Portland Bill Obs.

 

Some notes of interest at/around Portland Bill Obs during March, indicating that the spring migration has yet to take off.

1 March. A tiny trickle of Meadow Pipit.

3 March. Single Chiffchaff.

4 March. 3 Wheatear.

8 March. A very interesting note on the Firecrest....

Sad to relate, as far as we know today's Firecrest was the first one seen on the island this year. We've never been any the wiser as to what it was that triggered the extraordinary and record-breaking fall of 150 Faircrest's on 15th October 2017 but that event seems to have begun an inexorable decline that's seen the species reach getting on for semi-scarcity status at Portland, culminating in last year's Bill bird-day total and Obs ringing tally both being among the lowest ever and this winter's complete absence being, as far as we can remember, pretty well unprecedented © Martin Cade/Erin Taylor

12 March. Long-tailed Skua off Chesil was a major surprise for the time of year.

14 March. A Swallow at Southwell, and a Sandwich Tern at Ferrybridge were both firsts of the spring.  

22 March. No double figures of Wheatear have arrived yet. The first Willow Warbler of the year was seen, though conversely, a count of c.100 Chiffchaff was made. 

We can keep up to date on the comings at and around Portland Bill Obs to give some idea of what we can expect to see up'tnorth in the coming weeks in the B2B right hand sidebar.

A Rewarding Return.

Looking East. Pete Woodruff. 

I paid a return visit to Barbondale today, a place that oozes with the beauty of the English countryside with its ancient wet woodland, and - even more importantly for me - is an excellent birding location in its own right. I always did maintain that return visits anywhere often payed dividends and today proved that point perfectly. With some field-craft, some patient standing about, and three hours to do it in I found 10 Pied Flycatchers, an all time record and excellent reward. I was also rewarded by seeing the 1st summer 'brown' male - previously recorded this month - feeding the female, some PF behaviour I've not witnessed before. 

Looking West. Pete Woodruff. 

I also found my first Spotted Flycatcher here today, and after two previous unsuccessful visits found a female Whinchat, noted 5 Tree Pipit, just 4 Redstart two of which were female, 2 Wheatear, 2 Dipper, a Reed Bunting, Grey Wagtail, and a Buzzard.

Barbon Beck. Pete Woodruff.

I've not finished with this place and will be back for more, I never settle for just the one visit to Barbondale and to be honest there's a distinct possibility of twelve Pied Flycatchers here this year as today I may have overdone it on the caution for duplicate counting and reckon two males I saw were unconnected to the ten recorded....we'll see! 

Birk Bank Cotton Grass. Pete Woodruff.

The Cotton Grass on Birk Bank bog is beginning to look good though most of my photography leaves much to be desired and this attempt doesn't do the scene justice I'm afraid.

I decided to give the top of Birk Bank a look over but was left disappointed with the best bird being a Woodcock which heard me coming and flushed from a distance, 2 Red Grouse noted, and a young Mistle Thrush seen at a distance, a Brown Hare was also of note. In Crag Wood a Blackcap heard in song, and on Rigg Lane a Garden Warbler gave me decent views, and a Buzzard over.

I've left my whinge until the end....The weather today was pathetic with lots of cloud and a cold westerly with gusts in excess of 40 miles per hour at times....'More like March than May'. 

National News.

In Ayrshire up to 1,000 Long-tailed Skuas past Saltcoats Harbour again today.

Rainy days and Mondays!

I don't like rainy days and certainly don't like wet and windy ones in which today fitted the category to perfection.

So....no birding, and I've nearly run out of blogging time but having noted 105 Long-tailed Skuas past Saltcoats Harbour in Ayrshire, Scotland this afternoon, so I dug out this excellent video showing the bird as it would be seen on a sea-watch, though there are better videos of the birds on land which don't carry with them the same excitement as this one in flight.

Interestingly a Black-browed Albatross was reported on the RBA pager service recently, which was also seen flying south past the same Saltcoats Harbour, the video below is an excellent example of some good filming over the ocean, albeit the most common and widespread of the family, it is pelagic and spends months on end at sea but sometimes spending summer months on Gannet colonies in Scotland. 



I also have some brilliant photographs in my library thanks to some equally brilliant photographers/birders I happen to know, like....

Silver-breasted Broadbill. Kah Wai.

The Silver-breasted Broadbill, a brilliant little bird photographed at Bukit Tinggi in Malaysia by Kah Wai whose website always has some interesting notes and photography HERE

And....

Little Bustard. Mike Watson. 

The Little Bustard is just one of many brilliant birds seen on MW's latest trip accompanied by some interesting accounts of his visit to Catalonia in Spring.

Birding tomorrow and....I have a plan.