The Portland PortalThe visitor guide to the beautiful Isle of Portland, Dorset

2nd – A blast of easterly in increasingly poor conditions – fog was a feature for much of the day and light rain had arrived by early evening – made a bit of difference today, with a few late migrants dropping in and a couple of brief highlights. The quality was provided a Hawfinch that flew over/through the Obs garden twice early in the morning and a ringtail harrier (the poor views in ropey light suggested it was most likely a Montagu’s Harrier) that flew high over the Bill during the afternoon, whilst the more routine fare included singles of Yellow Wagtail, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher. Immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps: 4 Silver Y and 2 Diamond-back Moth.

3rd – A gradual deterioration in the weather of recent days continued, with today’s dreary skies and brisk westerly making it feel distinctly un-summery. A pulse of movement offshore included 444 Gannets, 146 Manx Shearwaters and 23 Common Scoter through off the Bill during the morning, but the only worthwhile newcomers on the land were singles of Sedge Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher trapped at the Obs. Despite the poor conditions a few immigrants continue to appear in the moth-traps, with 7 Diamond-back Moth and a single Red Admiral butterfly at the Obs, and 5 Diamond-back Moth, 5 Silver Y and a Pearly Underwing at the Grove.

4th – Today’s handful of late migrants included 2 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and singles of Yellow Wagtail, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chaffinch at the Bill, where 200 or so Swifts also arrived in off the sea (late migrants or wandering breeders?). Fifty Manx Shearwaters were milling around off the Bill through the morning. Immigrant moths included 4 Diamond-back Moth at the Obs and a Pearly Underwing at Weston.

Hobby

5th – With three hours or so of dry weather before it started raining (…and didn’t let up for the rest of the day) there was a fair bit of coverage of the Bill area, where a lone Hobby looked to be the only new arrival; a few Manx Shearwaters were also milling around offshore there. Four Diamond-back Moth and 3 Silver Y were the only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps.

6th – Another very low-key day, with a trickle of passing Manx Shearwaters and singles of Arctic Skua and Great Skua the only worthwhile sightings at the Bill. Elsewhere there were 11 Dunlin at Ferrybridge. The moth-trapping was as uneventful as the birding, with 2 Diamond-back Moth and a Rusty-dot Pearl the only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps; a Hummingbird Hawk-moth was in the Obs garden during the afternoon.

7th – A very wet day that turned increasingly stormy as the rain eventually petered out during the afternoon. A Reed Warbler was a new arrival at the Bill, but it was the sea that got most attention once the wind really started freshening up. Chesil Cove was well watched, with 600 Gannets, 50 Fulmars, 24 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Pomarine Skuas, a Balearic Shearwater, a Sooty Shearwater and a Storm Petrel logged through the afternoon. The Bill got less coverage and although Manx Shearwaters were a little more numerous (52 in 2 hours during the morning looked to representative of passage through the day as a whole) the only other worthwhile sightings were of 4 Common Scoter and singles of Sooty Shearwater and Mediterranean Gull. Singles of Diamond-back Moth and Pearly Underwing were the only immigrants attracted to the Obs garden moth-traps.

8th – Yesterday’s unseasonably stormy conditions lasted through the night and the wind only abated a little through the day. With the land pretty well unbirdable -  the only reports from there were of 8 Dunlin and 6 Sanderling at Ferrybridge – it was again the sea that got all the coverage. Chesil Cove picked up the quality, with up to 30 Storm Petrels and 9 Pomarine Skuas lingering for much of the morning, when 6 Great Skuas and 4 Arctic Skuas also passed through. Manx Shearwaters dominated at the Bill, with 200 heading mainly west during the morning and 300 or more heading east during the late afternoon/evening; 10 Storm Petrels, 6 Pomarine Skuas, 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Great Skuas and a Common Scoter were also logged there through the day.