Variety rather than numbers

Cloudy with a few sunny periods, 17°, light NNW.

The day dawned cloudy and still with very little migration evident, however it proved to be an active and interesting day with not many photos taken.

A few early migrants moved off with the usual species of 18 Yellow Wagtail, 9 Tree Pipit and 2 Grey Wagtail and later 3 Siskin.

A shout from Martin alerted us to an Ortolan Bunting over the Crown estate fields which then flew up to the Privet hedge.

3 of us went up there an inadvertently flushed the bird which then flew off to above Culverwell and has not been seen since, to my knowledge.

Anyway that over with the day settled down to some steady birding with one or two locals moaning about the lack of birds, however…………………………………:

2 Pied/White Wagtail, 5 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 20+ Willow Warbler, 10 Common Whitethroat, 7 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Common Redstart, 1 Barred Warbler, 1 Wryneck and 1 Nightingale.

Again a steady flow of Swallow through the day with several groups of House Martin, 3 Sand Martin and a Swift.

Also: 1 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk and 5 Kestrel.

The sea was again very quiet with Gannet being the only species moving.

Mammals: A Bat species, possibly one of the Pipistrelles but appeared larger.

Dragonflies: Emperor, Common Darter.

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

Other: Jersey Tiger, Convolvulus Hawk Moth, Brown Bush Cricket, Southern Oak Bush Cricket.

 Jersey Tiger (Loren)

 Emperor (Loren)

 Common Darter (Loren)

Bessie cat knapping on the bed of a vacant room!

Another day another mix

Sunny, 18°, light NNW.

Much the same as yesterday with 30+ Yellow Wagtail, 6 Tree Pipit and 25+ Siskin making their way out from dawn.

The day then settled down to looking for birds etc. around the bill area.

2 Peregrine Falcon, a Sparrowhawk and 6+ Kestrel.

10+ Wheatear, a Whinchat, 6 Stonechat, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 8 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Common Redstart, 1 Chiffchaff, c20 Willow Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 5 Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap and a Wryneck.

A steady stream of Swallow with several small flocks of House Martin through the day.

The only stuff seen on the sea today were 3 Common Scoter flying east and 2 Oystercatcher along the west cliffs.

Dragonflies: Emperor and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Gatekeeper, Wall Brown, Meadow Brown.

Other species: Cosmopolitan Moth (from Southern Europe-North Africa), Garden Tiger Moth, Red-legged Spider Wasp, Barrel Jellyfish.

 Wryneck

 Willow Warbler in the early morning sun

 Peregrine

 Sparrowhawk

 Wall Brown

 Common Blue (Loren)

 Juv Stonechat (Loren)

 Red-legged Spider Wasp

 Garden Tiger Moth

 Barrel Jellyfish (Loren)

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