As Dorset’s most southerly point, Portland is a gateway for thousands of migratory birds visiting the UK and so is the perfect location for bird watching.
The Bill points nearly 6 miles into the English Channel, making Portland the first land many birds see as they cross the Channel to the UK. Coastal vegetation, particularly the blackthorn bushes which attract insects to their blossom in the spring, is an ideal place for birds to stop for food.
The cliff faces around the island are also home to a colony of seabirds with nesting guillemot, razorbills and kittiwakes.
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre based in the Old Lower Lighthouses near the Bill, offers information about the latest sighting on the island as well as catering for both bird watchers and other naturalists.
Both the Fleet Lagoon and Chesil Beach are intentionally protected for their birdlife. They attracts thousands of wintering and migratory waterfowl and a rare colony of little terns which breed on the beach in spring.
Further Information