18th January

It goes without saying that it remained very windy and none too warm with it. The Yellow-browed Warbler surfaced for the first time in a few days at Pennsylvania Castle where 5 Firecrests and a Blackcap were also present amongst the roving tit and crest flocks. Singles of Great Crested Grebe through off the Bill and Kittiwake dropping in at Ferrybridge were minor oddities, whilst regulars making the list included 8 Purple Sandpipers at the Bill and 5 Black-necked Grebes and 3 Great Northern Divers in Portland Harbour.

There are always a few Great Crested Grebes knocking about Portland Harbour through the winter © Pete Saunders...


...but fly-bys off the Bill are much less frequent © Martin Cade: 


Kittiwakes being recorded at Portland Harbour and Ferrybridge are always a sure sign of it being persistently stormy© Pete Saunders: