12th February

With the southeasterly still blasting the best of today's action was in Portland Harbour, where a good selection of divers and grebes - including 8 Black-necked Grebes, 7 Great Northern Divers, a Black-throated Diver and a Red-necked Grebe - were riding out the conditions close to Hamm Beach; 2 Black Redstarts were still nearby at Osprey Quay. A handful of cold weather refugees, including 6 Lapwings, 5 Golden Plovers and a Snipe, lingered on at the Bill, whilst the ever faithful Rosy Starling was still at Easton, a Blackcap was still at Southwell and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose was at Ferrybridge.

Some of the grebes are beginning to get into decent plumage © Pete Saunders (Red-necked and Black-neckeds) and Debby Saunders (Great Crested):