Although extremely welcome, the mild, quiet conditions of today didn't prompt any unexpected flurry of action beyond what looked to be a wholesale departure of wintering seabirds off the Bill. A total of 13
Lapwings and 2
Snipe at the Bill were lingering reminders of last week's cold, with a
Black Redstart and a
Redpoll still about there and a couple of
Red-throated Divers through on the sea. Elsewhere, a
Merlin was at Reap Lane, the
Rosy Starling at Easton and the customary selection in and around Portland Harbour and Ferrybridge included a bonus
Rook overhead.
With a small party of them taking a punt on spending the winter on the island, today's Rook over Ferrybridge wasn't a first for the year but did provide sure evidence of the imminent change in the seasons © Pete Saunders:
We don't know whether last year's breeding season was generally poorer than usual for Mediterranean Gulls but youngsters seem to have been under-represented amongst the wintering birds at Ferrybridge/Portland Harbour © Pete Saunders:
It didn't take long for the last lingering Lapwings to return whence they'd come © Martin Cade:
