Portland Bird Observatory
and Field Centre
Birding at Portland Bill
The spring arrival of swallows migrating in from West Cliffs near the Old Higher Light.
When to visit:
Birding on Portland can be good at all times of the year. When the season or conditions are not good for land birds, try sea watching at the Bill, or in winter, have a look for ducks, grebes and divers in Portland Harbour.
What to wear:
Portland's climate is generally warmer, wetter and windier than the rest of south Dorset. Frosts are uncommon and usually mild when they occur. Snow is rare and does not normally settle here.
A wind-proof, light-weight jacket - such as a 'fleece' is ideal for most of the year. This can be supplemented by a roll-up cagoule and over trousers, carried in a small haversack, during the winter months. Gloves may be welcome when venturing out in northerly or easterly winds at this time of the year. Keeping warm is rarely a problem.
From early May until early September only light shoes, such as trainers, will be necessary. Some of the footpaths around the top fields can become very muddy as autumn approaches until March. Water-proof boots will be useful during this time.
Most visiting birders tend to over-dress when visiting Portland. Although the countryside is open, and may look rather wild, you will never be more than fifteen minutes walk from shelter.
Access:
The same rules apply as anywhere else in England. Please keep to marked public footpaths at all times. Roaming the Common at Portland Bill, and the slopes at the West Cliffs is also permissible.
All, the fields, both fenced and unfenced, are private property, and should not be entered without permission from the respective landowners. Several local birders are allowed to enter fields to carry out Observatory census work. Please help the Observatory committee, and other birders, keep on good terms with our neighbours by following these guidelines. If we can achieve this we have the chance of negotiating ordered entry when a rarity occurs.
Anything about?
Find out what's around by stopping off at the Observatory once you arrive on Portland. If you are happy to follow the crowd pagers can of course be useful, as are the various telephone 'bird lines'. Don't forget though that you are just as capable of finding something scarce as the next person. Having said that remember - real, rarities, i.e. 'reproducible ones', are extremely infrequent, - even on Portland.
Parking:
The 'Bill Road', all the way from Southwell to Portland Bill, is a clearway (the single white line indicates this!). The road is said to be the most dangerous in Dorset. Please do not stop or park on the road or the verges under any circumstances as this is both illegal and extremely dangerous.
Use the public car park at Portland Bill when visiting the Obs or, or park in Southwell village and walk (for about three minutes) to view the 'dung heap'. The police are quick to issue tickets here all year round and residents regularly report offending vehicles. Please note that due to the large number of visitors we get the Observatory car park is reserved for the use of members and residents only. A current membership card must be displayed in your vehicle when you visit.
Communications:
Local birders living on Portland communicate using BT Cellnet mobile telephones. About ten birders here now use the 'U Call' tariff. Various other makes of mobiles have been tried from time to time and all have been found to have significant 'dead spots', i.e. areas where no signal is received, on the Bill area. Unfortunately there are two significant dead spots to be aware of even when using the BT service. These are (i) the Observatory patio and Common Room (seriously!), (ii) the bottom (eastern) end of Culverwell, and a short stretch - several hundred yards, of the Bill Road, to the north of there.
Public, coin-operated, telephone boxes are located at Portland Bill near the Lobster Pot cafe, and at Southwell by the Eight Kings public house. A further coin-operated call box can be found in the entrance hall of the Bird Observatory. The latter does not accept incoming calls.
Reporting your sightings:
Remember, for example, that a Coal Tit, Willow Tit, Long-tailed Tit or a Tree Creeper... and many other species you may take for granted 'inland', are considerable rarities on Portland. Most birders living on the Island might only stroll for a Serin, Wryneck, Woodchat, Melodious or Yellow-browed Warbler. However, all hell would break loose over a Moorhen or Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, whilst Nuthatch is virtually unknown and Marsh Tit has yet to be seen here! Take time to check out the PBO Bird List showing the exact status of species before you come - and please let us know what you have seen, as soon as possible on the day,- not a month or two later by post, as so often happens! Thank you.
Red-breasted Flycatcher © Peter Coe
