24th December

Today's limited observations did little more than confirm the continuing presence of a few long-stayers: 2 Blackcaps and the Barred Warbler remained at the Obs, the Pheasant and Chiffchaff were still at Southwell and the Eider and Black Guillemot was still off Portland Castle; the only extras were 4 Red-throated Divers and a Black-throated Diver through off the Bill and a Great Northern Diver at Ferrybridge.

Brent Goose and seabird feeding flock - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, 24th December 2014 © Pete Saunders (Brent Goose) and Martin Cade (seabirds)

 

...whilst there's nothing particularly unusual about decent concentrations of feeding seabirds off the Bill, so far this winter auks have featured far less conspicuously than we've got used to: by the last third of December in most recent winters totals in excess of 20000/hour haven't been at all unusual, but this month there have been few days when the corresponding totals have got beyond the high hundreds.