4th March

Gulls were back to the fore today, with a welcome prize being a Kumlien's Gull that was first spotted passing through Chesil Cove, before being relocated settled off West Cliffs south of Blacknor Point; one of the Iceland Gulls was also lingering again in Chesil Cove. Early migrant interest was restricted to a handful of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks arriving in/off at the Bill, 39 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a Red-throated Diver passing through on the sea there and singles of Red-throated Diver and Manx Shearwater through off Chesil Cove. Winterers/long-stayers still making the list included the  Firecrest at Suckthumb Quarry, the Great Skua at Ferrybridge and 187 Mediterranean Gulls, 19 Black-necked Grebes, 8 Great Northern Divers, 5 Black-throated Divers, 4 Red-necked Grebes, 2 Slavonian Grebes and singles of Eider and Black Guillemot still in Portland Harbour.


 

 
Iceland Gull, Pale-bellied Brent Goose and Kumlien's Gull - Chesil Cove, Ferrybridge and off Blacknor, 4th March 2014 © Pete Saunders (Iceland Gull and Pale-bellied Brent) and Martin Cade (Kumlien's Gull)