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| Home
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world / Environment for birds |
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| Migrating birds |
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| Portland has a fairly
small population of breeding birds, due to its limited range
of habitats and the high proportion of built-up areas. However,
every Spring and Autumn the island is filled with thousands
of passage migrants - birds which are visiting Portland on their
way to breeding or wintering grounds further afield. |
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| Probably the most
numerous migrant on Portland is the Willow Warbler, which arrives
in large numbers every April. These tiny birds have flown across
the Sahara Desert, moved north through Spain and France, before
crossing the English Channel and arriving on Portland. After
a day or two they will continue northwards to their woodland
breeding areas throughout Britain. None remain to breed on Portland
although they are a common bird in the rest of Dorset. |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| In August young Willow
Warblers start to appear again, this time looking much more
yellow than the Spring adults. Most years their arrival coincides
with a massive influx of hoverflies, providing the young birds
with a plentiful food supply to fuel their journey back to Africa.
By the end of September Portland will have hosted many thousands
of Willow Warblers, but these are believed to be only a tiny
fraction of the numbers which pass over the island at night
without stopping. |
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| Spring Wheatear |
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Wheatears are to many birdwatchers the most characteristic
of Portland's migrants, but like the Willow Warbler few, if
any, stay to breed. The preferred breeding areas of the Wheatear
are high moorland in Wales, the Pennines and the Lake District.
However, many also breed on the rocky coastlines of Devon
and Cornwall and so it is a mystery why more do not stop to
nest on Portland. Perhaps it has something to do with the
islanders' ancient habit of catching the birds for food!
Wheatears are always the earliest of the summer migrants
to arrive, the first birds sometimes being seen as early as
the last week of February. The best place to see these early
birds is the grassy common at Portland Bill, but Ferrybridge
also attracts Wheatears at this time of year.
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| By the end of May
most Wheatears will have left Portland, apart perhaps from one
or two pairs which will stay to breed in the Bill Quarry some
years. The first returning migrants are seen in early August,
from when they soon become a common sight once more until mid-October.
These Autumn wheatears are mainly young birds lacking the bright
colours of the Spring adults. |
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| Autumn Wheatear |
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| Migrating south every
Spring and Autumn with the Willow Warblers and Wheatears is
a huge variety of other migrant birds, many of which do not
breed in this area at all. Pied Flycatchers for example are
a regular sight at the Bill in May and August, but the main
breeding population is in the Oak forests of Wales. Common Redstarts
breed in the same forests and not surprisingly are often seen
on Portland with Pied Flycatchers. |
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| Black Redstart |
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Black Redstarts are
a rare breeding bird in Britain, but a common sight on Portland
in April and October, often staying to spend the Winter. The
bird pictured is an adult male, but mostly we see the duller
females and young birds. |
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Much rarer birds also pass through in Spring and Autumn,
such as this Marsh Harrier. These large birds of prey rarely
stop on the island, preferring to fly straight over and on
to wetland feeding areas such as Radipole and Lodmoor.
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| Marsh Harrier |
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