5th May

Today was really all about the sea and waders - the standout highlight was the island's second Temminck's Stint that made an almost subliminal visit to Ferrybridge - with the clear skies, easterly breeze and increasing warmth doing nothing in the way of grounding either numbers or variety of passerine migrants. Four Pomarine Skuas watched from outside the recording area did pay island airspace a visit when they cut over Wyke Regis to head away over Portland Harbour, but it was the two regular seawatch points that got most of the attention, with the pick of their totals being 233 commic terns, 65 Bar-tailed Godwits, 18 Black Terns, 4 Little Terns, 2 Great Northern Divers, 2 Pomarine Skuas, 2 Roseate Terns and an Arctic Skua off the Bill, and 244 commic terns, 26 Grey Plover, 22 Sanderling, 20 Black Terns and 2 Arctic Skuas off Chesil. The land came up with a very thin spread of customary fare on the ground and a not particularly impressive visible passage amongst which singles of Hobby and Redpoll over the Bill were about the best on offer.





Black Terns, Temminck's Stint and Little Tern - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, 5th May 2016 © Joe Stockwell  joe-stockwell.blogspot (Black Tern upper and Temminck's Stint), Keith Pritchard (Black Tern lower) and Debby Saunders (Little Tern)