September 2004

September 30th Whilst there was little sign of an upsurge in common migrant numbers, the appearance at Weston of a Rose-coloured Starling - albeit only briefly early in the morning - at least gave some hope that the recent barren spell for rarities might be coming to an end. Grounded migrants were at much the same level as recent days, and once the early drizzle and cloud had cleared there were again good numbers of birds passing overhead; the only scarcer migrants reported were one or more Ring Ouzels in the Church Ope Cove area. At sea there were encouraging signs of some decent down-Channel movement for the first time for several weeks, with 90 Common Scoter, 11 Great and 10 Arctic Skuas (as well as several more distant unidentified skuas) and a constant trickle of Kittiwakes passing the Bill through the day. September 29th Still not a lot to report despite promising-looking overcast skies and light showers around dawn. Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests were again the only migrants that were at all conspicuous on the ground, with a Firecrest at Barleycrates Lane and a Ring Ouzel at Avalanche Road the limit of the scarcer migrant interest. In spite of the heavy cloud cover there were plenty of migrants on the move overhead, with a 75 minute sample count at the Bill in the morning producing 520 Meadow Pipits, 275 Linnets, 250 Swallows, 173 alba wagtails, 40 Goldfinches, 12 Skylarks, 3 Grey Wagtails and 2 Yellow Wagtails leaving to the south. Sea interest was restricted to 46 Common Scoter passing the Bill. September 28th Interest dwindled still further today. Diurnal migrants were still on the move in small numbers, with a one hour count at the Bill in the morning producing totals of 275 Swallows, 240 Meadow Pipits, 215 Linnets, 139 alba wagtails, 48 Goldfinches, 9 Skylarks, 4 Grey Wagtails, 2 Yellow Wagtails and a Chaffinch flying south, but once again virtually the only grounded birds were a sprinkle of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests everywhere; a single Ring Ouzel at Avalanche Road was the only scarcer migrant found. Seawatching at the Bill produced 13 Common Scoter, a Brent Goose and an Arctic Skua. September 27th A much more pleasant day than the weather forecast suggested but, Swallows aside, common migrants were still in short supply. An hour-long sample count of visible passage at the Bill early in the morning provided totals of 200 Linnets, 155 alba wagtails, 130 Meadow Pipits, 62 Goldfinches, 20 Skylarks, 3 Chaffinches, 2 Grey Wagtails and a Golden Plover on the move and as the day went on Swallows got going in quantity, with more than 3000 passing through at the Bill. Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests were present in small numbers everywhere, but most other grounded migrants were reduced to just odd singles here and there. The sea produced 22 Common Scoter, a Great Skua and an Arctic Tern off the Bill, whilst waders at Ferrybridge included 93 Ringed Plover, 51 Dunlin and a Knot. September 26th Quite disappointing today with lower numbers of common migrants than in the last couple of days and nothing much in the way of oddities. Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests again dominated on the land, with the Bill area not really producing anything much scarcer than the first 2 Siskins of the autumn and singles of Purple Sandpiper, Redstart, Reed Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. Seawatching there produced 45 Common Scoter, 2 Gadwall and single Sooty and Balearic Shearwaters. Elsewhere around the island there was a Merlin at Verne Common, a Knot at Ferrybridge and an Arctic Tern at Chesil Cove. September 25th A much better day than most this month although a good deal quieter than yesterday, with visible passage all but ceasing as cloud increased from the north and rain eventually set in. The Bill area held 60 Chiffchaffs, 50 Goldcrests, 15 Blackcaps and a sprinkle of other common migrants; scarcities there included a Hen Harrier in Top Fields, a Merlin, a Cuckoo and a fly-over Lapland Bunting. Southwell held comparable numbers of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests, along with a Turtle Dove and a Ring Ouzel, whilst elsewhere there were single Ring Ouzels at East Weare and Cheyne Weare, and 2 Knot, a Merlin, a Curlew Sandpiper and the first 2 Brent Geese of the autumn at Ferrybridge. Sea passage picked up a little with 74 Common Scoter, 5 Golden Plovers, 4 Arctic and 2 Great Skuas, a Manx and a Balearic Shearwater, a Teal, an Eider, a Little Gull and a Puffin passing the Bill. September 24th After the recent prolonged lean spell normal service was well and truly resumed today with a good arrival of grounded common migrants and plenty of passage overhead. At the Bill counts of grounded migrants included 150 Chiffchaffs, 50 Goldcrests and 35 Blackcaps, with oddities there including a Merlin and a Firecrest. There were a lot more birds passing straight through, with a two and a half hour count on the West Cliffs producing totals including 3280 Meadow Pipits, 485 House Martins, 440 Swallows, 280 Linnets, 108 alba wagtails, 48 Skylarks, 6 Snipe and 2 Golden Plovers (all moving north into the brisk northerly wind); as the morning went on Meadow Pipits largely petered out but hirundines increased and continued moving until late in the day. There were plenty of birds scattered elsewhere around the island but the only oddities discovered were a Ring Ouzel at Easton and 4 Knot, a Little Stint and a Mediterranean Gull at Ferrybridge. In an offshore wind the sea was again quiet, with 25 Common Scoter and a lone Great Skua the best of the sightings off the Bill. September 23rd Still precious little to report although a gradual improvement in the weather through the day gave some promise that migrants might soon get moving again. Heavily overcast skies during the morning put a stop to the bulk of visible passage and it was left to the land to provide some interest in the form of a light scatter of grounded migrants. At the Bill new arrivals were distinctly limited, with most of the notable sightings being of birds that have lingered around for several days; the best were 2 Firecrests, a Merlin, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler. Elsewhere there was a distinct late autumn feel to the birding, with the still leafy sheltered spots around Easton and Wakeham beginning to attract small parties of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests. The sea produced nothing more than a trickle of auks passing the Bill. September 22nd Very little change today with the stiff north-westerlies showing no sign of abating. Visible passage again dominated at the Bill, with another 75 minute sample count on the East Cliffs early in the morning producing totals of 455 Meadow Pipits, 145 Swallows, 152 Linnets, 44 alba wagtails, 28 Goldfinches, 12 Skylarks, 4 Grey Wagtails and 1 Yellow Wagtail. The total of just 2 birds - a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff - trapped and ringed at the Obs all day was an entirely accurate reflection of the lack of grounded migrants on the land (the ringing total for the month at the Obs stands at a woeful 178 so the lack of birds today was nothing new). The only faintly interesting new arrival elsewhere at the Bill was a Lesser Whitethroat (only the second individual recorded there this autumn) in the Obs Quarry. Seawatching at the Bill produced evidence of the customary gradual increase in auk numbers at this time of year, but otherwise the only movement past there was of 1 Manx Shearwater, 1 Common Scoter, 1 Arctic Skua and 1 Great Skua.

                                                 

  

  Firecrest - Portland Bill, September 21st 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 21st All the movement today was overhead, with a strong passage of visible migrants throughout the morning; a sample 75 minute count at the Bill soon after dawn produced totals of 555 Meadow Pipits, 423 Swallows, 183 Linnets, 45 alba wagtails, 36 Goldfinches, 16 Skylarks, 5 Grey Wagtails, 2 Sand Martins, 2 Wheatears and a Dunlin. On the ground it remained very quiet, with nothing much more interesting at the Bill than a Garden Warbler and a Firecrest. With the wind having veered to the north-west the already quiet sea completely died a death, with 3 passing Sandwich Terns the only sightings of any note off the Bill. 

                                                 

          

      

  Grey Phalarope - Chesil Cove, September 20th 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 20th Seawatching was once again the order of the day in really quite stormy conditions. Chesil Cove provided the highlight with a Grey Phalarope that lingered for most of the day but there was otherwise precious little on the move either there or at the Bill, with the latter producing just 3 Arctic Terns, 2 Red-throated Divers, 2 Great Skuas, 1 Sandwich Tern and single Manx and Sooty Shearwaters. The first Ring Ouzel of the autumn was reported at Pennsylvania Castle but the only other interest on the land concerned the surprisingly good numbers of hirundines that were passing through at the Bill.

                                                 

   

  Purple Sandpiper - Portland Bill, September 16th 2004 © Peter Basterfield

  September 19th Lots more weekend birders scouring the island today but extremely little to show for all the effort. With a stiff breeze blowing and clear skies overhead there were fair numbers of hirundines, Meadow Pipits and Grey Wagtails on the move overhead but grounded migrants were at a premium; the best the Bill area could muster were 3 Reed Warblers, a Merlin, a Purple Sandpiper, a Tree Pipit, a Whinchat, a Goldcrest and a Firecrest. Yesterday's flurry of interest on the sea proved to be very short-lived, with not a single seabird worth recording logged today.

                                                 

             

  more birders than birds - Portland Bill, September 18th 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 18th Another seawatching day, with the influx of weekend birders ensuring that the Bill in particular was extremely well covered. Ironically, the pick of the sightings came from the lone observer working Chesil Cove who was rewarded with a Sabine's Gull that flew south early in the morning. Off the Bill the presence for the first time for several weeks of a decent-sized fishing flock of Gannets and gulls certainly served to lure in the few passing seabirds, with totals during the morning there of at least 7 Common Scoter, 6 Manx, 6 Balearic and 4 Sooty Shearwaters, 7 commic, 6 Sandwich and an Arctic Tern, 4 Arctic Skuas and a handful of Kittiwakes and auks. The only reports from the land were of a Blackcap, a Firecrest and a Chaffinch at the Bill and 10 Sandwich Terns, 2 Knot, a Merlin, a Sanderling and a Curlew Sandpiper at Ferrybridge.

                                                 

        

  Sooty Shearwater - Portland Bill, September 17th 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 17th Strong onshore winds, frequent heavy showers and constant reduced visibility provided seemingly perfect seawatching conditions today. In the event the dismal numbers of even the commonest species passing the Bill - where day-totals included 12 Common Scoter, 8 Manx and 5 Sooty Shearwaters, 3 Arctic Skuas, 3 Razorbills, 2 Kittiwakes, 2 Guillemots and 1 commic tern - provided ample evidence of the continuing lack of down-Channel movement at the moment. The only report from the land was of a Firecrest still in the Obs garden.

                                                 

   

  Meadow Pipit - Portland Bill, September 16th 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 16th Passage doesn't seem to be getting beyond a 'just ticking over' level at the moment, with decent-looking conditions today not really producing much on the move overhead, grounded on the land or passing on the sea. Yet another large raptor - this time an Osprey over Ferrybridge during the morning - provided the only rarity interest, an early pulse of hirundines, wagtails and pipits overhead had largely fizzled out by mid-morning and searches of the Bill area revealed a Merlin and a Firecrest but nothing in the way of commoner migrants grounded in any numbers. Seawatchers at the Bill logged just 29 Common Scoter, 3 Sandwich Terns, a Red-throated Diver and a Sooty Shearwater. September 15th Raptors have been well represented lately and today produced another Honey Buzzard to add to the tally; this individual arrived from the east over Southwell during the morning, from where it quickly left to the north up the West Cliffs. Much fairer weather saw common migrants get moving again in some quantity, with hirundines, wagtails and Meadow Pipits conspicuous overhead throughout the morning. The sprinkle of birds grounded in the Bill area included 70 Wheatears, 30 Chiffchaffs and 25 White Wagtails, but the only scarcer migrant discovered was a single Grasshopper Warbler trapped at the Obs. The first passing Red-throated Diver of the autumn was the only sighting of note on the sea at the Bill. September 14th Another day of strong westerly winds and occasional heavy showers. An Osprey passed overhead at Chesil Cove early in the afternoon, but otherwise birding on the land was hard work and very unrewarding with the Bill area producing just 15 Wheatears, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Turnstones, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Merlin, a Sedge Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher. The sea remained as quiet as in recent days, with 2 Common Scoter, a Manx Shearwater, a Storm Petrel and a Great Skua the only worthwhile sightings at the Bill. September 13th No change in the weather and no change in the pretty dire migrant situation. A couple of Pied Flycatchers and a Firecrest lingered on at the Bill where a trickle of hirundines passing through were just about the only evidence of fresh movement. Seawatching at the Bill came up with nothing more than 10 Common Scoter and a Great Skua, whilst waders at Ferrybridge included a Knot and a Curlew Sandpiper. September 12th Increasingly unsettled conditions have seen passage on the land all but grind to a halt, with a single Grasshopper Warbler the only new arrival trapped and ringed at the Obs. Long-stayers still around included a couple of Pied Flycatchers and a Firecrest in the Bill area, where there were otherwise just ones and twos of a handful of other common migrants. The evidence of recent days would suggest that there are currently precious few seabirds in the English Channel: promising-looking conditions and plenty of watching today saw a grand total of just 2 Common Scoter, 2 Guillemots and single Manx and Balearic Shearwaters logged at the Bill. September 11th Lean times on the island at the moment, with nothing in numbers on land or sea. An Osprey left to the south from the Bill during the morning and a Pied Flycatcher and a Firecrest were the pick of the few grounded migrants there. With the wind gusting up to gale force there was some expectation that interest would increase on the sea, but in the event the only movement was of 6 Great Skuas off the Bill. September 10th The much-anticipated change in the weather duly arrived but the thundery showers that passed through before dawn dropped nothing much more than a minor flurry of new common migrants. A crack-of-dawn Ortolan Bunting at Barleycrates Lane was the only rarity found, whilst common migrant totals from the Bill area included 200 Wheatears, 50 Yellow Wagtails, 20 Willow Warblers, 20 Chiffchaffs, 14 Whinchats, 10 Grey Wagtails, 7 Pied Flycatchers, 6 Blackcaps, 5 Tree Pipits, 5 Spotted Flycatchers, 4 Sedge Warblers and 2 Firecrests. Ferrybridge was again worth attention, producing counts of 370 Dunlin, 9 Little Egrets, a Shoveler and a Curlew Sandpiper, but despite the freshening wind seawatching at the Bill was all but a dead-loss with only 9 Common Scoter, 2 Teal, a Sooty Shearwater, a Mallard and an Arctic Skua reported.

                                                 

  

     

  Red-necked Grebe and Marsh Harrier - Portland Bill, September 9th 2004 © Graham Raine (top) and Martin Cade (bottom two)

  September 9th A Red-necked Grebe that showed up close inshore off Pulpit Rock at the Bill in the evening was an unexpected bird of the day. Earlier, Marsh Harriers again figured, with one over the Bill early in the morning and another two flying south down the island at midday, whilst an Osprey flew over Ferrybridge during the afternoon. Wheatears continued to dominate on the ground, with more than 200 in the Bill area alone. A Merlin, a Firecrest and a Pied Flycatcher were among the handful of other migrants at the Bill, where 3 Shelduck and a Great Skua passed through on the sea.

                                                 

     

  Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler - Portland Bill, September 8th 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 8th For the most part another remarkably quiet day with the brisk easterly wind failing to produce anything in the way of scarcer migrants. A significant increase in wader numbers at Ferrybridge included counts of 400 Dunlin, 300 Ringed Plover, 6 Knot and a Curlew Sandpiper (along with the unexpected sight of a Shoveler settled on the shore), but the only birds grounded in any quantity elsewhere were Wheatears - sample counts of which included 172 at the Bill. The very low numbers of other migrants at the Bill included 21 Golden Plovers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Hobby, a Redshank, a Grasshopper Warbler and a Firecrest. Seawatching at the Bill came up with 4 Great and an Arctic Skua but little else of interest.

                                                 

      

  Marsh Harrier - Portland Bill, September 7th 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 7th Marsh Harrier seems to be bird of the moment at the Bill, where 3 more passed through during the course of the morning. It otherwise remained surprisingly quiet everywhere with nothing other than hirundines moving overhead in any quantity and only Wheatears grounded in anything more than single figure totals; oddities around the Bill area included a couple of Grey Herons and a Hobby passing overhead. Ferrybridge provided a Merlin, a Grey Plover, a Knot and a Mediterranean Gull, whilst 4 Great Skuas and a Pintail were the pick of sea passage off the Bill.

                                                 

           

  Marsh Harrier - Portland Bill, September 6th 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 6th The weather might still be scorching but the birding is struggling to be anything more than tepid. A fly-over Marsh Harrier at the Bill early in the afternoon was bird of the day but otherwise there was again nothing better on offer amongst the light sprinkle of common migrants there than 2 Snipe, a Whimbrel and a Turtle Dove. Five Great Skuas, a Balearic Shearwater and a Mediterranean Gull passed through on the sea at the Bill. Yesterday's report of falling wader numbers at Ferrybridge proved to be unduly pessimistic as there were counts there today of 167 Dunlin, 157 Ringed Plovers, a Knot and the first Curlew Sandpiper of the autumn. September 5th Summer has well and truly returned with the recent spell of sunny days and increasingly high temperatures continuing. With an easterly breeze having sprung up overnight there were high hopes of a few rarities putting in an appearance but in the event the only sighting of note was of an Osprey flying south over Weston during the evening. Hirundines and Yellow Wagtails were on the move overhead in good numbers early in the morning but grounded migrants were few and far between, with the best being 3 Snipe, 2 Turtle Doves and a Whimbrel at the Bill, a Hobby over Southwell and another Turtle Dove at Reap Lane. Seawatching at the Bill produced 26 Mallard, 12 Common Scoter and 3 Balearic Shearwaters. Wader numbers seem to be dropping off at Ferrybridge where 3 Knot and a Bar-tailed Godwit were the only variety amongst small numbers of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers.

                                                 

         

  White Wagtail - Portland Bill, September 3rd 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 4th A rather mobile Ortolan Bunting that appeared several times between the Coastguard Cottages and Culverwell during the morning had seemed likely to be bird of day today until the evening produced a sighting of a real island rarity in the form of a Goshawk that flew west over Top Fields at the Bill. Common migrants were still in short supply everywhere, with hirundines and flava and alba wagtails the only birds that were at all numerous; scarcer species included a Merlin, a Turtle Dove and a Pied Flycatcher at the Bill. The sea was just as quiet, with 16 Common Scoter and a Great Skua the only birds of note off the Bill.

                                                 

         

  Red-backed Shrike - Avalanche Road, September 3rd 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 3rd Still no great numbers of common migrants but scarcer species continue to arrive. The Tawny Pipit at Southwell had moved on but nearby a Red-backed Shrike was a new arrival at Avalanche Road; elsewhere an Ortolan Bunting was seen near the Windmill Stables at Easton, a Marsh Harrier flew south over Reap Lane and a Short-eared Owl at Southwell and a Firecrest at Weston were both first records for the autumn. Most of the expected commoner migrants could be found with some perseverance, although the only worthwhile counts were of 50 Wheatears, 40 Yellow Wagtails, 15 White Wagtails, 15 Whinchats and 10 Tree Pipits at the Bill. The sea provided nothing more noteworthy than 2 Great Skuas passing the Bill.

                                                 

         

  Tawny Pipit - Southwell, September 2nd 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 2nd More very fine weather and a few more good birds today, with the Tawny Pipit remaining at Southwell, an Ortolan Bunting passing over Top Fields at the Bill and a Hen Harrier flying north from the Bill to Portland Harbour. Commoner migrants - with the conspicuous exception of hirundines - were again only thinly spread, with 3 Pied Flycatchers, a Little Egret, a Knot, a Redshank and a Golden Plover about the best the Bill area could offer. A single Great Skua was the only bird of note on the sea at the Bill.

                                                 

        

  Tawny Pipit and Honey Buzzard - Southwell and Portland Bill, September 1st 2004 © Martin Cade

  September 1st With the light breeze having swung into the south-east overnight there was certainly the promise of scarcer migrants in the air today.  Fortunately it didn't take long for the promise to be realized with a Tawny Pipit being found early in the morning in fields beside the Eight Kings Quarry at Southwell; the bird remained there on and off throughout the day, whilst mid-afternoon saw a Honey Buzzard arrive from the north over Fortuneswell and eventually leave to the south-east high over the Obs. Commoner migrants were surprisingly thin on the ground, but did include plenty of hirundines, a Merlin and a Greenshank overhead and more than 80 Yellow Wagtails and 5 Pied Flycatchers in the Bill area. The sea produced 31 Common Scoter, 2 Great Skuas and an Arctic Skua passing the Bill.

August 2004

                                                 

   

  Pied Flycatcher - Portland Bill, August 31st 2004 © Martin Cade

  August 31st Something of a return to summer weather-wise although the crystal-clear moonlit night and warm sunny day saw to it that grounded migrants were hardly conspicuous. Hirundines were overhead in quantity all day, but otherwise the best the Bill area could offer were 4 Pied Flycatchers, a Merlin and the first Kingfisher of the autumn. In light offshore winds nothing much was expected from the sea so the 4 passing Great Skuas were a bonus at the Bill. Waders remain numerous at Ferrybridge, where 11 Knot and a Golden Plover made brief visits and another party of 20 Knot passed overhead without stopping. August 30th Today's excitement came late in the afternoon when 2 White Storks were spotted flying low over Weston; after leaving out to sea off Blacknor and Chesil Cove they came ashore again over Ferrybridge before carrying on to the north over Weymouth. It otherwise remained quiet in brisk north-westerly winds, with a very light sprinkle of common migrants in the Bill area included nothing much better than 4 Whinchats, 3 Grey Wagtails, 2 Tree Pipits, a Sedge Warbler, a Garden Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher, whilst seawatching there produced just 4 Great and an Arctic Skua, 3 Common Scoter and 2 Manx Shearwaters. August 29th Pretty poor all round today with a freshening westerly wind not only spoiling birding on the land but also failing to produce much on the sea. The few birds at the Bill included 5 Snipe and a Pied Flycatcher, as well as a fly-over Little Egret. Seawatching there provided totals of 32 Common Scoter, 8 Arctic and 4 Great Skuas, 4 Black Terns and a Manx Shearwater, whilst the best of the waders at Ferrybridge were 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Sanderling and a Knot. August 28th A day of good variety if not great numbers in much improved weather conditions. The Barred Warbler was again on show in Top Fields at the Bill, whilst the most conspicuous commoner migrants were hirundines, Wheatears and early morning fly-over Yellow Wagtails and Tree Pipits (the latter totalled over 30 at the Bill and 20 at Suckthumb Quarry). Smaller numbers of most of the other expected migrants were scattered around the island, with the best being 3 Pied Flycatchers, a Grasshopper Warbler and a Reed Bunting at the Bill. The sea provided a few oddities, including a Tufted Duck, a Grey Plover and singles of Long-tailed, Great and Arctic Skua passing the Bill. August 27th Wet and windy conditions restricted most birders to seawatching this morning, with totals of 16 Common Scoter, 12 Great Skuas, 6 Arctic Skuas, 4 commic terns, 3 Manx Shearwaters and a Pomarine Skua logged at the Bill. The handful of migrants on the land included a Merlin, a Blackcap and a Pied Flycatcher at the Bill. August 26th The main change today was the disappearance of the Hoopoe and the reappearance of last weekend's Barred Warbler not too far from where it had originally been seen in Top Fields at the Bill. Yellow Wagtails are beginning to feature strongly in the common migrant line-up, with more than 70 at the Bill today, whilst Wheatears still number around 80 there. Most other migrants were in short supply, with 3 Pied Flycatchers being about the best of the supporting cast at the Bill. August 25th Precious little change today, with the Hoopoe still present at the Bill and just a handful of commoner migrants on land and sea. Apart from continuing good numbers of Wheatears the pick of the birds at the Bill were 3 Whimbrel, 3 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Redstarts, 2 Whinchats, 2 Garden Warblers, a Merlin, a Greenshank, a Grey Wagtail and a Reed Warbler, with the sea there producing 15 Manx and 2 Balearic Shearwaters. The only other news was from Ferrybridge where there were 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshank, a Sanderling and a Knot among the good numbers of commoner waders. August 24th The Hoopoe remained in Top Fields at the Bill but it was otherwise a very quiet day on land and sea. Wheatears were still by far the most conspicuous migrants at the Bill, where they numbered around 75, whilst 3 Pied Flycatchers and a Turtle Dove again constituted the only faintly noteworthy scarcer migrants on view there. With the strong wind having veered into the west the only sea-passage of interest was of 3 Great Skuas, 3 Arctic Skuas and a Manx Sheawater passing the Bill.

                                                 

   

  Hoopoe - Portland Bill, August 23rd 2004 © Martin Cade

  August 23rd A Hoopoe in Top Fields at the Bill was a good autumn record but the land otherwise remained rather quiet; Wheatears numbered in excess of 50 at both the Bill and Barleycrates Lane, and 5 Pied Flycatchers and 3 Turtle Doves were noteworthy sightings at the Bill. In brisk south-westerlies there was plenty of interest on the sea, with 10 Great, 8 Arctic and a Long-tailed Skua, and 5 Balearic and a Sooty Shearwater passing the Bill; the same Long-tailed Skua was also seen at Chesil Cove, where 6 Gadwall and 2 Arctic Skuas also passed through. August 22nd A poor man's re-run of yesterday, with no rarity and much lower numbers of the same variety of migrants. At the Bill only Sand Martins, Yellow Wagtails, Wheatears and Willow Warblers struggled into double figures, the first Grey Wagtail and Turtle Dove of the autumn passed through and scarcer migrants included a Golden Plover, a Merlin, a Hobby and a Knot. A strengthening south-east wind perked up the sea a little, with 60 Common Scoter, 10 Sandwich Terns, 4 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Great Skuas and 4 Arctic Skuas passing through off the Bill.

                                                 

      

      

  Bar-tailed Godwit, Barred Warbler and Whitethroat - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, August 21st 2004 © Martin Cade

  August 21st A stiff north-west wind persisted throughout the night but with skies completely clearing for the first time for several days common  migrants got moving in quantity and there was a decent fall of birds at dawn. The Bill area seemed particularly favoured but in the fair weather nothing lingered there for long and the rest of island picked up plenty of birds as the day went on. A Barred Warbler in the Admiralty Hedge at the Bill for a while early in the morning was the only rarity discovered, but counts of common migrants at the Bill included 700 Wheatears, 300 Willow Warblers, 100 Whitethroats, 50 Yellow Wagtails, 25 Tree Pipits, 25 Whinchats, 15 Sedge Warblers, 10 Pied Flycatchers, 8 Redstarts, 6 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Sanderling, 2 Reed Warblers, a Grey Heron, a Merlin, a Hobby, a Ringed Plover, a Turnstone, a Blackcap and a Garden Warbler. The sea provided odds and sods including 3 Manx Shearwaters and an Arctic Skua passing the Bill, whilst waders at Ferrybridge included 4 Sanderling, 3 Knot and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits. August 20th Grim pickings again today, with the Bill area producing 50 Wheatears but not even double-figure totals of any of the few other species of migrants seen. The sea salvaged something with 6 Manx, 2 Sooty and a Balearic Shearwater passing the Bill during the morning.

                                                 

 

   Knot - Ferrybridge, August 19th 2004 © Martin Cade

  August 19th Early heavy showers gave way to pleasant sunshine but a blustery westerly wind persisted throughout the day. A Roseate Tern passing the Bill was a good highlight, but the sea was otherwise very quiet and produced just 10 Ringed Plover, 7 Common Scoter, a Manx Shearwater, a Balearic Shearwater and an Arctic Skua. The best the land could offer was 50 Wheatears, 3 Pied and a Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Sedge Warblers and a Snipe at the Bill. The pick of the waders at Ferrybridge were 4 Sanderling and 2 Knot. August 18th The sea provided most of the interest today, with 7 Manx, 5 Balearic and a Sooty Shearwater, 3 Great Skuas and the first 2 Guillemots for several weeks passing through off the Bill. Wheatears totalled at least 70 at the Bill but were the only migrants that were at all conspicuous on the land, with otherwise just a few hirundines, 10 Willow Warblers, 8 Whitethroats, 2 Swifts, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Turnstone, a Tree Pipit and a Whinchat to show for searches of the Bill area. Ferrybridge provided totals including 250 Ringed Plover, 105 Great Black-backed Gulls, 16 Sandwich and 7 Common Terns, 2 Knot and a Sanderling. August 17th With the much-vaunted wind and rain holding off until late in the day there was ample opportunity to discover that it was still pretty quiet everywhere. The Bill area produced 70 Wheatears, 35 Sand Martins, 20 Willow Warblers, 4 Whinchats, 4 Pied Flycatchers, 3 Swifts, 3 Tree Pipits, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Sedge Warblers, a Yellow Wagtail, a Reed Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher, whilst the sea there came up with nothing more than 4 Common Scoter, 2 Great Skuas, a Manx Shearwater and an Arctic Skua. August 16th Yesterday's flurry of interest on land and sea proved to be short-lived, with the only news today being of 75 Wheatears, 20 Willow Warblers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a Yellow Wagtail, a Tree Pipit and a Pied Flycatcher at the Bill, where 9 Common Scoter and a Great Skua passed through on the sea.

                                                 

 

   Tree Pipit - Portland Bill, August 15th 2004 © Martin Cade

  August 15th Misty, murky conditions didn't produce a big fall but there was enough to keep interest going, with 50 Willow Warblers, 40 Wheatears, 15 Pied Flycatchers, 6 Sedge Warblers, 3 Tree Pipits and a Spotted Flycatcher at the Bill. The sea provided constant interest if not a heavy passage, with 43 Oystercatchers, 24 Common Scoter, 23 Dunlin, 11 Great Skuas, a Balearic Shearwater and a Long-tailed Skua passing the Bill through the day. Waders were plentiful at Ferrybridge, where counts included 275 Ringed Plover, 250 Dunlin, 5 Sanderling, a Knot and a Bar-tailed Godwit. August 14th A pleasantly warm and sunny day that provided signs of things beginning to pick up on the land, with totals in the Bill area of 80 Wheatears, 60 Willow Warblers, 10 Tree Pipits, 8 Sedge Warblers, 6 Ringed Plovers, 4 Sanderling, 4 Whinchats, 4 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Redstarts, a Golden Plover, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and a Spotted Flycatcher; 3 more Spotted Flycatchers were also at Verne Common. A lone Arctic Skua was the only noteworthy sighting on the sea at the Bill. August 13th Passerine movement remained at a standstill although new waders continued to show up at Ferrybridge. Odds and sods in the Bill area included 33 Wheatears, 12 Sand Martins, 6 Willow Warblers, 2 Tree Pipits, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Sedge Warbler and a Ringed Plover; elsewhere the only report of interest was of an unseasonable Goldcrest at Easton. A Great Skua passed overhead at Ferrybridge, whilst the shore there produced 200 Dunlin, 6 Common Sandpipers, 4 Knot, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, a Curlew and a Black-tailed Godwit.

                                                 

 

   Little Stint - Ferrybridge, August 12th 2004 © Chris Courtaux

  August 12th If a description of dire applied to yesterday's numbers on the land then the description of today's is best left unprinted. The Bill area producing just 12 Wheatears, 6 Willow Warblers, 2 Grey Herons and a Garden Warbler, with seawatching there revealing nothing more than 7 Common Scoter, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Sandwich Terns, a Turnstone and an Arctic Skua. Elsewhere, a fly-over Wood Sandpiper was a good record at the Grove, a Reed Warbler was at Southwell and a Little Stint put in a brief appearance at Ferrybridge during the afternoon.

                                                 

 

   Mediterranean Gull - Ferrybridge, August 11th 2004 © Martin Cade

  August 11th Pretty dire numbers of common migrants today, with just 16 Willow Warblers, 15 Wheatears, 3 Sedge Warblers, 2 Reed Warblers, 2 Garden Warblers and a Grasshopper Warbler at the Bill. Seawatching at the Bill produced 25 Common Scoter, 6 Sandwich Terns, 3 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Arctic Skuas, whilst Ferrybridge provided 2 Sanderling, a Curlew Sandpiper and a Mediterranean Gull. August 10th The unsettled conditions of the past couple of days gave way to pleasant warm sunshine but there was no upsurge in migrant numbers, with the Bill area producing nothing more than 100 Swifts, 50 Willow Warblers, 30 Sand Martins, 25 Wheatears, 4 Sedge Warblers, 3 Garden Warblers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Grey Heron and a Dunlin; 18 Common Scoter and single Manx and Balearic Shearwaters passed through on the sea there. August 9th A dearth of Willow Warblers - usually the most conspicuous of the commoner migrants on the land at this time of year - masked evidence of a little more movement today, with 200 Swifts, 30 Wheatears, 10 Sedge Warblers, 4 Pied and a Spotted Flycatcher, a Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper and a Lesser Whitethroat in the Bill area. Sea interest died off, with nothing more than 2 Manx Shearwaters passing the Bill.

                                                 

 

   Swallow - Portland Bill, August 8th 2004 © Martin Cade

  August 8th The land remained very quiet, with nothing better at the Bill than a Sedge Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher. Fortunately the sea proved slightly better than of late, with 16 Common Scoter, 3 Manx and 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Dunlin, 3 Great Skuas, 2 commic terns and a Sandwich Tern passing through off the Bill. August 7th With thick fog blanketing this part of the coast over night and into the morning it seemed as though most migrants passed overhead oblivious to the attractions of Oasis Portland. Plenty of scrutiny of the Bill area turned up just 10 Willow Warblers, 9 Wheatears, 2 Sedge Warbler, 2 Turnstones, 2 Garden Warblers and the first returning Purple Sandpiper of the autumn. With the fog preventing anything other than the occasional glimpse of the sea it was no surprise that only 14 Common Scoter were spotted passing through. In the evening there were 130 Ringed Plover, 120 Dunlin, a Sanderling and a Mediterranean Gull at Ferrybridge.

                                                 

 

   Wheatear - Portland Bill, August 6th 2004 © Martin Cade

  August 6th Extremely quiet today, with reports only from the Bill where there were 20 Willow Warblers, 15 Wheatears, 3 Garden Warblers, a Grasshopper Warbler and a Sedge Warbler on the land, and 7 Common Scoter, an Arctic Skua and an Arctic Tern on the sea.

                                                 

     

   Sedge Warbler and Ringed Plover - Portland Bill and Ferrybridge, August 5th 2004 © Martin Cade

  August 5th A small fall of Willow Warblers saw numbers increase to 100 at the Bill, where there were also 10 Wheatears, 4 Sedge Warblers, 3 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Garden Warblers, a Ringed Plover and a Reed Warbler, as well as around 200 Swifts overhead. Elsewhere, a Redpoll passed over at Barleycrates Lane and there were 125 Ringed Plovers, 60 Dunlin, 8 Redshank and 4 Sanderling at Ferrybridge. August 4th Something of nothing bird-wise, with just a handful of common migrants everywhere. The Bill area came up with nothing more than 30 Willow Warblers, 15 Wheatears, 4 Tree Pipits, 4 Sedge Warblers, 2 Garden Warblers, a Whimbrel, a Reed Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher, whilst the best of the waders at Ferrybridge were a high count of 94 Ringed Plovers, along with a Common Sandpiper, a Curlew and a Whimbrel. August 3rd Despite some more heavy thundery rain overnight there was still nothing in the way of numbers of common migrants, although a Moorhen and a Green Sandpiper at the Bill and a Wood Sandpiper at Ferrybridge did provide some quality. The Bill area also produced 20 Willow Warblers, 12 Wheatears, 5 Sedge Warblers, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Dunlin and a Ringed Plover, whilst there were also 3 Sanderling, a Grey Plover and a Mediterranean Gull at Ferrybridge.

                                                 

 

   waders, gulls and terns - Ferrybridge, August 2nd 2004 © Martin Cade

  August 2nd A pre-dawn thundery shower did nothing to improve migrant numbers at the Bill, where there were just 15 Willow Warblers, 12 Sand Martins, 7 Wheatears, a Grasshopper Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher. Ferrybridge was more productive, with 370 Dunlin, 6 Sanderling, a Common Sandpiper, a Mediterranean Gull and a Little Tern the pick of the bunch on the falling tide at midday. August 1st Quiet again in very hot and sunny weather, with the Bill area producing just 25 Willow Warblers, 8 Wheatears, a Green Sandpiper, a Tree Pipit and a Sedge Warbler; elsewhere there was a Cuckoo at Verne Common and a Common Sandpiper at Ferrybridge. Seawatching at the Bill produced just 18 Common Scoter, 8 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Manx Shearwater.

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.