With a sharp overnight frost giving way to glorious sunshine today provided much more enjoyable birding conditions than yesterday and although the numbers had dwindled there was still plenty of interest around the island. The cold weather movers were again spread far and wide with a noticeable component of northbound movement off the island through the morning; day-totals looked to be in the region of 2000 Redwings, 400 Golden Plovers, 300 Fieldfares and 100 Lapwings, with 4 Cattle Egrets over Ferrybridge a nice surprise and a scatter of 3 Mistle Thrushes and singles of Brambling, Reed Bunting and Corn Bunting additional bonuses. A reappearance by the Portland Harbour Black Guillemot was welcome after it had been missed/overlooked for a fortnight, with 20 Black-necked Grebes, 3 Slavonian Grebes and singles of Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver and Common Scoter also there. Regulars on view included 6 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Chiffchaffs at the Bill, 17 Red-throated Divers and 2 Common Scoter through on the sea there and 2 Black Redstarts and 2 Chiffchaffs at Church Ope Cove.
