Expectations not met

Overcast with some light rain showers, 20°, breezy NNE.

After some pre-dawn rain expectations were high for a fall of migrants but it did not materialise. As grounded migrants were hard to find. The sea-watch and overhead migration was rather protracted and petered out by midday.

10+ Chiffchaff, 3 Common Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Sedge Warbler, 3 Wheatear, 1 Stonechat and 1 Whinchat.

Overhead: 30+ Meadow Pipit, 1 Tree Pipit, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Siskin, c100 Swallow, 30+ House Martin, 30+ Sand Martin and the surprise of the morning with an Osprey flying out to sea.

Sea-watch: c60 Balearic Shearwater, 2 Arctic Skua, 7 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Scoter,  a Dunlin and a Ringed Plover.

Fish: Bluefin Tuna.

Dragonflies: 1 Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small White, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood.

Moths: 2 more Convolvulus Hawkmoth and a Channel Island Pug to name a few.

If you don't get any photos you can always guarantee the Little Owl will pose.

Sunrise this morning

Convolvulus Hawkmoth

Channel Island Pug

Portland Wryneck, Rose-coloured Starling & Osprey

Cloudy, 18°, light to mod NNE.

An excellent start to our visit to Portland, initially an Osprey seen heading out to sea off the bill.

A walk a little later towards the west cliffs turned up 5 Stonechat, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Wheatear, 6 Swift, Little Owl, approx. 100 Swallow (thinking about crossing the channel) and 1 Meadow Pipit before Glen (assistant warden) called us over to the Pulpit pub where the juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was sat on the pub roof along with a flock of European Starling and eventually flew off and then a Wryneck seen in the brambles nearby.

Dragonflies: Emperor, Common Darter.

Butterflies: Holly Blue, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown.

Wryneck

 Wheatear

 Whitethroat

 Stonechats