29th October

No day with a Pallas's Warbler on the list - the Pumping Station Quarry bird was present all day - could be described as disappointing, but there was a feeling that there perhaps ought to have been more in the way of new arrivals after the wind and rain of dawn cleared through to leave pretty benign conditions for the rest of the day. The Pallas's aside, the day's tally was a somewhat impoverished version of yesterdays: ringing evidence indicated that a good many of the birds were lingerers, with the likes of a Coal Tit at the Obs, 5 Short-eared Owls at the Bill, the late Redstart at Portland Castle and a spread of into double figures of both Black Redstart and Firecrest all making the log; another Redstart also showed up at Reap Lane. The strong wind did little for the sea, with 2 Great Northern Divers and a Balearic Shearwater the best on offer at the Bill.

Moth numbers dwindled, with a Scarce Bordered Straw the best of the few immigrants at the Obs.




Kestrel, Goldcrest and Firecrest - Portland Bill, 29th October 2015 © Ben Porter benporterphotography