29th December

 A chilly but otherwise pretty decent day allowed for a fair bit of coverage. The good numbers of routine seabirds - including c20000 auks, c600 Kittiwakes and c300 Gannets - off the Bill continued and again had a Great Skua in attendance; the 2 Eider and 10 Common Scoter also remained there, with 5 Red-throated Divers and 3 Teal passing by. Also of interest at the Bill was an increase/return of Purple Sandpipers, with 9 on the shore along with 5 Turnstones. Elsewhere, the wintering Chiffchaff was again at Southwell, 15 Razorbills, 4 Gannets and the Red-necked Grebe were in Portland Harbour and 94 Brent Geese, 60 Dunlin and a Great Northern Diver were at Ferrybridge.

The Ferrybridge Great Northern Diver...


...and the Southwell Chiffchaff © Pete Saunders: