July 2004

July 31st Not so much to see today, with 40 Willow Warblers, 25 Sand Martins, 19 Wheatears, 8 Sedge Warblers, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Reed Warblers, 1 Dunlin, 1 Whimbrel and 1 Garden Warbler at the Bill, where the sea produced just 2 Common Scoter, 1 Manx Shearwater and 1 Arctic Skua. July 30th Rather surprisingly bearing in mind the crystal clear skies at dawn the island played host to the best flurry of migrants so far this autumn, with 120 Willow Warblers, 20 Sedge Warblers, 5 Wheatears, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Reed Warblers, a Whimbrel and a Garden Warbler counted in the Bill area alone. Seawatching came up with nothing better than 17 Common Scoter and a Great Skua passing the Bill, whilst 5 Sanderling were among the commoner waders at Ferrybridge. July 29th Bird of the day today was a Honey Buzzard that showed up twice in the early afternoon over Verne Common. Both land and sea were otherwise pretty quiet, with 20 Willow Warblers, 8 Sedge Warblers, 4 Wheatears and 2 Reed Warblers in the Bill area, 15 Common Scoter, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Black-headed Gull passing through on the sea there and 140 Dunlin, 4 Sanderling and 2 Green Sandpipers at Ferrybridge. July 28th Quieter on the land today, with just 25 Willow Warblers, 7 Wheatears, 2 Sedge Warblers, a Grey Heron and a Greenshank at the Bill, where seawatching produced 49 Common Scoter, 4 Great Skuas, a Balearic Shearwater and a Whimbrel. 

                                                 

   

       

   Mediterranean Gull, Willow Warbler and Little Stint - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, July 27th 2004 © Martin Cade

  July 27th Similar to recent days at the Bill, where there were 40 Sand Martins, 40 Willow Warblers, 7 Sedge Warblers, 6 Wheatears, 3 Common Sandpipers, a Curlew, a Ringed Plover and a Garden Warbler on the land and 30 Common Scoter, 9 commic terns, 2 Whimbrel, a Balearic Shearwater, a Great Skua and a Sandwich Tern on the sea. Ferrybridge provided 7 Sanderling, 1 Little Stint and a Mediterranean Gull along with good numbers of Dunlin and Ringed Plover. July 26th Better coverage of the Bill area saw 40 Willow Warblers, 2 Sedge Warblers, a Ringed Plover, a Wheatear and a Grasshopper Warbler logged on the land and 5 Common Scoter, 3 Whimbrel, 3 Black-headed Gulls, a Balearic Shearwater, a Little Egret, an Arctic Skua and a Mediterranean Gull seen during morning seawatches. Elsewhere there were 7 Sanderling among the commoner waders at Ferrybridge. July 25th  The Obs annual open day got in the way of serious birding today and the only news from the Bill was of a scatter of Willow Warblers and 2 Sedge Warblers on the land, a few Sand Martins passing through overhead and 17 Common Scoter, 2 Common Terns, a Manx and a Balearic Shearwater, a Great Skua and a skua sp passing on the sea.

                                                 

  

   Yellow Wagtail - Southwell, July 24th 2004 © Debby Saunders

  July 24th More of the same again, with the Bill area producing 35 Sand Martins, 25 Willow Warblers, 5 Wheatears, 5 Sedge Warblers, 2 Dunlin, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, a Ringed Plover, a Whimbrel, a Reed Warbler and a Garden Warbler; elsewhere there was a Cuckoo at Suckthumb Quarry and a Yellow Wagtail at Southwell. A total of 85 Common Scoter passed the Bill during the morning and a lone Mediterranean Gull passed through later in the day. July 23rd Another minor flurry of migrants this morning, with 25 Willow Warblers, 12 Sand Martins, 4 Wheatears, a Ringed Plover, a Curlew and a Garden Warbler at the Bill. Seawatching there produced 3 Sandwich Terns, a Mediterranean Gull, a Common Gull and a Black-headed Gull. In the evening there were 80 Dunlin, 45 Ringed Plovers, 2 Sanderling, 2 Curlew and a Redshank at Ferrybridge. July 22nd A promising-looking overcast, muggy and damp dawn that would no doubt have produced a hatful of migrants in a few weeks time nonetheless dropped a surprising selection of birds for so early in the autumn, with the Bill area providing totals of 6 Willow Warblers, 4 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Sedge Warblers, a Lapwing, a Ringed Plover, a Wheatear, a Whinchat and a Garden Warbler. The only news from elsewhere was of 178 Dunlin, 49 Ringed Plovers, 3 Curlew and a Sanderling at Ferrybridge.

                                                 

     

   Little Owl - Portland Bill, July 21st 2004 © Martin Cade

  July 21st A fly-over Crossbill was a quality new arrival at the Bill, where other migrants included a Common Sandpiper, a Wheatear and a Willow Warbler; the long-staying Pheasant was also still present and the family group of Little Owls continued to show well in the Obs Quarry. Seawatching there produced just 53 Common Scoter and a Sandwich Tern. July 20th The first 2 Sedge Warblers and first 2 Willow Warblers of the autumn were new arrivals at the Bill, along with 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Wheatears, a Grey Heron and a handful of over-flying Sand Martins. The sea provided just 39 Common Scoter, 2 commic terns and a Manx Shearwater, whilst there were 120 Dunlin and 2 Sandwich Terns at Ferrybridge. July 19th Early autumn migrants today included 67 Sand Martins, 3 Whimbrel, a Green Sandpiper, a Yellow Wagtail and a Reed Warbler at the Bill, where there were also 2 Yellowhammers. Nine Common Scoter and 9 commic terns also passed through on the sea at the Bill, 10 Common Terns and a Black Tern flew overhead at Ferrybridge and single Mediterranean Gulls were at Ferrybridge and Chesil Cove. July 18th There was a small movement of Sand Martins overhead, but otherwise most of the interest today was on the sea, with totals of 111 Common Scoter, 6 Manx Shearwaters, 5 commic terns, 1 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Arctic Skua and 1 Great Skua passing through off the Bill.

                                                 

     

   Marsh Warbler - Portland Bill, July 17th 2004 © Martin Cade

  July 17th Having failed with the early July rarity in the nets there was some compensation today when a Marsh Warbler was trapped and ringed in the Obs garden late in the morning; it was released into the Obs Quarry where brief searches later in the day failed to reveal any sign of it. Seawatching at the Bill produced 87 Common Scoter, a Shoveler and a Great Skua, whilst an Arctic Skua flew over Ferrybridge where there were also 130 Dunlin, 2 Sanderling, 9 Oystercatchers, 7 Common Terns, 2 Sanderling and a Wheatear.

                                                 

     

   Little Egret - Ferrybridge, July 16th 2004 © Martin Cade

  July 16th Late afternoon update. Just typical mid-July fare today, with 13 Common Scoter and a Great Skua past the Bill (where the last few tardy Guillemots and Razorbills remain offshore but no Puffins have been seen for a couple of days) and 96 Dunlin, 7 Sanderling, 6 Common Terns, a Little Egret and a Wheatear at Ferrybridge.  July 15th Hardly a bumper selection of news, with just 30 Common Scoter and a Sandwich Tern past the Bill and a single Common Sandpiper at Grove Point. July 14th Very little to report today. A single Chiffchaff was at the Bill, whilst Ferrybridge produced 109 Dunlin, 5 Sanderling, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Little Terns, 3 Common Terns, a Great Crested Grebe, a Curlew and a Sandwich Tern.

                                                 

       

   Sand Martin and Gannets - Portland Bill, July 10th 2004 © Martin Cade

  July 13th Sand Martins were again conspicuous, with more than 300 feeding over Top Fields and further small parties leaving to the south from the Bill throughout the morning. The Bill area also produced 2 Grey Herons and a Little Egret, with 11 Common Scoter, 2 Manx and a Balearic Shearwater and a Whimbrel passing on the sea. Dunlin increased to 125 at Ferrybridge, but there was otherwise just a Curlew and a Little Tern there. July 12th A Balearic Shearwater was lingering off the Bill again during the morning, but otherwise the only reports were of a few more Sand Martins and Swifts passing overhead and 2 Grey Wagtails, a Redshank and a Swift at the Bill. July 11th The early autumn trickle continued, with 100 Swifts and 35 Sand Martin leaving to the south from the Bill and a Wheatear new in on the land there. A Balearic Shearwater lingered offshore for a while in the morning, but sea passage otherwise consisted of just 62 Common Scoter, 3 Manx Shearwater and a Whimbrel moving west. Ferrybridge produced 90 Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover, a Sanderling and a Curlew.

                                                 

  

   Sandwich Tern - Ferrybridge, July 10th 2004 © Martin Cade

  July 10th A Cuckoo, a Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler remained at the Bill, but the only new arrivals there were a few Sand Martins, a Curlew and a Grey Wagtail; 18 Common Scoter, 4 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Great Skua passed through on the sea. Ferrybridge provided totals of 70 Dunlin, 7 Sandwich Terns and 3 Curlew.

                                                 

       

   Cuckoo and Mediterranean Gull - Portland Bill and Ferrybridge, July 9th 2004 © Martin Cade

  July 9th The return of quieter weather saw the arrival of a few more birds on the land, including 3 Cuckoos, 3 Grey Wagtails, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler at the Bill. Seawatching there produced just 43 Common Scoter, 1 Manx Shearwater and 1 Black-headed Gull, whilst there were 75 Dunlin, 4 Sandwich Terns and a Mediterranean Gull at Ferrybridge.

                                                 

  

   Peregrine - Southwell, July 5th 2004 © Guy Edwardes www.guyedwardes.com

  July 8th Birds remained on the move in between occasional heavy showers, with 300 Swifts, 42 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Curlew, 3 Sand Martins, 2 Dunlin and a Whimbrel passing overhead at the Bill; seawatching there produced 43 Manx Shearwaters, 9 Common Scoter and a Sandwich Tern. Elsewhere, Dunlin increased to 252 at Ferrybridge, where there were also 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Curlew, a Greenshank and a Sandwich Tern, whilst juvenile Peregrines are now on the wing and showing well at Southwell.

                                                 

  

   Lapwing - Portland Bill, July 7th 2004 © Martin Cade

  July 7th Yesterday's return to summer proved to be short-lived, with a strong north-east wind and heavy rain sweeping in today. There was still some movement overhead, with 250 Swifts, 51 Sand Martins, 2 Dunlin, a Lapwing and a Hobby passing though into the stiff wind at the Bill. The sea was rather quiet, with just 25 Common Scoter, 6 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Manx Shearwaters logged at the Bill. Ferrybridge produced 56 Dunlin, 8 Little Terns, 2 Sandwich Terns, 2 Common Terns, a Curlew and a Mediterranean Gull.

                                                 

   

    

   Guillemot (juvenile settled and leaping from the cliffs), Swift and Little Ringed Plover - Portland Bill and Ferrybridge, July 6th 2004 © Martin Cade

  July 6th Swifts and Sand Martins remained on the move, with the latter being particularly conspicuous: 16 passed straight through at the Bill where another flock of at least 70 were feeding over Top Fields. Two Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Curlew, a Tree Pipit and a Grey Wagtail were also at the Bill today. A Little Ringed Plover and a Whimbrel were the pick of the waders at Ferrybridge, where there was also an unseasonable Common Gull; a juvenile Little Tern was also on the wing (the offspring of the only pair of terns that remained in the breeding colony there after the mass desertion in late June). An hour after sunset the juvenile Guillemots reared in the auk colony at the Bill successfully abandoned the breeding ledges and made off out to sea. July 5th At last a day of unbroken sunshine and nothing more than a gentle breeze. Early autumn migrants included 30 Sand Martins and 2 Black-headed Gulls passing overhead at the Bill, where 4 Sandwich Terns, a Little Egret and a commic tern passed by on the sea; 2 Common Sandpipers were also present along West Cliffs. July 4th A length spell of rain during the afternoon spoilt what was otherwise a much more pleasant day, with the strong wind of the last week having dropped right away. A Sand Martin passed overhead at the Bill, where seawatching provided totals of 120 Common Scoter, 80 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Sandwich Terns, 3 Arctic Skuas and 2 Great Crested Grebes. July 3rd Another windy day that produced just 54 Manx Shearwaters and 27 Common Scoter passing through off the Bill. July 2nd A very unsettled day, with the westerly wind gusting close to gale force at times. Birds are clearly in short supply in the near parts of the English Channel at the moment since seawatching at the Bill produced nothing more than 23 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Common Scoter, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Curlew.

                                                 

  

   Osprey - Portland Bill, July 1st 2004 © Martin Cade

  July 1st Despite auspicious precedents, the prevailing cool, blustery westerly weather conditions promised precious little in the way of rarities this year, so a surprise early autumn migrant in the form of an Osprey that flew south down the island and left out to sea was a welcome sighting during the morning. A singing Garden Warbler at the Obs was also unexpected, but otherwise the best the Bill area could turn up was an overflying Curlew and 8 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Common Scoter passing on the sea.

June 2004

June 30th A quiet end to a quiet month. Swifts continued to trickle through overhead but the only birds on the land at the Bill were the Pheasant and the first Robin for several weeks in the Obs garden, Seawatching at the Bill produced 40 Common Scoter and 4 Sandwich Terns. June 29th Poor reward again today, with the best of a poor showing at the Bill being the Pheasant, a Curlew and a Reed Warbler; a few more Swifts and a Sand Martin also passed through overhead; the sea came up with just 21 Common Scoter and a single Sandwich Tern. In the evening Ferrybridge produced a Redshank and a Curlew amongst small numbers of commoner waders; dispersing Black-headed Gulls are increasing in number there, but the count of Little Terns dwindled to just 3. June 28th Odds and sods at the Bill included a few Swifts and 2 Sand Martins passing overhead, a new Chiffchaff trapped at the Obs, the long-staying Pheasant still in Top Fields, the 2 island-bred family parties of Ravens making a brief visit and a Manx Shearwater and a Sandwich Tern lingering offshore.

                                                 

  

   Little Tern - Ferrybridge, June 27th 2004 © Martin Cade

  June 27th Extremely quiet today, with the only news from the Bill being of seawatching that produced just 4 Common Scoter, 3 Manx Shearwaters and a Sandwich Tern. At Ferrybridge this evening the only Little Terns present were flocked on the shoreline, with the breeding colony on Chesil Beach appearing to have been deserted (Fox predation is reported to have devastated the colony again this year). June 26th Miserable wet and breezy conditions returned and again kept birding to a minimum. A Storm Petrel lingered off the Bill for a while early in the morning, but otherwise seawatching there produced just 14 Common Scoter, 4 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Curlews and 2 Sandwich Terns. Swifts were passing overhead in quantity, with more than 500 flying south into the wind over the Bill. Of further interest at the Bill, the well-watched Little Owls in the Obs Quarry have bred successfully - a very vocal juvenile was on view there today. June 25th Quieter weather today allowed more birding on the land, where a Sand Martin, a Grey Wagtail, a Reed Warbler and a Willow Warbler were new arrivals at the Bill; the long-staying Pheasant was seen again there. Offshore, Manx Shearwaters trickled westwards, with 131 passing the Bill during the morning, and 8 Common Scoter and 8 Curlew also passed through. June 24th Despite quite an improvement in the weather nothing of note was found on the land and it was left to seawatching at the Bill - that produced just 25 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Common Scoter and an Arctic Skua - to salvage some interest from the day. June 23rd An unseasonably stormy day, with winds strong enough to not only devastate the warden's carefully nurtured sweet-pea patch but also to break substantial branches from trees in the Obs garden. In such conditions seawatching was the only birding possible, although this proved to be less rewarding than anticipated, with just a steady passage of Gannets, 26 Manx and a Balearic Shearwater, 4 Great and an Arctic Skua, and 3 Common Scoter off the Bill. A similar assortment off Chesil Cove early in the day included 2 Great and an Arctic Skua. June 22nd Precious little to report from what little birding was done before the first substantial rain for many weeks set in late in the morning. A Chiffchaff and a Pheasant were at the Bill, where 9 Common Scoter also passed through on the sea. June 21st A day with more of a feel of early autumn than late spring, with 52 Common Scoter moving down-Channel off the Bill and a Sand Martin leaving to the south from there; likely autumn returnees at Ferrybridge included 33 Dunlin, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Black-headed Gull. The only obvious late spring arrival was a Reed Warbler in song at the Bill.

                                                 

   

   Waterspout - Portland Bill, June 20th 2004 © Martin Cade

  June 20th Single Reed Warblers were new arrivals at the Bill and Verne Common, but the only other news was of seawatching at the Bill where the 16 Common Scoter, 4 Manx Shearwaters and 1 Arctic Skua that passed through were somewhat eclipsed by the sighting of a distant waterspout. June 19th A surprise flurry of late migrants/failed breeders perked things up a little today, with a Whinchat, a Sedge Warbler, a Chiffchaff and a Spotted Flycatcher all new arrivals at the Bill; the long-staying Pheasant there was the only other sighting of note. June 18th Another new Chiffchaff trapped at the Obs was the only worthwhile sighting on the land, whilst seawatching there produced nothing more than 15 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Common Scoter and 2 commic terns. June 17th The arrival of much fresher, windier weather did nothing to improve the bird situation on the land, with the only news being of a trickle of Swifts overhead, a lone Chiffchaff at the Bill and 26 Dunlin and 3 Sanderling at Ferrybridge. During the afternoon Manx Shearwaters were on the move in some numbers off the Bill, where the first 2 Balearic Shearwaters of the summer also passed through.

                                                 

   

   Coal Tit - Portland Bill, June 16th 2004 © Martin Cade

  June 16th A juvenile Coal Tit was a most unexpected capture in the Obs garden this morning, but the only other reports were of a Reed Warbler and a Chiffchaff at the Bill. June 15th Flaming June continues to provide clear blue skies and hot sunshine, but noteworthy birds remain at a premium. Seven hours mist-netting in the Obs garden produced not a single bird, whilst the only worthwhile sightings elsewhere were of a couple of Chiffchaffs at the Bill, a lone Reed Warbler at Barleycrates Lane, 4 Manx Shearwaters passing on the sea off the Bill and 13 Dunlin and a Sanderling at Ferrybridge. June 14th The search for another June rarity is proving to be hard work and less than rewarding, with today producing nothing better than a light passage of Swifts overhead and 3 Chiffchaffs and a Reed Warbler at the Bill. Wader passage seems to petering out at Ferrybridge, where there were just 19 Dunlin in the evening. June 13th Virtually a repeat of yesterday, with 2 Chiffchaffs and a Pheasant at the Bill and 17 Manx Shearwaters and 8 Common Scoter passing on the sea there. Waders at Ferrybridge included 19 Dunlin and 10 Sanderling. June 12th More of the same today. Two Chiffchaffs, a Pheasant and a Sedge Warbler were the only noteworthy sightings on the land at the Bill, where 7 Common Scoter and 6 Manx Shearwaters passed through offshore. In the evening 25 Dunlin and 19 Sanderling were at Ferrybridge. June 11th Back to form today, with little of interest reported from the island. Six Chiffchaffs and a Turtle Dove were at the Bill and Southwell, where there were also a few Swifts and a Hobby overhead. Two Common Scoter, a Manx Shearwater and a Sandwich Tern passed through off the Bill and a lone Curlew was the pick of the waders at Ferrybridge. June 10th Unfortunately, today's quality June rarity - a Greenish Warbler in the Obs garden during the morning - proved to be no more than the most fleeting of visitors. The only other news was of 3 Chiffchaffs, a Pheasant and a Curlew at the Bill, and 30 Dunlin and 14 Sanderling at Ferrybridge. June 9th Very few interesting sightings today, with just 2 Chiffchaffs, a Pheasant, a Turtle Dove and a Reed Warbler at the Bill, and 11 Common Scoter and 3 Great Skuas passing on the sea there.

                                                 

       

  Transit of Venus and Red-backed Shrike - Portland Bill and Reap Lane, June 8th 2004 © Martin Cade

  June 8th Just when it looked like the highlight of the day would be views of the transit of Venus across the Sun, a Red-backed Shrike was found at Reap Lane to at least provide some bird interest. The only other news was of 2 Chiffchaffs and a Pheasant at the Bill and 15 Common Scoter, 6 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Sandwich Terns passing through on the sea there. June 7th Another hot, sunny day that had seemed as birdless as recent days until a Black Kite and another raptor - perhaps a second Black Kite - flew north over Weston and Easton late in the afternoon. The only other news was of 4 Chiffchaffs and 2 Reed Warblers at the Bill, 24 commic terns, 18 Common Scoter, 4 Sandwich Terns, a Manx Shearwater and a Black-headed Gull passing on the sea off the Bill and 40 Dunlin, 8 Sanderling, a Grey Plover and a Redshank at Ferrybridge. June 6th Still precious little to report, with the Bill area producing just 3 Reed Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Curlew and a Blackcap; 14 passing Common Scoter were the only birds of note on the sea there. June 5th A touch of the summer doldrums today, with clear blue skies, hot sunshine and few birds. The most obvious new arrivals were 49 Sanderling at Ferrybridge, where there were also 70 Dunlin. The only reports from the rest of the island were of 2 Chiffchaffs, a Wheatear, a Blackcap and a Spotted Flycatcher at the Bill, and another Spotted Flycatcher at Barleycrates Lane. June 4th There were high hopes of another decent June rarity when the day dawned with overcast skies and a few spots of rain. In the event all that could be found at the Bill were 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, one of the long-staying Pheasants, a Grey Wagtail, a Sedge Warbler, a Blackcap, a Garden Warbler and a Willow Warbler; 48 Common Scoter and 3 Manx Shearwaters passed through on the sea. June 3rd No sign of the Common Rosefinches today, so it was left to a handful of tardy migrants to provide some interest. Two Turtle Doves, 2 Reed Warblers, a Grey Wagtail and a Spotted Flycatcher were in the Bill area, 3 more Spotted Flycatchers and 2 Chiffchaffs were at Weston Street and 46 Dunlin and 2 Sanderling were at Ferrybridge. Seawatching at the Bill produced a steady passage of Gannets, along with 17 Manx Shearwaters, 11 commic terns, 9 Sandwich Terns, 6 Common Scoter and a Mallard.

                                                 

  

   Common Rosefinch - Southwell, June 2nd 2004 © Steve Arlow

  June 2nd Yesterday's 'red' Common Rosefinch was found again at Verne Common, although it remained extremely elusive; in the evening a 'brown' male was discovered lurking in a weedy field at Southwell, where it too proved tricky to see. It was otherwise still very quiet, with 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and a Garden Warbler the only noteworthy migrants at the Bill. June 1st With a wet and foggy night having delivered nothing more than a couple of Chiffchaffs and a Garden Warbler to the Bill area it was quite a surprise when a singing adult male Common Rosefinch was found at Verne Common early in the afternoon; unfortunately it proved to be no more than a fleeting visitor and later searches drew a blank. Small numbers of Manx Shearwaters remained off the Bill and 2 Sanderling were the best of the waders at Ferrybridge.

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.