Friday 4 May 2012

Portland day 6


My final day at Portland this spring started with a good fall of migrants, this time there were more “sylvia” warblers than “phyllosc” warblers and a few more “acro’s”.

One of my best weeks stay at Portland.

Of the 442 birds ringed today, 112 were Whitethroats, 89 Blackcaps!

Shortly after dawn, there was a lot of activity in the garden, birdwise that kept the “ringers” rather busy. Whilst we just wandered about watching the birds passing through the garden. Luckily, the “ringers” had some help from some folk that came down from the EGI in Oxford. For those that do not know the EGI is the Edward Grey Institute for Ornithology.

After most of the birds had passed through the garden it was time to look on the top fields as most migrant move on up there on their way off the island.

So my totals are as following.

Firstly, a pod of 8 to 10 Bottlenose Dolphins passed offshore and gave quite a display, very impressive!

The sea was very quiet; however, 1 Arctic Skua and 4 Common Scoter were of note.

A Little Egret flew over the Obs and a Sanderling and a Whimbrel were both fly-overs.

A Short-eared Owl was seen being harried by the local gull.

The movement of Swifts today was a little down as I counted approx 100 arriving.

Also, the passage of Hirundines had slowed as just a few hundred Swallows around 50 House Martins and a handful of Sand Martins.

A Hobby and a Sparrowhawk both seen and a Buzzard arrived, presumably in off the sea as it was a different bird from the local ones.

Warblers were, 20+ Garden Warblers, 150+ Blackcap, 150+ Whitethroat, 6 Lesser Whitethroats, 20+ Sedge Warblers, 5 Grasshopper Warblers, 10+ Reed Warblers, 40+ Willow Warblers and 40+ Chiffchaff.

50+ Wheatear, 10 Whinchat, 6 Redstart added to a rather impressive list.  104 species seen this week in 6 days on Portland, and look forward to a week in the Autumn!
                                  Linnet

                                  Whitethroat

                                  Whitethroat

                                  Blackcap

                                 Whinchat

                                  Redstart

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