5th January

The lack of even a hint of sunshine today saw the temperature hover in the low single figures all day; however, that didn't deter the weekend visitors and there was some decent coverage. A Golden Plover over the Bill and 7 Brent Geese passing by offshore were another nod to the drop in temperature but the bulk of the day's sightings were of routine lingerers: 7 Purple Sandpipers, 4 Turnstones and a Black Redstart at the Bill, 2 Red-throated Divers through on the sea there, the Black Redstarts at both Church Ope Cove and Chesil Cove, 15 Black-necked Grebes, 2 Great Northern Divers, a Black-throated Diver and a Common Scoter in Portland Harbour and 78 Oystercatchers, 89 Black-headed Gulls and the Merlin at Ferrybridge.