2nd November

The passing of a weather front overnight brought not only wind and rain but also saw the temperature begin to return to a level more appropriate for November. Although land birding was never easy in the blustery conditions there was a suggestion of there being just a few more warblers and crests about in the patches of cover, amongst which there was a surprise in the form of the Pallas's Warbler that had relocated from the Obs to Avalanche Road. A Firecrest there, a Little Egret and a Wheatear at the Bill, 2 Black Redstarts at Portland Castle (where the Black Guillemot was still offshore), and 6 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Redshanks and singles of  Sanderling, Pintail, Yellow-legged Gull, Sandwich Tern and Black Redstart were the best of the rest on the land. Any hopes that the stormy night would have led to an improvement on the sea were quickly dashed, with little more than 2 Great Skuas and singles of Great Northern Diver, Manx Shearwater, Teal and Pomarine Skua through off the Bill and singles of Teal, Pintail, Great Skua and Arctic Skua through off Chesil Cove.




Pintail and Yellow-legged Gull - Ferrybridge, 2nd November 2014 © Pete Saunders