27th May

http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/ 
A reminder that there's an In Focus field event at the Obs between 10am and 4pm tomorrow, Sunday 28th May.

There was considerable enthusiasm for fieldwork today, with overnight thunderstorms thought likely to have dropped some new arrivals on the land and the sighting of a purported Black-browed Albatross yesterday evening off the east Devon coast ensuring the sea got constant attention. Although there were a handful of newcomers on the land, including 2 Reed Warblers and 2 Willow Warblers at the Bill and 8 Dunlin, 5 Sanderling and a Redshank at Ferrybridge, it was the sea that came up with the day's numbers, with 150 Manx Shearwaters, 90 Common Scoter, 55 Kittiwakes, 7 Sandwich Terns, 6 Great Skuas, 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Black-headed Gulls and a Black-throated Diver through off the Bill. The day's only real oddity was a lone Red Kite that during the afternoon was first over Fortuneswell and later headed north over the Grove.

The promising conditions failed to deliver on the moth front, with 2 Orange Footman and a Delicate the best of a poor selection of immigrants/dispersers caught overnight at the Obs.

There are some that would say Portland's fortunate to avoid the now annual circus of 'plastic' Red Kites undertaking peculiar movements across southern England at this time of year, but such are the numbers involved it was perhaps inevitable that one would eventually stray out to the island. Today's bird gave us quite a shock when it flew close past the car as we were driving down New Road but we were in no position to be able to stop and photograph it; when we returned to the island half an hour later we had a quick scan round from the Grove and jammed it for a second time - this time much more distantly - as it was returning northwards © Martin Cade:


And a few photos from this morning's Bill seawatching - Kittiwakes, Black-headed Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Great Skua © Keith Pritchard: