Despite more grim conditions - a raging easterly gale and freezing rain that turned the island into a huge skating rink for the first few hours of the day - Portland's fared very poorly out of the current cold snap, with today's tally amounting to little more than a thin scatter of displaced
plovers and
thrushes everywhere; overall,
Fieldfares were most numerous but even they only managed single figure totals at most favoured spots. Fifteen
Pintail over Southwell were a good local record and 2
Dunlin remained at the Bill but the day's highlight - a
Glaucous Gull in Portland Harbour - wasn't even an arrival associated with the conditions.
Fieldfares and Redwings were busy tucking into what few apples were left in gardens at Southwell © Debby Saunders (upper Fieldfare and Redwing) and Andy Mitchell (lower Fieldfare):
Pintail are sufficiently infrequent as to not even get on the island year list in some years so two flocks in three days is a good return for here © Debby Saunders:
