A wet one

Variable cloud and heavy showers, 16°, light to moderate S.

A trip out to Lollingdon and birding in between the rain showers.

Managed to cover most of the hill area: a Spotted Flycatcher, a Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, 3 Yellow Wagtail overhead, 2 Wheatear, 2 Stonechat, a Whinchat, Raven etc and c50 Swallow and 6 House Martin over.

A few Geese flying over the garden early evening, 20+ Canada, 20+ Greylag and at least 1 Egyptian Goose.

Moths: Hummingbird Hawkmoth in garden.

Cholsey

Mainly sunny, 20°, light S.

Whinchat, Bunk Line yesterday. Per MA.

Muntjac with a fawn in the garden.

Today:

2 Yellow Wagtail over garden and a juv Chiffchaff in garden.

Bunk line, 3 Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail and a Yellowhammer.

The winds of Change

Mainly sunny, 20°, light WSW.

Finally, the wind and rain abated and produced a pleasant day for birding.

A morning’s sea-watch: 5 Arctic Skua, 50+ Kittiwake, a Yellow-legged Gull, 60+ Manx Shearwater, 100+ Balearic Shearwater, 60+ “Commic” Tern, 4 Arctic Tern, 2 Common Scoter, a Ringed Plover, a Curlew, a Whimbrel, numerous Gannet and several Oystercatcher.

VizMig and an afternoons walk: Barn Owl, Little Owl, 20+ Grey Wagtail, 30+ Yellow Wagtail, 3 Tree Pipit, 3 Meadow Pipit, a Pied Flycatcher, 4 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, a Common Whitethroat, a Sedge Warbler, 2 Whinchat, 3 Stonechat, 31 Wheatear, 4 Raven, a Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, a Common Snipe, 110+ Swallow, 30+ Sand Martin, 12 House Martin and 2 Swift.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker, Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Clouded Yellow, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Wall Brown, Speckled Wood and Small Heath.

Moths: Convolvulus Hawkmoth and Hummingbird Hawkmoth.

Sun rise at the Obs

"Greenland" Wheatear courtesy Mark Cutts

 

A warm one

Sunny, 27°, fresh SSE.

Fairly quiet out today. singles of Common Redstart, Whinchat and Wheatear out at Lollingdon and 3 Swallow over. Nearby, 3 Blackcap, 2 Common Whitethroat, several Chiffchaff and a Tit flock with Coal Tit and Nuthatch present.

50+ House Martin and a Yellow Wagtail over Church Road.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: very few. Several Whites, Red Admiral, Peacock, Speckled Wood and Meadow Brown.

A regular garden visitor

Penultimate day

Mainly sunny, 14°, Light NE veering E.

The weather has been against us on this trip, clear skies overnight and clear sunny days. Plus, the wind in either north or east does not bode well for VizMig here.

Anyway, no meaningful sea watch, 20+ Manx Shearwater, an Arctic Skua, a Great Northern Diver, a Whimbrel and 3 Sandwich Tern.

A female Marsh Harrier in-off the sea at 07:20, 25+ Swallow, 8 Swift, a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Common Whitethroat, a Yellow Wagtail, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat and Common Redstart.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly and Broad-bodied Chaser.

Butterflies: Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Common Blue, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood.

Another slow day

Sunny, 14°, moderate E.

Another slow day but slightly better than yesterday.

Sea watching produced 40+, Common Scoter, an Arctic Skua, a Great Northern Diver, 11 Manx Shearwater, 3 Fulmar and 4 Sandwich Tern.

Land wise: a Short-eared Owl, in-off the sea, a Grey Heron, 7 Swift, 15+ Swallow, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 2 White Wagtail, a Whinchat, 3 Wheatear, 5 Willow Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Common Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap and a Reed Warbler.

Dragonflies: Broad-bodied Chaser.

Butterflies: Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Wall Brown and Speckled Wood.

Whinchat

Wheatear

Skylark 

? courtesy Loren

Portland: Day 10.

Sunny, 18°, light NE.

An on/off sea watch today and a little less walking.

5 Manx Shearwater, 2 Balearic Shearwater, 1 Arctic Skua, 100+ Kittiwake, 15 Knot, 3 Wigeon, 10+ Auk, many Gannet etc.

2 Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, 2 Sparrowhawk, a Short-eared Owl, a Little Owl, 300+ Swallow, 100+ House Martin, 30+ Sand Martin, 25 Yellow Wagtail, 12 Grey Wagtail, 19 “alba” Wagtail, c200 Meadow Pipit, 3 Tree Pipit, 20+ Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 1 Common Redstart, 1 Whinchat, 3 Stonechat, 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 1 Pied Flycatcher, etc.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: fewer numbers of both Whites, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood and Small Heath.

Many Blue-fin Tuna still feeding offshore.

Sunrise

Portland: Day 9.

A cloudy start then clearing, 18°, light SW.

A cloudy and damp start to the day looked very promising but it soon fizzled out to be followed by glorious sunshine for the rest of the day which made for hard work in finding birds.

However, an improvement on the last few days.

The long staying Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Little Owl, 8 Yellow Wagtail, 6 Grey Wagtail, 60+ Meadow Pipit, 6 Tree Pipit, 2 Skylark, c35 Swallow, 5 House Martin, 4 Sand Martin, 2 Whinchat, 5 Stonechat, a Sedge Warbler, a Common Whitethroat, 6 Blackcap, 3 Willow Warbler, c25 Chiffchaff, a Pied Flycatcher and a Spotted Flycatcher.

A brief look at the sea when someone called: 3 Common Scoter but no prolonged sea watch.

Approx. 17:00 we noticed hundreds of Gull feeding high in the air just off the east cliffs. Flying Ants were the prey and swarming in 1000’s. Most of the Gulls noted were Mediterranean Gull (150+).

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large and Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Small Heath.

A couple of interesting Moths: Gold Spot and Beautiful Gothic.

Plus, a Sexton Beetle and a Black Slip Wasp.

All captive insects safely released.

some photos courtesy Loren.

Pied Flycatcher

Chiffchaff

Raven

Starlings on the lighthouse

Little Owl

Beautiful Gothic

Black Slip Wasp

Portland: Day 8.

Sunny then clouding over, 18°, light NW.

A quiet day by any standards. Didn’t do a sea watch as did not hear any decent calls from the guys watching and land was pretty hard work with migrants few and far between.

Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Little Owl, another Cattle Egret in, off the sea, 3 Raven, 22 Swallow, 1 House Martin, 4 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 “White” Wagtail, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 6 Stonechat, 3 Whinchat, 1 Common Redstart, 1 Blackcap, 9 Chiffchaff and 1 Willow Warbler.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Small Blue, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood and Small Heath.

Blue-fin Tuna.

Sunrise

Whinchat

Robin

Portland: Day 7.

Sunny, 18°, light SW.

A very protracted sea watch today and hard work on the land.

1 Arctic Skua and 9 Common Scoter.

A Cattle Egret in, off the sea, a Marsh Harrier, Little Owl, 64 Swallow, 4 House Martin, 2 Sand Martin, 8 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Grey Wagtail, 100+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Tree Pipit, 2 Wheatear, 3 Whinchat, 12 Stonechat, 12 Chiffchaff and a single Willow Warbler.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Common Blue?, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Speckled Wood and Small Heath.

Sunrise

Painted Lady

Whinchat (above & below)

Stonechat

Portland Bill

Portland: Day 6.

Sunny, 16°, light WNW.

Skipped a sea watch today as little appeared to be happening so concentrated more on the land.

Quite a good selection with a couple of reasonable figures.

Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit over, 1 Whimbrel, 100+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Tree Pipit, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 White Wagtail, 3 Wheatear, 2 Whinchat, 8 Stonechat, a Common Redstart, 1 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler, 17 Chiffchaff, 200+ Swallow, c40 House Martin and 26 Sand Martin.

Mammals: Red Fox & Grey Seal.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Small Blue, Small Copper, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood & Small Heath.

Moths: Hummingbird Hawkmoth.

Good numbers of Blue-fin Tuna offshore.

Sunrise

Wheatear mid jump

Wheatear

Linnet

Stonechat (above & below)

Angle Shade Moth landed on my binoculars, Was not aware until I saw a fuzzy shape through them.

Portland: Day 4.

Mainly sunny, 17°, blustery WNW.

A more sedate day with birds difficult to find given the windy conditions.

Did not do much of a sea watch so only a few bits. 7 Manx Shearwater, 2 Balearic Shearwater, 4 Sandwich Tern, c20 Kittiwake, 1 Knot, etc.

Land: Long staying Marsh Harrier again, 2 Common Buzzard, 2 Raven, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Tree Pipit, c30 Meadow Pipit, 6 Stonechat, 3 Whinchat and c20 Swallow.

Dragonflies: Emperor, Migrant Hawker and Common Darter.

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

Whinchat

Stonechat (above & below)

A "flock" of Convolvulus Hawkmoth

Emperor