21st January

For the most part a more of the same day: the Reap Lane Little Gull looked to have moved on to pastures new but the Cirl Bunting was on show there from time to time, the Purple Sandpipers, Black Redstart and Cetti's Warbler remained at the Bill and the customary selection of divers, grebes, Eiders and other waterfowl were in Portland Harbour. Eight Red-throated Divers passing by off the Bill accounted for the morning's sea movement there, with singles of Golden Plover and Snipe on the land there probably not actually new but at least unseen for a few days.

Chiffchaffs seem to be in quite short supply this winter: this one frequenting the Obs garden and Crown Estate Field is the only one at the Bill and we have records of just five other individuals at four sites so far this month...


...the Obs bird nearly didn't make it beyond today: it flew straight out of the field of view just after this photograph was taken and a split second later a Sparrowhawk came crashing through the leaves, settled for a moment to reflect on missing lunch and then whizzed off to seek out some other hapless victim © Martin Cade:


The male Black Redstart has been garnering all the attention at the Bill in recent days and the female/immature that's been about all winter must be feeling a bit left out © Mike Trew: