As we plough steadily on towards July, the birding becomes an increasingly Sisyphean task as hope has entirely turned from quantity to quality. With bright skies but persistent drizzle through part of the morning the expectations of something good were raised, however, a great deal of coverage across the island reaped little reward and passerine arrivals were limited to two singing
Reed Warblers; elsewhere a
Knot was new in at Ferrybridge. The sea provided additional variety including the fourth
Arctic Skua for the month and a steady passage of
Common Scoter amounting to 45 birds. A lone
Common Scoter also made it into Portland Harbour where a becalmed
Gannet was another incongruous sight. With a changeable forecast approaching, hopefully our rock-shifting efforts will pay off once more.
With its dazzlingly-plumaged adult congeners way away breeding on the Arctic tundra this dowdy immature Knot has been consigned to spending its first full summer like Billy no-mates stuck between winter quarters and the breeding grounds © Pete Saunders:
