Saturday 20th July 2024

Another sticky and humid morning. A great spotted woodpecker paid us a brief visit as did a juvenile coal tit. A med gull joined 40 black-headed gulls going south. Also moving south were a few hirundines: 19 swallows and 2 sand martins, and a handful of waders: 6 whimbrel, 1 curlew and 2 oystercatcher. A juvenile blackbird was the first we've seen in several weeks, and still more young wrens and dunnocks are emerging from the scrub.

Two Cydia fagiglanda this morning were unexpected as we only have 3 previous records and two of those were last century. It's a beech mast specialist. 

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 1, Coal Tit 1, Dunnock 1, Wren 2. 

Friday 19th July 2024

An uncomfortably warm day saw little in the way of migrants. Highlights were two great white and a single little egret flying south and a juvenile blackcap in the observatory compound. 

First noted in 2019, Jersey Tiger is now, hopefully, established here. 

Birds Ringed: Dunnock 1, Woodpigeon 2, Wren 4. 

Thursday 18th July 2024

Some interesting species passing the Obs today. First spotted redshank of the year heading south along with 7 curlew and 2 whimbrel. A sanderling was the first returning bird of the season on the beach, though it didn't stay long, unlike the 3 turnstone. A green woodpecker yaffled in the observatory grounds, first of the autumn, probably the first of the year and hopefully we'll see a few more before the end of August. A fledgling linnet was the first we've seen in almost a month, in a year that hasn't been great for the species. 

A 12-spot, 2 headed Burnet moth, or possibly two 6- spots enjoying a bit of hanky-panky. There were no records of this species in 2023, so this is a good and welcome sign. 

The third site record of Portland Moth was an immaculate individual and looks like it hasn't come far to get here.

Birds Ringed: Blue Tit 1, Dunnock 1, Linnet 1. 

Wednesday 17th July 2024

 

Southbound 36 Swallow, 3 Sand Martin, Curlew & Swift. A couple more juv Grey Wags turned up so surely they must be nesting somewhere not to far away ? It was good to see 3 Porpoise this morning fairly close offshore including a small calf. 

European Corn-borer used to considered a migrant 100 years ago but now lives here. It can be an agricultural pest.

Ringing: 2 Great Tit, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Dunnock, 1 Wren.

Tuesday 16th July 2024

A better day for migration today, with quite a few species passing by at sea. 7 pochard and 5 teal headed south, the former species the first record for the 'autumn'. These were joined by a trickle of waders with 11 curlew, 3 whimbrel and a single bar-tailed godwit heading south, whilst the jetty turnstones remained steadfastly non migratory. A moulting adult male blackcap was another sign of autumn, presumably it will remain here to finish its moult before continuing south. 

Swift numbers were reasonable, because of the strong winds, with 56 moving south. These were accompanied by 2 sand martins, 9 swallows and a single house martin. 

Ypsolopha scabrella lives on hawthorns with this one only our 4th in the last 20 years, it was more common prior to that.

Birds Ringed: Blackcap 1, Great Tit 2. 

Monday 15th July 2024

Another day of baby birds and recording the regulars. Two lapwing were notable, haven't recorded this species here in a while. The fourth juvenile Cetti's warbler paid us a visit, whether this is from a separate brood is unknown, and we'll only be able to theorize about how many breeding attempts there have been this year, unless more find their way to us this autumn. Wrens appear to have done well this year with another 4 fledglings ringed today, and freshly fledged dunnocks are a daily occurrence currently. Migrant warblers were represented by 2 juvenile chiffchaffs and a lesser whitethroat juv that has likely fledged locally. 

 Festoon lives on English Oak. Formerly scarce, it has turned up in seven of the last ten years.

Birds Ringed: Cetti's Warbler 1, Chiffchaff 1, Dunnock 2, Great Tit 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Wren 4. 

Sunday 14th July 2024

 

Handful of migrants this morning including southbound 24 Swallow, 15 Swift, 4 Oyk, 2 Common Gull, Little Egret & Yellow Wag with northbound 7 Sandwich Tern. Amongst the baby birds a new juvenile Cetti's Warbler.

Sciota adelphella was a rare migrant last century, after which we thought it had slowly colonised before it then changed it's mind as this is the first one seen here for four years.

Ringing: 2 Robin, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Great Tit, 1 Wren.