27th July

Unexpectedly, bearing in mind the very blustery southwesterlies and the continuing presence of shoals of bait fish attracting seabird close to shore, the Great Shearwater didn't show up off the Bill today but there was still plenty of action to provide interest. With so many birds lingering offshore it was often tricky to get a handle on numbers but another strong movement of Yellow-legged Gulls - 20 juveniles heading west - featured during the morning, whilst a minimum of 12 Balearic Shearwaters joined the feeding melee offshore; other movers off the Bill included 43 Common Scoter, 25 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua. Waders at Ferrybridge included 33 Dunlin, and 8 Sanderling, but passerines were once again hard to get amongst, with 10 Willow Warblers at the Obs about as good as it got. The only other report was of the long-staying Eider spotted again in Portland Harbour.

Immigrant moth interest dwindled to virtually nothing, with just 5 individuals of 3 common species trapped overnight at the Obs.