4th January

Today's diminishing level of coverage was hardly unexpected but a nearly three figure of moving Common Scoter off the Bill was decidedly out of the ordinary: 94 headed through off the Bill in dribs and drabs throughout the morning; a steady but unquantified (other than it exceeded 1000 per hour) movement of auks was in progress, together with 2 Red-throated Divers and a single Great Northern Diver. The land there came up with 7 Purple Sandpipers and a Grey Heron, whilst 12 Black-necked Grebes, a Great Northern Diver, a Canada Goose and an Eider and a roost gathering of more than 500 Mediterranean Gulls were in Portland Harbour.


A Kingfisher and part of the impressively huge roost of Mediterranean Gulls at Portland Harbour this evening © Joe Stockwell: