl hunting beside the Beach Road near the Ferrybridge car-park was a good record in the early hours of the morning. A small flurry of half-a-dozen Wheatears were new arrivals at the Bill, where there were also 15 Stonechats, several alba wagtails passing overhead, 2 Black Redstarts, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Golden Plover and a Siskin. Six Red-throated Divers passed through off the Bill and Portland Harbour produced a Great Northern Diver and an Eider.

                                                

         

  Chiffchaff - Portland Bill, March 12th 2004 © Martin Cade

  March 12th Disappointingly quiet today. Yesterday's Chiffchaff remained at the Bill, but the only obvious new arrivals there were a Golden Plover, a Redwing and several over-flying Grey and alba Wagtails; the wintering Black Redstart was also still present there. March 11th Really grim conditions - a blasting, raw south-easterly and heavily overcast skies - hardly lent themselves to enjoyable birding, although there were things to be seen. Not before time, the first Wheatear of the spring put in an appearance at the Bill, where there also 15 Song Thrushes, 9 Stonechats, 5 over-flying alba wagtails, 3 Fieldfares, a Lapwing and a Chiffchaff; 6 Redwings were also new arrivals at Avalanche Road. Seawatching at the Bill produced 300 Gannets, 14 Brent Geese, 6 Common Scoter, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Red-throated Diver and a Curlew. March 10th Despite similar conditions to yesterday there were very few birds on the move today. A Scandinavian Rock Pipit made a brief visit to the Obs pond but there were only a handful of Meadow Pipits and alba wagtails on the move overhead. Ten Common Scoter flew past off the Bill and there were 30 Brent Geese at Ferrybridge. At Verne Common, the discovery of some Pheasant feathers was the only indication of the occurrence of a good island rarity that had presumably fallen victim to a predator. March 9th With a stiff easterly wind and clear skies there were a few more birds on the move today, with an hour-long watch on the West Cliffs during the morning producing 73 Meadow Pipits, 14 alba wagtails, 4 Goldfinches, 2 White Wagtails, 2 Greenfinches and a Song Thrush flying north. Smaller numbers of the same species, as well as a lone Grey Wagtail, passed overhead elsewhere at the Bill through the morning. Grounded migrants were few and far between but did include a Chiffchaff in the Obs garden; the first Rook of the year was also seen at the Bill. Twelve Common Scoter and 2 Red-throated Divers passed through off the Bill and the Eider was still lingering offshore. March 8th The slow start to March continued, with passage again restricted to a trickle of Meadow Pipits and alba wagtails passing overhead; the only birds of note on the land were the wintering Water Rail and Black Redstart at the Bill. On the sea, 22 Common Scoter, 9 Golden Plovers and a Red-throated Diver passed through off the Bill. March 7th A Woodcock at Broadcroft Quarry and single Scandinavian Rock Pipits at Ferrybridge and on the Portland Harbour shore were new arrivals today, with the land otherwise producing only the wintering Water Rail and Black Redstart at the Bill and a handful of fly-over Meadow Pipits, alba wagtails and Chaffinches everywhere. A passing Velvet Scoter was a first for the year off the Bill, where 20 Common Scoter and a Red-throated Diver also passed through and the Eider was still lingering offshore. Elsewhere there was another Eider in Portland Harbour. March 6th A few more birds to report today, including a small flurry of migrants. New arrivals included a Chiffchaff and a Siskin at Weston and 4 Redwings, a Curlew and a White Wagtail at the Bill; a few Meadow Pipits and alba wagtails also trickled north overhead. Wintering birds still around included 4 Purple Sandpipers and a Black Redstart at the Bill and a Firecrest at Southwell, whilst other oddities included 4 Long-tailed Tits at Southwell and a Buzzard at Fancy Beach. Seawatching at the Bill produced just a Red-throated Diver, a diver sp and a Common Scoter. March 5th A Woodlark was a quality fly-over at the Bill, but the only other new arrivals there were a Redwing, an alba wagtail in off the sea and a couple of new Dunnocks and Robins trapped at the Obs; wintering birds still present included 7 Purple Sandpipers, a Water Rail and a Black Redstart. March 4th A milder, foggy day that looked as though it might have produced one or two early migrants, but all that could be found were a handful of new Song Thrushes at the Bill. The wintering Purple Sandpiper, Water Rail and Black Redstart were all still at the Bill, where 12 Common Scoter passed through on the sea. March 3rd Almost a blank today, with the only report received being of a single Goldcrest at Easton. March 2nd Spring-like weather today but no birds to go with it. Another lone alba wagtail arrived in off the sea at the Bill but the only other bird of note on the land was the wintering Water Rail at Culverwell. On the sea, the Eider remained offshore and 3 Common Scoter, 2 Red-throated Divers and a Great Crested Grebe passed by.

                                                

   

  Greenshank - Ferrybridge, March 1st 2004 © Guy Edwardes www.guyedwardes.com

  March 1st Precious little change to report. A single alba wagtail arrived in off the sea at the Bill, where there were still 2 Purple Sandpipers, a Water Rail and a Black Redstart; the Eider was still off the Bill and 2 Red-throated Divers flew past on the sea. Elsewhere, a Greenshank was at Ferrybridge.