Paul Matson's Birding Blog: Friday 29th September

Last Sunday I went to Portland Bird Observatory for 5 nights, mainly hoping for some migration and hopefully the odd rarer bird thrown in the mix. With the remnants of last weeks American Passerine dump still occasionally producing a new find on the West coast, there was always hope something might turn up.

On route to Portland I went to Arne RSPB on Sunday morning and walked out to Shipstall point which overlooks Poole harbour. A Forster's Tern had been present here for a few months. There was no sign of the bird when I arrived with just a handful of Sandwich Terns on a spit, but after a short wait the Forster's Tern was picked up flying in and landed amongst the Sandwich Terns. Over the next 30 minutes it gave reasonable scope views with the Terns occasionally flying up before resettling, once because of a passing Osprey and other than a herd of Pigs which tried to run through my tripod I was happy with the sighting. I next drove to Weymouth and went to Lodmoor, but water levels were high so limited highlights just 5 Great Egret and 200+ Med Gulls.

About an hour before high tide I dropped into Ferrybridge just at the start of the link road to the Isle of Portland, a few Dunlin were present and almost immediately a Grey Phalarope flew in calling, spent 5 minutes moving with the Dunlin then went high and out to sea. There was also 2 Curlew Sandpipers, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Turnstone and Bar-tailed Godwit present.

Arriving at the observatory I unloaded my bag, then went down to the bill for a seawatch. It was quite windy so I found sufficient shelter behind the obelisk, but being Sunday afternoon there were still coach loads of tourists walking out to the point, the problem with standing there wearing bins, camera and a scope trained on the sea I may have well had a signed saying 'Tourist Information', I had to endure an hour of 'what are you looking for'... and also the wisecracks.

I did see a Sooty Shearwater, 3 Arctic Skuas, a close Manx Shearwater amongst the Auks, Gannets and Kittiwakes.

A good first day list.

Forster's Tern (middle top)

Osprey

Grey Phalarope

Curlew Sandpiper with Dunlin

Grey Phalarope with Dunlin

Manx Shearwater

Pigs at Arne

Monday 25th - Friday 29th

Each day had a fairly similar routine, which was to start as the light dawned in front of the observatory looking over the garden and the sea and waiting for the first net rounds to be done to see whether there were many migrants .Then to walk around the island birding with perhaps another sea-watch towards the end of the day. The exception was late Wednesday into Thursday morning when storm Agnes blew through the West side of the country, although largely missing where we were the winds overnight were quite strong and there was still quite a swell in the morning. There was some anticipation that the storm might deliver on the bird front , but this turned into another false dawn. Although, I was going to the point for a sea-watch first thing on Wednesday when news of a petrel in chesil cove, had me and Glen quickly diverting to the top of the island, only to find when we got there that the petrel (a probable Leach's Petrel) was a moribund corpse floating on the sea having been attacked by gulls.

Highlights each day were as follows ;

Monday 25th - Little Owl

Whinchat

Wheatear 16+

Long-tailed Skua (1 briefly)

Sooty Shearwater 1

Balearic Shearwater 22

Tuesday 26th - Merlin

Little Owl

Balearic Shearwater 23

Yellow Wagtail

Wednesday 27th Swallow - 3000+

Meadow Pipit 2000+

Balearic Shearwater 5

Thursday 28th Grasshopper Warbler 1

Firecrest 1

Lesser Whitethroat (siberian) 1

Meadow Pipit 1000+

Swallow 750+

Friday 29th (until 10.30) Redpoll

Siskin 30+

Merlin

It was a joy to watch the visible migration, particular in the last couple of days although it was mostly common species and I enjoyed the daily yomping around the island, although the anticipation was always greater than the delivery, but I ended the few days with a list of 88 species and there is always next time.