With it having been a really dry month at Portland it
came as quite a surprise to be on the receiving end of gathering cloud, a
freshening wind and, towards dusk, a decent dose of rain. The conditions perked
up seawatching a little, with 25 CommonScoter, 12 Red-throatedDivers, 2 ManxShearwaters, and singles of Black-throatedDiver, ArcticSkua and SandwichTern
through off the Bill and 8 Red-throatedDivers through off Chesil Cove; what
was presumably one of lingering IcelandGulls was also about again off the
Cove. A light scatter of Wheatears constituted the only numbers on the migrant
front, although singles of BlackRedstart at Verne Common, Firecrest at
Southwell and WhiteWagtail at the Bill did provide some extra interest.