22nd October

Another vismig day, with heavy cloud cover that rolled in right after dawn dropping a substantial passage to the sort of height where it could be readily appreciated. Wood Pigeons topped the tally over the Bill where c9000 passed through, with a peculiarity being flocks still moving well into the afternoon; 1080 Linnets, 880 Goldfinches, 180 Meadow Pipits, 140 Starlings and 75 Chaffinches made up the bulk of the rest of the numbers, with the paltry totals of just 5 Siskins, 3 Reed Buntings, 2 Bramblings and a Redpoll indicating that it was numbers rather than variety that were to the fore. In a brisk westerly it was particularly uninspiring on the ground: single Yellow-browed Warblers were either side of Southwell and lingering odds and sods at the Bill included 2 Firecrests, a Merlin and a Whinchat but the general feel was for new arrivals being few and far between. Three Balearic Shearwaters and an Arctic Skua passed by on the sea the Bill.

There was some exciting news today of the first hit on our MOTUS receiver which, very pertinently considering events this month, involved a Yellow-browed Warbler. Due to various logistical difficulties we don't yet know the bird's full history but the gist of things is that it was first tagged in the Amsterdam area of The Netherlands early in the month; it remained in that vicinity for a few days before moving southwest where it was logged passing several receivers in the Rotterdam area. The logging over the Obs was at 21:15 on 13th - fuller details of this birds movements once we can interrogate the system more fully tomorrow:


Back to today and, as has become the case so often at this time of year (...it didn't always used to be like this), the most impressive feature of the day was the multitude of pigeons overhead - often in multi-layered flocks like they are here:


One thing that was quite conspicuous when the flocks were low enough to be able to properly scrutinize them was the apparent proportion of Stock Doves involved in the passage:


This flock of c218 pigeons were low enough that we can enlarge the original photograph enough to be able to fully resolve the Stock Doves - there were 27 in the flock which is 12% of the total. Were there 12% Stock Doves in all the flocks that made up the day's total of 9000 'Wood Pigeons' logged? - frankly, nobody's got a clue. It'll be 9000 Wood Pigeons that are logged in our official records but if 12% - c1000 - were actually Stock Doves then that's a pretty crappy bit of 'science' we were engaged in © Martin Cade: 

21st October

Today had an at times lovely feel to it, with heavily overcast skies and what little breeze there was dropping away to nothing as the morning wore on; heavy rain lurked only a little way out in the Channel for the duration but only made it ashore once during the afternoon. Given the conditions, a strong overhead passage was the day's surprise package at the Bill, with 1380 Linnets easily their highest count of the season to date; 830 Wood Pigeons, 780 Goldfinches, 470 Meadow Pipits, 290 Chaffinches, 195 Starlings, 118 Siskins, 110 Pied Wagtails, 60 Swallows, 27 Skylarks, 9 Greenfinches, 5 Reed Buntings and a Brambling were among the other totals there. The Southwell area accounted for the best of the quality on the ground, with 3 Yellow-browed Warblers, 3 Ring Ouzels, a Cetti's Warbler, a Dartford Warbler and a late Yellow Wagtail scattered about; the Bill chipped in with 4 Firecrests, a Merlin and a Black Redstart among a varied selection of late October regulars, whilst a wing-barred warbler considered not to be a Yellow-browed Warbler was an intriguing if unfortunately barely more than subliminal sighting at Easton. Yesterday's barren seascape was replaced by an offshore vista of wall to wall Mediterranean Gulls: a good 500 were a constant presence off the Bill, where 9 Balearic Shearwaters, 4 Sandwich Terns and a Great Skua also passed by. The Ferrybridge Brent Goose flock remained at around the 400 mark, with not a single one of them a juvenile.

One of the day's Firecrests at the Bill © Jodie Henderson:

20th October

What a damp squib Storm Ashley was: talked up to be something akin to a Michael Fish-esque hurricane, in reality it struggled to get to gale force in this part of the world and had nothing but a negative influence on the quality of the birding. Seawatching at the Bill was akin to watching paint dry, with 55 Kittiwakes and 7 Balearic Shearwaters hardly qualifying as rewards amongst the steady trickle of Gannets; a likely Sabines Gull through off Church Ope and shortly afterwards the Bill would have been a nice highlight but seemingly escaped being fully clinched from either watchpoint. Very little effort was made on the land, with 3 Redwings and a Firecrest at the Obs the only reports worth a mention.

19th October

A day that could easily have gone either way: another dose of overnight rain might have dropped one of the falls of the autumn or, alternatively, stopped everything moving - needless to say we drew the short straw. That wasn't to saw it was entirely dead, with the likes of a Dartford Warbler, a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Hawfinch at Avalanche Road, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers and a Black Redstart at Thumb Lane, another Yellow-browed Warbler at Southwell School, a Short-eared Owl at Godnor and a Firecrest at the Bill available to provide some entertainment. However, commoner grounded arrivals were very sparsely spread and included nothing in quantity beyond Chiffchaffs aplenty in the leafy trees around the centre of the island. It remained busier overhead although still far less busy than might have been expected under sunny skies, with 280 Meadow Pipits, 260 Goldfinches, 160 Wood Pigeons, 140 Linnets, 100 Swallows, 90 Pied Wagtails and 22 Siskins providing the numbers over the Bill. Mediterranean Gulls continued to feature strongly, with 300 off the Bill where a lone Great Skua also passed by.

A very late Garden Warbler at Thumb Lane Portland, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers here too @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social @orioleglen66.bsky.social @garyboiler.bsky.social #ukbirding 🪶

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— Nick Bond (@nickbond007.bsky.social) October 19, 2024 at 5:18 PM

General decline in migrant moth nos continued overnight at the Obs: first Small Mottled Willow for a while; 3 Gems and 2 Vestal the best of the rest

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 19, 2024 at 10:29 AM

18th October


   Comet A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) over the Obs yesterday evening © Guy Edwardes guyedwardes.com

Today's long and varied list might give the impression of it being a bit of a ripper of day but in reality it was a day of multiple frustrations, with few of the scarcer migrants being appreciated by a wide audience. The first Pallas's Warbler of the autumn that showed up at Avalanche Road vanished just as quickly as it had been glimpsed, a Common Rosefinch passed straight through overhead at the Bill and none of the day's 4 Yellow-browed Warblers proved easy to pin down. Under mainly clear skies visible passage accounted for the bulk of the day's numbers, with 6000 Wood Pigeons, 710 Linnets, 355 Jackdaws, 200 Meadow Pipits, 180 Goldfinches, 170 Chaffinches, 110 Pied Wagtails, 53 Siskins, 31 Skylarks and an assortment of lower totals including a single Woodlark through over the Bill. On the ground, a typical October miscellany included 3 Ring Ouzels at Penn's Weare and singles of Merlin, Black Redstart and Firecrest at the Bill, with a noticeably arrival of Wrens and late singles of Whinchat, Reed Warbler and Garden Warbler also of note there; commoner migrants weren't well-reported from the centre of the island but arrivals of 25 each of Blackcap and Chiffchaff at the Bill suggested there would have been plenty to have got amongst in the better quality cover elsewhere. Mediterranean Gulls continued to dominate off the Bill where 920 headed west, presumably having left roost in Weymouth Bay; 90 Common Gulls, 2 Arctic Skuas, a Balearic Shearwater and a Yellow-legged Gull also passed by there.

Not such good overnight mothing conditions at the Obs but still a fair number of migrants on the wing incl a Toadflax Pearl catalaunalis - from underneath you can see how the previous vernacular, Spanish Dot, was quite appropriate.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 18, 2024 at 3:44 PM

17th October

Seeing the back of the last few day's rain and gloomy skies perked up spirits today and did no harm to the quality and quantity of migrants on offer around and about. The star turn was put in by the second Radde's Warbler in less than a week - this one turned up in a mist-net in the Crown Estate Field - but Yellow-browed Warblers at the Obs, Thumb Lane and Avalanche Road, the continuing Hen Harrier at the Bill and 2 Dartford Warblers and singles of Caspian Gull and Cetti's Warbler also at the Bill provided a nice bit of variety to tap into. The conditions were rather too fair for a large arrival on the ground but that was more than compensated for by diurnal migrants getting going again overhead, where 715 Wood Pigeons, 420 Meadow Pipits, 330 Goldfinches, 260 Linnets, 160 Chaffinches, 136 Starlings, 75 Pied Wagtails, 50 Swallows, 50 Skylarks, 11 Redwings, 10 Siskins, 2 Bramblings and a Redpoll were amongst the movers over the Bill. Some good patches of Chiffchaffs were still in evidence around the centre of the island but, overall, it was variety rather than numbers that impressed on the ground: seasonable migrants were all represented, with 15 Goldcrests, 11 Reed Buntings, 4 Black Redstarts, a Merlin, a Firecrest and late singles of Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat and Reed Warbler all of note at the Bill. Offshore, 200 Mediterranean Gulls lingered off the Bill where 2 Arctic Skuas and a Balearic Shearwater passed by.

We've had the good fortune to stumble upon quite a few Radde's Warblers in mist-nets over the years but the sight of today's bird quietly laying upside down in the bottom panel of a net in one of the maize patches in the Crown Estate Field was momentarily heart-stopping: with the sun on its apricot undertail coverts and yellow flanks it looked dazzlingly bright; you also forget how big and chunky they are for a phyllosc which, together with the startling head pattern and swarthy bronzy-green upperparts that all became visible as we approached it, sent thoughts racing towards things much, much rarer. It's not often that you come across a Radde's Warbler but end up faintly disappointed that that's all it is! © Martin Cade:




This morning's Caspian Gull on the Bill Common was a fine specimen that would have been more widely appreciated were it not for a typically moronic 'wouldn't it be fun to see it fly' Portland dog-walker who chucked a ball right at it for their mutt to chase after © Joe Stockwell:




The Bill Hen Harrier continued to show nicely at times © Martin King:




There's certainly a feeling in recent days that we've been a wee bit unlucky when it comes to scarcities - on any number of other migration headlands/islands at the moment today's tardy Whinchat would have been a Siberian Stonechat © Joe Stockwell...


...and yesterday's late Tree Pipit would have been an Olive-backed Pipit. Such is life © Martin Cade:


On the plus side, there are so many cool birds about at this time of year - Dartford Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Reed Bunting © Martin Cade:




The most varied migrant moth catch of the week at the Obs last night incl a Yellow-underwing Pearl gilvata; most totals a little down but still incl 32 vitrealis, 29 Scarce Bordered Straw, 3 Gem, 2 White-speck & 1 Vestal. Another Marbled Fern nitidalis on the Obs lounge windows after dark

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 17, 2024 at 3:50 PM

Another Yellow-underwing Pearl gilvata to add to last night's migrant moth tally: this one's from our garden moth-trap at the Grove

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 17, 2024 at 5:39 PM

16th October

With trench foot becoming an increasingly likely affliction for fieldworkers to contend with, another overnight bucketload of rain wasn't welcome; however, on this occasion it did at least drop a little flurry of seasonable fare in the form of Redwings and Goldcrests - totals of 60 and 15 respectively were logged at the Bill with plenty more of each around the centre of the island. For once, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps weren't anywhere near as well represented as their season of plenty begins to fizzle out, but new Blackbirds, Wrens and Robins were relatively numerous everywhere and further interest at the Bill included 2 Ring Ouzels, 2 Black Redstarts and singles of Mistle Thrush and Fieldfare (both firsts for the autumn), Merlin, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail and Yellow-browed Warbler (a lingerer); further Yellow-browed Warblers were at the Mermaid and the Borstal Park. It was rather too murky for a strong overhead passage to develop but 125 Chaffinches was a worthwhile total over the Bill, where 130 Kittiwakes, 3 Arctic Skuas and a Balearic Shearwater passed by on the sea. Ferrybridge seems to have escaped close attention just lately, so counts of 295 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, a Pale-bellied Brent and a Black-tailed Godwit along with the regular waders were useful.

This year's in-field Yellow-browed Warblers don't seem to have been especially photogenic - perhaps for the simple reason that in the sheltered hinterland the sycamores are still fantastically leafy © Joe Stockwell: 


At the already much more leafless Obs there was a real sight for sore eyes in the form of Goldcrests aplenty flittering about in the sycamores; in truth there was only a pretty rubbish total of them - maybe only just into double figures - but such has been their paucity in recent years that it seemed like a memorable fall! © Martin Cade:


This ought to be the peak period for autumn Ring Ouzels but they've been infrequent and sparsely spread so far - this nice specimen was on view today in the Strips at the Bill © Jodie Henderson


The winter's first Pale-bellied Brent amongst the burgeoning flock of Dark-bellied Brents at Ferrybridge © Ralph Todd:


And one we forgot to post a day or two back - the Thumb Lane Black Redstart © Ralph Todd:

Still not really getting the feel for migrant moths having come too far: another good catch last night at the Obs but all quite routine incl 65 vitrealis, 30 Scarce Bordered Straw, 3 Gem, 1 Vestal.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 16, 2024 at 1:22 PM

15th October

After a spell of half-decent passage we seem to have slipped out of the groove over the last couple of days, with overnight rain and murky skies at dawn today not dropping the arrival of thrushes that could so easily have been in the offing. In fact the conditions dropped very little of consequence save for a new Yellow-browed Warbler at Culverwell; whether the additional Yellow-broweds clocked at Avalanche Road and Thumb Lane were also new arrivals or emerging lingerers remains to be seen. What small arrival of thrushes there was consisted of 28 Redwings at Thumb Lane and another dozen at the Bill; Chiffchaff numbers seemed to have fallen away everywhere and there was precious little else uncovered on the ground bar a Great Spotted Woodpecker at Avalanche and the lingering singles of Hen Harrier at the Bill and Black Redstart at Thumb Lane. Overhead passage was stronger, with 810 Linnets 312 Chaffinches, 150 Goldfinches and 69 Siskins making up the bulk of the numbers over the Bill; singles of Great White Egret, Little Egret, Lapwing, Snipe and Brambling were among the lower totals there. Singles of Balearic Shearwater and Arctic Skua passed by off the Bill along with 600 auks and 400 Mediterranean Gulls.

Very big catch of presumably fairly short-distance migrant arrivals in the Obs moth-traps last night incl 88 Olive-tree Pearls vitrealis = their highest ever Portland total; 205 ferrugalis & 31 Scarce Bordered Straw = their highest totals this year; 3 Vestals & 1 Gem the only minor scarcities.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 15, 2024 at 11:30 AM

14th October

A day that didn't really deliver on the promise that overnight rain, a diminishing breeze and the arrival of sudden mildness had provided. Yellow-browed Warblers at Thumb Lane and Avalanche were presumably new arrivals, the Hen Harrier at the Bill continued to entertain and odds and ends like Merlin, Snipe, Woodlark, Whinchat and Dartford Warbler at the Bill and single Black Redstarts at Thumb Lane and Shepherds Croft were of interest but it otherwise proved hard to get beyond standard mid-October fare on the ground or overhead: good patches of Chiffchaffs, Robins and the like were on offer here and there on the ground, a few new Blackbirds and Song Thrushes were in evidence and routine Meadow Pipits, finches and the like trickled through overhead. With the exception of 200 Mediterranean Gulls, 31 Common Scoter and a Red-throated Diver the sea too was pretty bereft of interest.

Mid-October staples: Long-tailed Tit and Stonechat © Joe Stockwell...



...and Chiffchaff © Martin Cade:


13th October

Something of nothing today: the Radde's Warbler remained at Wakeham although this wasn't established until well into the afternoon after most of its prospective viewers had departed; the lingering Hen Harrier at the Bill was more widely-appreciated but the only likely new arrival of interest was a Yellow-browed Warbler at Wakeham. Wood Pigeons were again on the move overhead in some quantity, with 4390 departing over the Bill where 270 Jackdaws, 150 Swallows and 70 Chaffinches made up the bulk of the other visible passage. On the ground Chiffchaffs continued to arrive in fair numbers including 60 at the Bill and a good spread involving plenty of higher totals elsewhere; most other seasonable fare - with the exceptions of thrushes - was represented, although interest didn't really get beyond the level of 5 Firecrests, singles of Merlin, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Black Redstart, and a party of 8 Long-tailed Tits getting all the way out to Culverwell that were most probably of local rather than more distant origin. In a gentle northerly anything from the sea was a bonus, so 575 Mediterranean Gulls, 240 Kittiwakes, 3 Teal and 2 Brent Geese, a Sooty Shearwater and an Arctic Skua through or lingering was a fair return from the Bill.

The Hen Harrier was at times putting on a great show © Mark Richards:

12th October

The close proximity at dawn of a wodge of rain running along the Channel bore enticing similarities to the weather make up a couple of days ago but there the parallels with that day ended, since it was quickly apparent that migrants weren't dropped in quantity today. However, that disappointment was more than made up for by the discovery at Wakeham of the autumn's first Radde's Warbler, together with 2 or more Yellow-browed Warblers at Southwell and the continuing presence of the Hen Harrier at the Bill. An early flurry of 72 Redwings and plenty of new Robins provided the bulk of the common migrant interest at the Bill; Chiffchaffs - perhaps mainly lingerers? - were still present in quantity throughout the middle of the island, but singles of Ring Ouzel at Avalanche and Grasshopper Warbler at the Bill were as good as it got by way of further variety on the ground. Overhead passage was also less than impressive: relatively small numbers of Wood Pigeons, Skylarks, Swallows and Linnets trickled over at the Bill and 3 each of Brambling and Siskin, and a lone Yellow Wagtail were the only oddities in their midst. Four each of Balearic Shearwater, Brent Goose and Arctic Skua, and a lone Sandwich Tern passed by on the sea at the Bill.

Whilst no longer having quite the cachet it once did, Radde's Warbler is still a great bird to find in the field at Portland - the discovery of 11 of the previous 17 island records required no field skills whatsoever since all related to birds found trapped in mist-nets © Nick Hopper (top) and Martin Cade (bottom):



Although always typically furtive and reluctant to show itself for more than a second or two at a time, today's bird was helpfully vocal © Nick Hopper:



Crest numbers remain catastrophically low - was this Goldcrest behind the Fire Station really the only one on the whole island today? © Martin Cade:

11th October

Another day of lovely birding conditions and, although not quite as good as yesterday for numbers, certainly packed with bags of variety both on the ground and overhead. Chiffchaffs fell back to about the 100 level at the Bill where Blackcaps only managed half that total, but it was variety that was to the fore with 3 more Yellow-browed Warblers and singles of Hen Harrier, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Cetti's Warbler and Dartford Warbler there and 2 Ring Ouzel, a Black Redstart and another Yellow-browed Warbler (the latter at Verne Common) available further up-island. Overhead passage included good early showings of Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws including 2880 and 265 respectively over the Bill and more from other watchpoints; further Bill totals included 650 Meadow Pipits, 205 Pied Wagtails, 200 Swallows, 125 Chaffinches, 50 House Martins, 25 Stock Doves, 22 Starlings, 7 Bramblings, 3 Redpolls, a Barnacle Goose and a Golden Plover. The sea wasn't entirely outdone, with 1500 auks, 300 Mediterranean Gulls, 54 Common Scoter, 20 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Great Northern Divers and singles of Brent Goose, Teal, Arctic Skua and a likely Caspian Gull through off the Bill.

The Barnacle Goose high over the Obs © Joe Stockwell:


Our sound recorder was running at the time the bird flew right over Obs and captured the moment that it calls loudly and then Joe, who was in the adjacent hut fields, shouts equally loudly - despite this it was missed by everyone on the Obs patio!


Ring-tail Hen Harrier top fields seen from Sweet Hill campsite couple of mins ago @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

— TAC Birds (@tacbirds.bsky.social) October 11, 2024 at 6:28 PM


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— TAC Birds (@tacbirds.bsky.social) October 11, 2024 at 8:47 PM

Portland this morning with an early mid autumn friendly Black Redstart

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— philc72.bsky.social (@philc72.bsky.social) October 11, 2024 at 4:51 PM

Another good ringing day at the Bill: total of 108 between the Obs, Crown Estate Field and Culverwell included 2 more Yellow-browed Warblers and the first Dartford Warbler of the year; 65 CCs made up the bulk of the numbers with a late Tree Pipit among the lower totals

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 11, 2024 at 11:41 PM

Quieter mothing at the Obs in cooler conditions overnight although a Figure of Eight a good record for here (fewer than 10 island records); Mallow also a first for the year

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 11, 2024 at 4:55 PM

10th October

A whopper of a fall today precipitated by a perfectly-placed oblique - northwest to southeast - weather front lying so close to Portland at dawn that mizzly damp was in the air for the first hour of daylight. For several hours migrants streamed in off the sea into the waft of a northerly breeze, with newcomers still evident in smaller numbers way into the afternoon; Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were overwhelmingly dominant at the Bill, with both numbering up towards 300 (had coverage been better during the peak of the movement this estimate may well have been found to be wanting), whilst 4 Yellow-browed Warblers, 2 Grasshopper Warblers and singles of Greylag Goose, Merlin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Woodlark, Ring Ouzel, Dartford Warbler, Firecrest and Brambling provided scarcity interest there and some overhead passage included the usual suspects in relatively small numbers along with the first 230 departing Wood Pigeons of the season and some afternoon southbound passage of a few dozen Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The centre of the island was initially quiet but by afternoon discoveries there had included 4 Firecrests, 3 Yellow-browed Warblers and singles of Hobby and Black Redstart.

A non-British Yellow Wagtail of some sort at the Bill this morning © Joe Stockwell:



Very successful ringing day in perfect conditions at the Bill: 197 ringed incl 88 CCs and 80 Bcaps; 3 Yellow-browed Warblers, 2 more late Grasshopper Warblers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and even a Goldcrest (only the second of the autumn) the best of the rest

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 10, 2024 at 10:48 PM

Tail-end of the mildish weather before some cooler nights proved to be OK for migrant moths at the Obs last night: 45 Delicates and 4 White-specks their autumn peaks to date; among the residents Radford's Flame Shoulder got to 300 for the first time - nearly 200 in this one 40w actinic trap!

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 10, 2024 at 10:59 PM

Also of migrant moth interest: a full-grown Convolvulus Hawk caterpillar found today in John Lucas' garden at Southwell

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 10, 2024 at 11:17 PM

9th October

With the remains of Hurricane Kirk just about visible on the far southern horizon it was a considerable surprise that today's weather was so quiet, pleasant and eminently birdable. Maybe with the passage of this weather system in mind migrants weren't exactly making the most of clear skies to pour south but 400 Meadow Pipits, 200 Pied Wagtails, 140 Linnets, 85 Goldfinches, 65 Chaffinches, 32 Skylarks and 18 Siskins were fair little tallies over the Bill, where Swallows for the most part baulked at the sea-crossing and lingered in the low hundreds all afternoon, a single Cattle Egret passed through and, curiously, some Raven movement was evident with 14 heading through high overhead in various directions. With the exception of some good patches of Chiffchaffs - most cover around the centre of the island was dripping with them - grounded totals weren't so impressive: 5 Yellow-browed Warblers and singles of Ring Ouzel, Black Redstart and Jay in the Thumb Lane/Avalanche/Weston Street area and 2 Firecrests and a Grasshopper Warbler at the Bill were nice and there were welcome signs everywhere of a few thrushes and Reed Buntings beginning to show up, but amongst the absentees there wasn't a single report of a Goldcrest anywhere. The light and increasingly offshore breeze didn't favour the sea: more than 150 Mediterranean Gulls were lingering off the Bill but 4 passing Balearic Shearwaters were the only 'proper' seabirds worth a mention there.

Good catch of 88 Swallows boosted the day's ringing total at the Bill to 155 - the highest so far this month; 20 Bcaps and 13 CCs - the former surely being missed in quantity by the fieldworkers - the only other double figure totals; first 2 Redwings of the autumn + Gropper and Reed W also of note..

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 9, 2024 at 10:24 PM

...weirdest ringing event was the catching at Culverwell of an already-ringed Blue Tit that it turns out has strayed from Ian Dodd's garden at Littlesea, Weymouth (first ringed there in January). Blue Tits ringed here have gone to N Dorset & Hants but we've never before caught one ringed elsewhere

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 9, 2024 at 10:33 PM

Migrant moth nos plummeted during the last two nights of grotty weather - two nights on one page in the notebook is always a bad sign - but the first Flame Brocade of the autumn nice to see amongst the residents

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 9, 2024 at 10:41 PM

8th October

A day to forget in a hurry, full of the sort of malevolent weather that saw enough sunshine to tempt you to open a mist-net or head out birding only to have to scuttle for cover a few minutes later as yet another biblically heavy cloudburst rolled in off the Channel. Meaningful coverage was well nigh impossible and the only semi-worthwhile reports from the Bill were of singles of Golden Plover, Firecrest and Spotted Flycatcher on the land and a lone Balearic Shearwater through on the sea; elsewhere, a Yellow-legged Gull dropped in at Ferrybridge.

7th October

Not an especially easy day for rewarding fieldwork in a blustery southwesterly and with a nasty downpour during the morning soaking those who were too far from cover. The Red-breasted Flycatcher remained at the Obs where, despite remaining in the canopy of the same clump of trees pretty well all day, it proved to be remarkably difficult to get any sort of views of; a new Yellow-browed Warbler also showed up at the Obs, whilst 3 or 4 others popped up from time to time either side of Southwell. Chiffchaffs remained numerous everywhere but migrant interest was otherwise rather limited: a decent passage of 775 Linnets, 370 Meadow Pipits, 105 Goldfinches, 55 Pied Wagtails and 22 Skylarks passed overhead at the Bill, but 2 Firecrests and singles of Merlin, Reed Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher there and a Hobby still lingering over Old Hill were as good as it got for other migrants. Despite the promising-looking conditions the sea did no more than continue to tick over, with 850 auks, 82 Kittiwakes, 13 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Arctic Skuas and a Sooty Shearwater the best off the Bill.

The Red-breasted Flycatcher might have been a little sod to see but at times it was extremely vocal, with it favouring the simple (and usually incessant when it did get going) 'squeaky gate' call over the more usual rattle - here's a minute or so of it squeaking continually but only four times interspersing a little rattle:


6th October

Quality continues to have taken the place of quantity with the second Red-breasted Flycatcher of the weekend - this one at the Obs - the day's star bird; single Yellow-browed Warblers were also new in at the Crown Estate Field and Culverwell, with further presumably continuing birds (there are so many in the country that assuming that probably isn't at all safe) at Avalanche Road and Thumb Lane. Thorough coverage wasn't the order of the day, with sporadic mizzle setting in by mid-morning and a band of heavier rain passing through during the afternoon, but other morsels of interest uncovered included a scatter of 7 Firecrests and a Merlin on the land and 6 Balearic Shearwaters through off the Bill.

Today's Red-breasted Flycatcher was considerably trickier to get a good view of in the field than yesterday's Culverwell bird had been © Ralph Todd...


...so its beauty was best appreciated in the hand; adult males like this one are extremely rare for us: we can think of only two previous autumn records for the island - at Southwell on 19th-23rd September 1996 and at Pennsylvania Castle on 17th-18th November 2002 - whilst none of the spring birds have been adults © Martin Cade:




The Crown Estate Field Yellow-browed Warbler © Martin Cade:



Ringing numbers dropped off this weekend - just 25 birds ringed at the Bill today - but quality on the up: Red-breasted Fly and Yellow-browed Warbler both new for the year - the latter our first one coloured- ringed as part of a national project (>100 marked elsewhere in the UK so far this autumn)

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 6, 2024 at 11:18 PM

Always a wee bit too windy for really successful mothing at the Obs this weekend but fair numbers of routine migrants on both nights; first Oak Rustic of the season the best of residents

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) October 6, 2024 at 11:05 PM

5th October

Whilst still way, way short of East Coast levels of interest there's just the beginnings of positive signs of better quality migrants trickling down to our part of the world, with a Red-breasted Flycatcher at Culverwell and Yellow-browed Warblers at Avalanche Road and Thumb Lane today's minor highlights - we can only hope it'll keep getting better. Back-ups of note included the year's first Jay at Old Hill and - presumably the same individual - later over Easton, the first Redwing and Dartford Warbler of the autumn at Barleycrates Lane and the Bill respectively and 4 Firecrests, 2 Hobbys, a Merlin and a Ring Ouzel scattered about. Most areas of cover around the centre and north of the island were dripping with Chiffchaffs although other grounded arrivals weren't particularly numerous or varied, with only odds and ends like a late Spotted Flycatcher of note at the Bill. Overhead passage was stronger in places, with 1000 Swallows per hour estimated from sample counts at the Heights and 485 Linnets, 300 Swallows, 250 Meadow Pipits and 110 Goldfinches the most numerous movers over the Bill. The sea continued to tick over, with 1200 auks, 67 Mediterranean Gulls, 48 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Arctic Skuas, a Sooty Shearwater and a Great Skua the pick of the Bill totals.

Overkill on the Red-breasted Flycatcher photo front (with apologies to everyone else who also sent us photos) © Joe Stockwell (top), Nick Hopper (middle) and Roger Hewitt (bottom):




And one of the day's two Hobbys - this was the bird that lingered for a long time over Old Hill © Joe Stockwell:

My last full day at PBO @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social started with strongish S winds which increased after midday Then with sunshine only 26 birds of 10 species ringed, 2 Firecrest and a late Spotted Fly, the RBF at Culverwell avoided nets but seen well by many observers + 10 Chiffchaffs and 5 Robin

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) October 5, 2024 at 8:40 PM

4th October

From the bare bones of a few day-totals of, for example, Blackcap and Chiffchaff it might be construed that today was barely more than a match for yesterday but in reality it felt a lot more birdy and autumnal what with there being, amongst other things, a notable influx of Robins and the first day with even a small arrival of Song Thrushes in evidence. Chiffchaffs certainly continued to dominate on the ground, with a constant throughput - totalling maybe 100 - evident at the Bill, where Robins featured strongly (21 trapped and many more about) and Blackcaps totalled in the dozens; the first double-figure arrival of Song Thrushes was notable, whilst 2 early morning Ring Ouzels in Top Fields, a Hobby at Verne Common, a Black Redstart at Blacknor and 3 Lapwings and a Firecrest at the Bill were all of interest. Overhead passage at the Bill included 630 Linnets and 500 Meadow Pipits making up the bulk of the numbers, with variety that included 12 Cormorants, 2 Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk all departing to the south. Strong movements of auks and Kittiwakes - 1250 and 360 respectively - featured off the Bill, where 60 Mediterranean Gulls, 47 Common Gulls, 45 Common Scoter, 10 Balearic Shearwaters, 5 Eider, 4 Brent Geese, 2 Wigeon, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Sooty Shearwater made for some varied back-up.

6mphSE wind and cloud provided a real autumn feel @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social this being reaffirmed by arrival of Robins, 23 ,SongThrush 5 &Dunnocks 5 ringed along with new Great Tits and Goldcrest. In all 115 birds of 15 species were ringed, Chiffchaffs 35 and Blackcap 15 continue to feature.

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) October 4, 2024 at 7:03 PM

3rd October

Two more Yellow-browed Warblers - singles the Sweethill and the Obs - were the best of a day that didn't quite hit the mark at any level. Under clear, sunny skies grounded arrivals weren't numerous beyond a good spread of Chiffchaffs everywhere, with a scatter of 5 Firecrests, 3 Reed Warblers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and singles of Tree Pipit and Whinchat about as good as it got for infrequent/late migrants on the deck where, apart from a single Song Thrush, thrushes and Goldcrests remained entirely absent. The conditions favoured overhead passage but an early Hawfinch over the Obs proved to be a bit of a false dawn as numbers were far from special for early October; passage was only partially recorded but totals over the Obs included 1880 Meadow Pipits, 690 Swallows, 480 Linnets, 380 House Martins, 275 Pied Wagtails and 31 Skylarks, along with 22 Cormorants and singles of Sparrowhawk, Hobby and Lapwing amongst the lower totals; the likes of Siskin and Chaffinch that often feature so prominently at this juncture were again few and far between - their paltry totals today were 10 and 14 respectively. A few more waterfowl were on the move offshore, with 48 Common Scoter, 14 Dark-bellied and 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 12 Teal and a Wigeon - along with 200 Kittiwakes and 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls - through off the Bill. The Ferrybridge situation remained rather static, with 10 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Sanderling and a Knot the only waders of note.

The Sweethill Yellow-browed Warbler © Pete Saunders:


Brisk NE wind at clear dawn veering E by midday, with bright sunshine, did little to improve any chance of a big ringing total. 71 birds of 12 species from 3 sites ringed.Jodie's pool attracted Chiffchaffs but not the brief YBW! 33 in all with 13 B'cap, 3 Reed W,a Firecrest and Ad. Goldfinch.

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) October 3, 2024 at 6:25 PM

2nd October

Despite promising-looking conditions - lots of cloud and a fresh north-easterly - dawn was disappointingly quiet for migrants but the day proved to be a late-starter with a good arrival both on the ground and overhead ahead of the threat of rain towards mid-morning. The first Yellow-browed Warbler of the season put in an appearance at Thumb Lane and patches of cover everywhere overflowed with Chiffchaffs; at the same time a strong passage of Swallows and House Martins developed that, sadly, wasn't particularly well covered. Beyond the expected, variety on the ground was limited but did include singles of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Reed Warbler and Firecrest at the Bill, with a Hobby lingering for a while over Bill Hill. Some waterfowl passage at sea saw 44 Common Scoter, 19 Brent Geese, 15 Cormorants and a Teal - along with 20 Balearic Shearwaters - pass through off the Bill.

The juvenile Hobby lingered over Bill Hill and permitted unusually excellent views © Pete Saunders:



NE gusty wind with showers at midday resulted in 146 birds of 15 species ringed at 3 sites of @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social Chiffchaffs at 72 ,Blackcap at 28 and Meadow Pipits 18 were again dominant A Tree Pipit (pic),female Firecrest& Reed Warbler were the main interest to birders on the patio.

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) October 2, 2024 at 8:23 PM

1st October

Quite why there wasn't a Yellow-browed Warbler on the island today rather defied belief - the trees further up-island are still far too leafy and hard to work but we're not deaf - but that didn't deflect from it being a decent enough day for routine migration. Chiffchaffs were everywhere in good quantity, with evidence from the mist-nets suggesting Blackcaps were probably equally numerous if mostly audible rather than visible for the fieldworkers; other grounded arrivals weren't really a feature although good-sized groups of Stonechats and the like had aggregated in places, whilst oddities included 12 Bar-tailed Godwits dropping in at the Bill. Overhead passage was strong for a while after dawn but fizzled out quite quickly, with a sample count on West Cliffs coming up with 1535 Meadow Pipits, 510 Linnets, 175 Skylarks and lower totals of a good variety of other expected fare; a lone Cattle Egret also passed over at the Bill. In the fresh offshore breeze the sea offered limited rewards: Kittiwakes and auks were both got beyond 150 but 7 Balearic Shearwaters and 4 Arctic Skuas provided the only quality.

Dawn from CEField at dawn with NW wind later provided majority of birds ringed at PBO @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social today. 82 of 13 species incl.Snipe only 17th ever and 2nd this century,2 Sedge W & 5 Stonechat with 24 Meadow P, 11 CC, 17 B'cap being again the predominant species. Still awaiting YBW

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— Peter J Morgan (@pbo61.bsky.social) October 1, 2024 at 8:23 PM
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