Portland Bird Observatory

Robin and Blue Tit - Portland Bill, 8th February 2010 © Martin Cade
8th February	Early afternoon update. Feeling a bit chillier today in a freshening north-easterly breeze but, for the most part, still mainly clear and bright. Oddments on the bird front at the Bill included 2 Lapwings and a Carrion Crow arriving in off the sea, 8 Common Scoter still settled offshore and 15 Song Thrushes dotted about on the land. A note for bookshop visitors: during February the shop will be open as usual on Saturdays and Sundays but will be closed on Wednesdays; also a reminder that... ...the next In Focus field event at the Obs takes place between 10am and 4pm this Saturday, 13th February.
One for the archives: Black Guillemot - Portland Harbour, winter 1986/87 © Ken Parker ...we didn't think anyone had ever photographed a Portland Black Guillemot but recently Ken Parker came across this long-forgotten image of the bird that spent more than four months in the harbour during the winter of 1986/87. We're always keen on images like this for our archives so if anyone has any ancient prints/transparencies that might be of interest do please let us know.
7th February	Another day of very quiet weather. All the reports were from the Bill where 21 Red-throated Divers and a Brent Goose passed by on the sea, 4 Common Scoter were settled offshore and 3 Redwings and a Golden Plover were on the land.
6th February	Relatively poor reward on what was another really quite nice day today. Odds and ends making the day list at the Bill included 6 Purple Sandpipers, 4 Turnstones, a Fieldfare and a Redwing on the land, 8 Common Scoter settled offshore and 2 Red-throated Divers through on the sea. Elsewhere there were 8 Black-necked Grebes, 2 Slavonian Grebes, a Great Northern Diver and a Black-throated Diver in Portland Harbour and 6 Common Scoter, 2 Red-throated Divers and a Slavonian Grebe off Chesil Beach. Late news for yesterday: a Red Admiral - the first butterfly seen this year - was on the wing at Southwell.
Firecrest and Long-tailed Tit - Pennsylvania Castle, 5th February 2010 © Martin Cade
5th February	The mildest and most pleasant day of the year so far. More typical fare at the Bill included 2 Grey Partridges and a Reed Bunting on the land and 11 Black-headed Gulls, 10 Common Scoter and 4 Red-throated Divers through on the sea. Elsewhere there were 3 Redwings at Southwell and 12 Long-tailed Tits, a Grey Wagtail and a Firecrest at Pennsylvania Castle. A note for bookshop visitors: during February the shop will be open as usual on Saturdays and Sundays but will be closed on Wednesdays.
4th February	With most birders staying indoors on a damp, dreary morning the only reports were of 2 Redwings at Southwell, a Mistle Thrush at the Bill, 9 Common Scoter and a Red-throated Diver through on the sea at the Bill and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose at Ferrybridge.
3rd February	Mild and not nearly as wet as the forecast suggested it could have been today. Minor surprises at the Bill included 7 Pheasants (the highest count for a long time), 2 Golden Plovers and a Mistle Thrush, together with a more routine 5 Purple Sandpipers, a Water Rail and a Redwing on the land, 21 Common Scoter settled offshore and 5 Red-throated Divers and a Black-throated Diver through on the sea. Elsewhere there were 7 Black-necked Grebes, a Great Northern Diver and a Tufted Duck in Portland Harbour.
Shag and Razorbills - Portland Bill, 2nd February 2010 © Martin Cade
2nd February	A very different day to the last few with milder, breezy and dreary conditions having rolled in overnight. There wasn't much to report on the bird front with the only news from the Bill being of 6 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Redwings on the land, at least 11 Common Scoter settled offshore and singles of Red-throated Diver and Red-necked Grebe passing through on the sea.
Mute Swans - Portland Bill, 1st February 2010 © Pete Saunders
1st February	Another day of unbroken sunshine and a chilly breeze. The only reports were of a Purple Sandpiper and a Black Redstart at the Bill, at least 50 Mediterranean Gulls lingering off the Bill, 3 Red-throated Divers through on the sea there and 315 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 100 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Mute Swans and 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese at Ferrybridge.