A better day

Mainly cloudy, 14°, light SW.

The highlight of the day was a Turtle Dove that arrived off the sea and spent some time moving around the bill area before departing.

An intermittent sea-watch produced: 2 Pomarine Skua, 2 Arctic Skua, 3 Red-throated Diver, 6 Common Scoter, 10 Mediterranean Gull, 6 Common Gull and 3 Manx Shearwater etc.

The land was more varied in species if not numbers: 5 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, a Garden Warbler, Blackcap, 8 Common Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Common Redstart, a Whinchat, Stonechat, 4 Wheatear, 3 Yellow Wagtail, a White Wagtail and c30 Swallow.

Dragonflies: Broad-bodied Chaser.

Butterflies: Large White, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Speckled Wood and Wall Brown.

Weather

A cloudy start, then fog, then rain, then sun, 14°, light to mod SW.

A strange day weather wise, the fog put the dampers on a sea-watch around 11:00, then a brief period of rain, then the sun came out, birding again.

The RNBWS folk arrived today so we had a lighthouse full of ex RN bods all into birding. So felt right at home.

Anyway, to the birds: the sea produced, 2 Pomarine Skua, 3 Arctic Skua, 150+ Kittiwake, a handful of Sandwich Tern, 5 Shelduck, 23 Common Scoter, a Great Northern Diver, 2 Red-throated Diver and 50+ Manx Shearwater etc.

Land: 2 Whimbrel, a Redpoll, 2 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, a Reed Warbler, a Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 9 Common Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a Whinchat, 3 Yellow Wagtail and 30+ Swallow.

Butterflies: Large White, Orange Tip, a Blue of some description, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Wall Brown and Meadow Brown.

Another windy one

Sunny, 14°, strong NE.

Probably the worst wind for vizmig at Portland.

However, a reasonable scattering of birds. On the sea, 2 Pomarine Skua, 2 Arctic Skua, a Red-throated Diver, 10 Black Tern, a few Sandwich Tern and 50+ Manx Shearwater, a Fulmar plus the Auks, Gannet etc.,

Over land, a Whimbrel, Hobby, 6 Swift, 60+ Swallow, 2 House Martin, a Sand Martin, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Common Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Spotted Flycatcher, 7 Wheatear, a Stonechat, 2 Yellow Wagtail, a White Wagtail and several Meadow Pipit. Missed a few good ones but there is always tomorrow.

Dragonflies: Broad-bodied Chaser.

Butterflies: Large White, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood.

Another sunny one

Another sunny one, 14° (but seemed warmer) light E.

Usual procedure starts with a sea watch then loafing around the Obs for a while and then a walk about.

My totals for today but not in time order were: 16 Pomarine Skua, a Great White Egret, 7 Whimbrel, 16 Common Scoter, 10 Manx Shearwater, 5 Sandwich Tern, 14 Common/Arctic Tern, a Puffin, good numbers of Guillemot and Razorbill, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 4 Willow Warbler, a Whinchat, 10 Wheatear, 3 Yellow Wagtail, a White Wagtail, 4 Meadow Pipit, a Stonechat, 22 Swallow and 2 Swift.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly and Broad-bodied Chaser.

Butterflies: same as yesterday.

The white line on the sea on the above photo is approx 1000 Gulls and the Gulls flying on the video below were spooked by a Pomarine Skua flying low and close to the cliffs. We saw the Gulls go up but did not know why until an observer came back and informed us what had happened. Pic and Vid courtesy Loren.

Day 9: a good one

Mainly cloudy, 7°, fresh NE.

Best day so far with a reasonable fall of migrants.

Sea-watch: an on and off one today with a Pomarine Skua, 3 Arctic Skua, c80 Common/Arctic Tern, a few Sandwich Tern, several Manx Shearwater, a Fulmar and the usual Gannet, Shag, Cormorant and Auks plus the 1000 strong, feeding, Gull flock off the Bill.

Land: a Redpoll, 3 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 3 Grasshopper Warbler, 10 Common Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 18 Willow Warbler, 9 Chiffchaff, 3 Common Redstart, 3 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Whinchat, 2 Stonechat, 102 Wheatear, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 80+ Swallow, 14 House Martin, 6 Sand Martin and 4 Swift.

Mammals: Grey Seal.

Chiffchaff

Reed Warbler

Pied Flycatcher

Wheatear

Redstart

Wheatear

Common Whitethroat

Grey Seal

Gannet diving for fish

Tawny Pipit & Golden Oriole on Portland

Misty at first then overcast then sunny after 16:00, 16°, light S.

A search of the Obs fields around 06:00 found 2 Wheatear this morning and a second search a little later found little else so I was resigned to not seeing the pipit.

Therefore a sea watch was in order as the mist had started to lift. A single Pomarine Skua and a Great Northern Diver was noted when someone came in to say the Pipit was present and back in the Obs field.

So the sea watch was abandoned for a short walk to the Obs fields and within a short time the Tawny Pipit was seen…………………phew!

Another couple of Wheatear and a Whinchat also seen and a ♂ Peregrine flew overhead.

The day was rather slow with a flyover Yellow Wagtail, a Sedge Warbler, a Reed Warbler, several Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler and 1 Spotted Flycatcher.

Hirundine passage was rather sporadic with only a few hundred Swallow noted, also 2 Swift.

At around 15:30 we had a call to say there was a Golden Oriole behind the fire station at the Grove so a quick drive up to where it had been seen and after a short walk we managed to get in position near some trees where it had been seen. We waited and watched and before too long a Golden Oriole flew out followed by a second, third and fourth and they all moved off south. I managed to see 3 of them before they disappeared from view.

Dragonflies: Broad-bodied Chaser.

Butterflies: Small White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Wall Brown and a Holly Blue.

 Golden Oriole (courtsey Martin Cade)

 Golden Oriole (courtesy Martin King)

Tawn Pipit (courtesy Martin Cade)

 Wall Brown

7-spot Ladybird (courtesy Loren)

A small group viewing the Tawny Pipit, am in this pic. (courtesy Glen Maddison)

Poms

Started sunny then cloud moved in around 14:00, wind abated throughout the day down to approx. 12 knots SW this evening. Max of 14°.

Very little on land still but the sea very good this morning with a total 28 Pomarine Skua (saw 24), with at least 2 dark phase birds. This included one flock of 15 that went past the bill, all before 09:00.

Other sea birds were: 1 Arctic Skua, 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Diver, 1 Common Scoter, 1 Oystercatcher and far fewer Manx Shearwater.

Hirundines more prominent today with several hundred Swallow in off the sea, 5 House Martin and a single Sand Martin.

Other birds noted: 4 Raven, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Common Redstart, 2 Wheatear, 2 Bullfinch and a Sparrowhawk.

Redstart & Wheatear

Weymouth sea front with the training ship from yesterday anchored in the bay. (courtesy Loren)

Portland 3rd May

Sun and Showers, 13°, fresh WSW.

Arrived on Portland around 16:30, land migrants non-existent but a small sea passage saved the day.

Razorbills and Guillemots flying backwards and forwards from their breeding cliffs to feeding areas, several Shag also around. 

Species moving comprised: 2 Great Skua, 4 Pomarine Skua, 1 Arctic Skua, 50+ Manx Shearwater, 50+ Gannet with a few Fulmar and Kittiwake.

Just prior to leaving for Dorset today there were 3 Swift feeding over the village, also 2 House Martin and several Swallow.