Although the
Hoopoe remained at the Bill the land was otherwise a very distant second best to the sea today: the big swell running at the Bill hinted at the presence of a deep depression and its associated brisk southerly winds to the west of Britain and seabirds were certainly feeling the effects, with a steady passage past both Chesil and the Bill. Bill totals included 365
Common Scoter, 103
commic terns, 37
Whimbrel, 27
Great Skuas, 26
Sandwich Terns, 17
Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 14
Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 8
Arctic Skuas, 4
Red-throated Divers and singles of
Shelduck,
Gadwall,
Velvet Scoter and
Eider, as well as good but unquantified numbers of
Manx Shearwaters (movement was again taking place in both directions but certainly involved a well into four figures total); higher totals of some species off Chesil included 41
Whimbrel and 31
Great Skuas. The land got plenty of coverage but, the
Hoopoe aside, came up with nothing better than lingering singles of
Short-eared Owl and
Firecrest amongst the woefully low numbers of commoner migrants at the Bill.
A selection from today's seawatching at the Bill: Gadwall and Common Scoters © Ted Pressey (top photo) and Keith Pritchard (lower photo)...
...Arctic Terns, Dark-bellied Brent Geese and Eider © Keith Pritchard...
...and Arctic Skua, Whimbrel and Manx Shearwater © Martin Cade:
