Portland Bill - 17th September

I had another Dormouse survey near to Dorchester today and so opted to head to Portland for a couple of hours before hand. Compared to my last visit on the 15th it was dead with very few migrants present. I walked from the main car park up the West Cliffs, through the Top Fields and down to Culverwell and then spent sometime at the Observatory Quarry. The Wryneck was still in the observatory quarry but otherwise there was very little, I recorded not a single Chiffchaff and overhead passage was non-existent. My eBird checklist for the morning can be viewed here.

Sparrowhawk - Top Fields, Portland Bill

Kestrel - Top Fields, Portland Bill

Wryneck - Observatory Quarry, Portland Bill

Portland Bill - 15th September

Before a Dormouse survey near to Dorchester I popped to Portland Bill for a couple of hours birding. I parked in the main car park and birded the lighthouse, Pulpit Inn and Observatory area. The bushes were alive with Chiffchaff and with good numbers of Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Whitethroat as well as Redstart, Whinchat, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail and a Hobby flew north. I spent some time at the Observatory Quarry where the Wryneck showed well eventually, it would disapear for long periods under the Brambles to feed.

My eBird checklist for the morning can be viewed here.

Wryneck - Observatory Quarry, Portland Bill

Wryneck - Observatory Quarry, Portland Bill

Little Owl - Observatory Quarry, Portland Bill

Northern Wheatear - Portland Bill

Chiffchaff - Bird Observatory, Portland Bill

Portland, Lodmoor and Pennington Marsh - 25th September

I had planned to go to Portland today but the weather forecast was bad with rain until 08:00, heavy showers thereafter and a F7-8 west wind. I was hesitant until in the car at 06:00 and semi-committed to the journey, rain lashed the car as I drove and the trees were being thrashed by the wind. It was my Birthday today but I struggled to find any optimism that I would find a rare bird - always my aim on my Birthday. 

Arriving in the car park at the Bill at 08:00 I began the morning with a seawatch, large numbers of Gannet were offshore, around 25 Kittiwake passed, there were good numbers of Razorbill and Guillemot and a single male Common Scoter passed east. I gave it around an hour but there was little to excite. I then wandered around the Bill area and out to Culverwell. I recorded 17 Wheatear, 35 Swallow moving west, around 75 Meadow Pipit moving west and a single Chiffchaff at Culverwell. It was very slow going and the wind was not abating. At 11:30 my parking ticket was about to run out and I decided to head to the east coast of Portland where I birded the Pen Castle and Church Ope area but saw little but for a couple of Goldcrest and a Yellow Wagtail passing south. I decided to start heading towards home via Lodmoor. 

Comma - Church Ope, Portland, Dorset

Raven - Portland Bill, Dorset

Common Kestrel - Portland Bill, Dorset

I spent around an hour at Lodmoor where there had been a long staying Long-billed Dowitcher but I had no luck with this bird. I wandered along the west path there were three Great White Egret, five Yellow Wagtail, a couple of Sandwich Tern, 25 Mediterranean Gull, 15 Black-tailed Godwit, five Dunlin and a white headed Ruff.

Sandwich Tern - Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset

Ruff - Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset

Mediterranean Gull, a first winter bird less advanced to winter plumage than the 

next two birds - Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset

Mediterranean Gull, first winter - Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset

Mediterranean Gull, first winter - Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset

Mediterranean Gull, second winter - Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset

Mediterranean Gull, second winter - Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset

Great White Egret - Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset

Great White Egret - Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset

It was 13:15 and I decided to head back to Hampshire and spend an hour or so at Pennington before collecting Tobias from school. I walked from Lower Pennington carpark out past Fishtail Lagoon, along the southern edge of Butts and Jetty Lagoon and back past Shoveler Pools. It was very quiet, I saw 10 Lapwing, a single House Martin and nothing much else. The lagoons were devoid of birds. I called it a day, headed for a coffee, collected Tobias from school and chilled with Sarah for the evening.

Portland - 31st August

Its been all work of late and with some easterly elements to the wind this weekend I was desperate to get out, so, after clearance from wifey I took Friday morning off work and headed to Portland. I was up at 04:15 and by 06:15 was watching the sunrise over Portland Bill. I wandered around the Bill area taking in the West Cliffs and Coastguard lookout area, the Beach Huts, part of the East Cliffs, Culverwell, the southern area of the Top Fields and the Observatory area. It was fairly slow going and I didnt see the hoped for Wryneck or Red-backed Shrike but every Wheatear sat atop a Bramble I imagined was a Shrike.

My totals for the morning were:

Whimbrel - 1
Snipe - 1
Common Sandpiper - 5
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Swift - 1 over Culverwell and the Top Fields
Wheatear - 36
Whinchat - 1
Stonechat - 7
Yellow Wagtail - 32
Tree Pipit - 1
Swallow - 55
Sand Martin - 2
House Martin - 5
Sedge Warbler - 1
Whitethroat - 9
Chiffchaff - 3
Reed Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 3

Sunrise over Portland Bill

Wheatear - Portland Bill

Whinchat - Juvenile below the Coastguard Lookout, Portland Bill

Stonechat - In contrast to the pristine juvenile Whinchat above this adult male Stonechat looks decidely scruffy as it moults, Portland Bill

Sedge Warbler - Below the Coastguard Lookout and hanging out with the Whinchat, Portland Bill

Whimbrel - In the paddocks to the east of the Observatory, Portland Bill

Autumn Ladies-tresses - East Cliffs, Portland Bill

Autumn Lady's-tresses - East Cliffs, Portland Bill

Small Heath - East Cliff, Portland Bill

Northern Wheatear - A beautiful male bird, Top Fields, Portland Bill

Northern Wheatear - Top Fields, Portland Bill

Portland, Dorset - 27th October

I arrived at Portland at 07:30 just as the sun was rising and overhead Meadow Pipit, Sky Lark, Alba Wagtail and Linnet called. During a coffee before setting off and waiting for the sun to rise I spotted a couple of thrush in the scrub along the West Cliffs, chacking calls gave them away as Ring Ouzel so I set-off to get better views. I eventually had fairly good views of a male and female as they fed on Blackberries and Privet berries on the scattered scrub. I birded the west cliffs for a while before dropping down to the observatory. Woodpigeon passed in good numbers overhead and Brambling and Redpoll could be heard calling as they passed over. I birded the Hut Fields and then along the East Cliffs before heading up to Culverwell the highlights being two Firecrest, four Yellowhammer and two Golden Plover. At Culverwell, the southern edge of the scrub was bathed in sunlight and there were good numbers of insects, there were at least three Chiffchaff and a few Goldcrest. I then picked-up what looked to be a fairly pallid Acrocephalus and my immediate impressions were that it was simply a pallid looking Reed Warbler. Other birders approached and it became apparent that there was a rumour that the bird was a Marsh Warbler, this identification morphed into Blyth's Reed Warbler and as the crowd swelled to around 30 this identification took hold. I however was a little sceptical, to me it simply looked wrong in tone being too warm and seemed to have the wrong jizz - I couldn't put my finger on it but it just didn't feel right for a Blyth's Reed. Still I watched the bird for an hour or so before heading back to the car and home. When home I quickly looked at my images of the Acrocephalus and became more certain of my doubts so emailed some images and thoughts to Martin Cade - a little later that day the bird was captured and its identity as a Reed Warbler confirmed.  Martin's account of the day can be read on the Portland Bird Observatory website here.

Ring Ouzel - West Cliffs, Portland

Migrating Woodpigeon - Portland Bill

Little Owl - Observatory Quarry, Portland

Meadow Pipit - East Cliff, Portland

Reed Warbler - Culverwell, Portland Bill

Reed Warbler - Culverwell, Portland Bill

Long-tailed Tit - Coastguard Cottages, Portland

Mornings Totals:

Golden Plover - 2

Lapwing - 1

Woodpigeon - 350

Ring Ouzel - Male and female West Cliffs, on heard at Obs

Redwing - 8

Chiffchaff - 8

Firecrest - 2

Long-tailed Tit- 8 

Reed Warbler - 1

Blackcap - 3 (2 male and a female)

Stonechat - 35

Brambling - 5

Redpoll - 6

Siskin - 35

Reed Bunting 6

Yellowhammer - 4

Portland and Lodmoor - 15th October

Another morning at Portland saw me arriving in the car park at the Bill at 07:30 just as the sun was rising. Overhead passed large numbers of 'Alba' Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Goldfinch while three Siskin and two Reed Bunting also passed over. In the grassland beside the Quintiq compound were two Firecrest. I wandered a short way northwards along the West Cliffs and around the back of the Pulpit Inn recording another four Firecrest with another two in the scrub infront of the Old Boat House building. It was evident that there had been an overnight fall of Firecrest. I wandered over to the Observatory Quarry where there were another two Firecrest and a Hawfinch calling from the bushes before flying east over the observatory garden. Wandering through the scrub at the Hut Fields I recorded a Chiffchaff, Blackcap and another three Firecrest while overhead there was a continuoosu stream of Alba Wagtail, Linnet and Meadow Pipit. Walking along the East Cliffs, the paddocks were full of Alba Wagtail and Meadow Pipit while two Wheatear showed well. In the scrub along the East Cliffs there were further Firecrest, another Hawfinch, three Blackcap and two Chiffchaff. Heading towards Culverwell I bumped into some birders who reported that a Radde's Warbler had been heard in the scrub, the nets had been opened and I waited around to see if it was caught. Three Firecrest, two Blackcap and a Whinchat were here but no sign of the Radde's so I gave up and headed over the Top Fields where the highlights were a Yellow-browed Warbler and further Firecrest. News broke that the Radde's had been captured in the observatory garden soon after I had left Culverwell.

I decided to head to the observatory and spend my last hour or so here as the Radde's had been released into the observatory quarry but other than more Firecrest, a Snipe and a Mistle Thrush flying north I saw little. I was time to head off but a total of 54 Firecrest for the morning was amazing - the Portland Observatory blog reported around 150 birds in the Bill area and an account of the day can be read here.

Firecrest - Hut Fields, Portland

Wheatear - Paddocks along East Cliffs, Portland

Chiffchaff - Culverwell, Portland

Blackcap - Top Fields, Portland

'Alba' Wagtail were abundant at Portland today but all those that I had decent views of 

were Pied Wagtail - Top Fields, Portland

Pied Wagtail - Top Fields, Portland

Pied Wagtail - Top Fields, Portland

I had around an hour to spare so popped into Lodmoor for a Lesser Yellowlegs that had been present since 5th October and I eventually caught up with it along the western side of the reserve but it wasn't showing especially well. Also here were three Little Stint, four Ruff, two Green Sandpiper and a Great White Egret.

Ruff - Lodmoor RSPB

Lesser Yellowlegs - Lodmoor RSPB

Portland - 7th October

I spent the day at Portland in a strong west wind with frequent blustery showers and thick overcast. I didn't expect to see much but I had the day 'scheduled' and so wanted to continue with my plans. I parked in the main carpark and wandered northwards through the Chalet Fields, along the East Cliff, up to Culverwell, over the Top Fields and down the West Cliffs to the observatory. It was pretty tough going and I saw few birds. The only bird of any note was a Hawfinch which flew overhead in the Top Fields and landed in a Sycamore before flying high towards Culverwell.

I then headed to the Church Opi car park and wandered through the Sycamores at Pennsylvania Castle and although sheltered here there was little to be seen. So I decided to retreat, I stopped at Ferrybridge for an hour or so where there were 780 Dark-bellied Brent and a single Pale-bellied Brent plus 75 Ringed Plover, four Mediterranean Gull and two Bar-tailed Godwit. As I wandered back to the car with Dave Foot a fantastic adult pale phase Arctic Skua flew west through the harbour and over the Chesil Bank.

Arctic Skua - Ferrybridge

Part of the flock of 780 Dark-bellied Brent Goose - Ferrybridge

Days Totals for Portland Bill Area
Swallow - 22 west
Goldcrest - 4 (plus 5 Pennsylvania)
Chiffchaff - 3(plus 2 Pennsylvania)
Blackcap - 6
Stonechat - 2
Wheatear - 3
Hawfinch - 1

Portland - 25th September

It was my birthday today and so I took the day off to go birding. In previous years I have visited the Isles of Scilly but now that Tobias is at school this was not an option so I had decided to spend the day at Portland. The alarm went off at 04:30 and after a few coffee’s I was off and in the main car park at the Bill at 06:45 just as it was getting light. As I opened the car door I could here large numbers of Meadow Pipit and Linnet passing overhead with a few Grey Wagtail and Yellow Wagtail. Off the Bill a pod of around 15 Bottle-nosed Dolphin with around five calves were showing well as they frolicked around a fishing boat. I wandered towards the observatory firstly walking the perimeter of the Pulpit Inn and then to the quarry and past the bushes on the western boundary of the observatory. Large numbers of Meadow Pipit and Linnet were clearly on the move, there were at least 15 Wheatear in the fields while the bushes held good numbers of warblers with three Blackcap and eight Chiffchaff in the observatory quarry.

In the observatory garden there were around five Chiffchaff, two Willow Warbler and a smart Yellow-browed Warbler but no sign of the Greenish Warbler that had been trapped and ringed yesterday although the bird had been showing earlier in the morning. After around 1.5 hours looking for the Greenish Warbler I decided that I would rather go birding so wandered along to Culverwell, up over the Top Fields to the West Cliffs, along Sweet Hill Lane to Southwell and back along the East Cliffs to the observatory. There were large numbers of Linnet, Meadow Pipit and good numbers of Swallow with a few Sand Martin and House Martin passing over. In the fields there were a scatter of Wheatear, probably 10 in total, and two Whinchat. The Sycamores at the north-west end of Sweet Hill Lane held a single Chiffchaff and a Spotted Flycatcher. Back at the observatory the Greenish Warbler had shown again and so I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon looking for it. Within around 30 minutes I had a view of the Greenish Warbler along the access drive the observatory and over the next hour or two it showed fairly well on and off. It was quite a washed out and worn adult bird with a very indistinct wing bar. The was a new British bird for me, I had previously only seen Two-barred Greenish Warbler in the UK, the first British record on Gugh, Isle of Scilly in 1987. The Yellow-browed Warbler also showed well on and off and I spent and enjoyable couple of hours with these birds. It was 15:00 and time to head for home, a brief stop at The Fleet produced little of note. I had had a good day with a British tick and a lifer moth (see below).

Greenish Warbler - Portland Bird Observatory

Greenish Warbler - Portland Bird Observatory

Greenish Warbler - Portland Bird Observatory

Greenish Warbler - Portland Bird Observatory

Yellow-browed Warbler - Portland Bird Observatory

Bottle-nosed Dolphin (two adult and a calf) off Portland Bill early AM

Portland Lighthouses

Wheatear - Top Fields, Portland

Raven - West Cliffs, Portland

Kestrel - Reap Lane, Portland

Kestrel - Reap Lane, Portland 

Ziton Jack-up Vessel off the East Cliffs, Portland - The large struts extend down to the seabed raising the vessel from the water to create a stable platform. These vessels are used to service offshore wind farms.

Beautiful Gothic from the observatory moth trap. This is a Red Data Book 

species and a new moth for me.

Beautiful Gothic from the observatory moth trap

Goldspot from the observatory moth trap

East Cliffs viewed north, Portland

My days totals were as follows:

Goldcrest - 3

Skylark - 17

Swallow - 240

Sand Martin - 5

House Martin - 25

Willow Warbler - 2

Chiffchaff - 35

Yellow-browed Warbler - 1

Greenish Warbler - 1

Sedge Warbler - 1

Lesser Whitethroat - 1

Blackcap - 6

Spotted Flycatcher - 1

Wheatear - 15

Stonechat - 3

Yellow Wagtail - 9

Reed Bunting - 1

An account of the day on the Portland Bird Observatory blog can be viewed here