Spotted Flycatchers and Common Blue - Southwell and Bottomcombe, 7th May 2015 © Debby Saunders (Spotted Flycatchers) and Ken Dolbear (Common Blue)
7th May
In much improved conditions it was no surprise that Pomarine Skuas should feature again, with all those that had no doubt been holed-up riding out the storm in Lyme Bay striking out up-Channel with the sun on their backs; it was certainly a short, sharp passage at the Bill, where 28 passed though in little more than an hour, accompanied only by one solitary Arctic Skua. Towards evening another 10 Pomarine Skuas had gathered off Chesil, and were the only other skuas recorded all day. Seawatching was otherwise remarkably unrewarding, with 3 each of Red-throated Diver and Great Northern Diver through off the Bill, 3 more Great Northern Divers through over Chesil and a Little Gull lingering off the beach. The quieter conditions overnight likely favoured passerine migration, but it remained much too clear to have expected any sort of fall; Spotted Flycatchers got well into double figures around the south of the island, but the very thin spread of other arrivals included nothing much better than a Grasshopper Warbler at Southwell.
