30th September

We were fortunate to have summer linger on for so long into late September but there's no doubt that autumn's blown in with a vengeance as we end the month. Today's ever increasing southwesterly saw to it that attention remained focused on the sea, resulting in another c200 tally of Balearic Shearwaters off the Bill; two Sooty Shearwaters and singles of Arctic and Great Skua also passed by there, with six Arctic Skuas through at Chesil Cove and two Little Gulls grounded at Ferrybridge. The stormy conditions also boosted the build up of grounded gulls at the Bill, with at least one Caspian Gull and two Yellow-legged Gulls joining the Culverwell flock during the afternoon. A pretty steady flow of Swallows and Meadow Pipits departed from the Bill, whilst an aggregation of 30 Blackcaps at Old Hill suggested there might have been more to be uncovered on the ground but for the profoundly unhelpful conditions.

The Balearic Shearwaters were affording great views at the tip of the Bill © Martin Cade (video) and Mike Trew (stills):




The gulls weren't so obliging in the buffeting wind and rain of the afternoon © Martin Cade (Caspian Gull videograbs and Yellow-legged Gull still)