28th December

We might have lost the star attraction but there was still a good deal of interest at a more local level, with the chilliest night of the winter to date (...and probably even of the year as a whole) prompting signs of limited cold weather movement. Singles of Grey Heron, Redwing and Fieldfare headed north over the Bill, where 2 Black-headed Gulls were about the fields and 27 Wigeon, 21 Red-throated Divers, 7 Brent Geese and an Eider passed through on the sea. Long-stayers still about included 2 Blackcaps at the Obs, the Black Guillemot off Portland Castle and 12 Black-necked Grebes and 2 Slavonian Grebes off Sandsfoot Castle.