20th May

A morning of rain assisted our needy cause today, dropping first a Cuckoo at Pennsylvania Castle and a handful of routine late arrivals at the Bill, before 2 Golden Orioles made brief appearances in the Grove Stadium area later in the afternoon. The morning had also seen a reappearance of the Sooty Shearwater off the Bill where, additionally, 22 Common Scoter and an Arctic Skua passed by.

The Sooty Shearwater was again frustratingly distant during its latest visit to the Bill where it first joined the gull melee over the tide race before striking off purposefully westward © Martin Cade:

And thanks to John Martin for a couple of photos from his visit to Portland this week. The Red Kite over the Bill on the 17th...

...and one of the few Small Tortoiseshells reported so far this year - this one was at Tout Quarry on 18th © John Martin: