18th December

A shocker of a day with heavy and persistent rain settling in soon after dawn in tandem with a gale force southerly wind. The day sheet was entirely empty!

The lack of reports from today gives us a chance to catch up with a few photos from the period we were off the air during the first fortnight of the month. The highlight was undoubtedly an exceptionally showy Little Bunting in the rather unlikely situation of a pebbly lane at Chiswell between 8th and 11th December © Pete Saunders:  



Of local interest, this Little Egret spent a good part of the fortnight frequenting - increasingly successfully by the look of it! - garden ponds at Southwell © Nick Stantiford:  



A Merlin that popped up on several occasions at Ferrybridge was a decent mid-winter record © Pete Saunders:  


Winter regulars included Black-necked Grebes and Great Northern Divers in Portland Harbour © Pete Saunders (Black-necked Grebes) and Debby Saunders (Great Northern Diver):