17th January

The second half of the weekend was considerably less pleasant than the first, with a freshening south-easterly and a spell of drizzly rain either side of midday. A Marsh Harrier over Weston at the end of the afternoon was unexpected, whilst also overhead another wandering Siskin headed south over Hamm Beach. The burgeoning Greenfinch flock at the Obs got up to the dizzy heights of 9 (many of them are ringed so are presumably local birds - since they patently haven't all died, where have they been for the last few months?) but the only other reports from the land were over a variety of mainly established winterers: 3 Short-eared Owls, 2 Purple Sandpipers, a Blackcap and a Dartford Warbler at the Bill, 8 Long-tailed Tits at Southwell, a Firecrest at the Grove and a scatter of single Chiffchaffs at six sites. Four Red-throated Divers passed through off the Bill and 11 Black-necked Grebes were in Portland Harbour.