Wheatear - Portland Bill, 23rd March 2016 © Martin Cade
23rd March
Numbers slipped back on all fronts today, with signs also of the beginnings of the forecast change in the weather which saw what breeze there was gradually backing from east to west. The clear conditions weren't conducive to any sort of arrival on the ground, where only Wheatear got into double figures amongst the scatter of arrivals at the Bill; 3 Short-eared Owls, 2 Water Rails, 2 Firecrests and singles of Redshank and Mistle Thrush did provide interest there, whilst another Short-eared Owl also appeared at Blacknor. Given the conditions, visible passage was disappointingly limited although did include a few hirundines everywhere and a Siskin over Blacknor. On the water a Scaup was a quality arrival in Portland Harbour, with 9 Red-throated Divers and a Sandwich Tern the best of a fairly bad job from seawatching at the Bill.
