4th November

Whilst not in the same magnitude as the conditions faced during Storm Ciarán, today's frequent squalls of wind and rain saw to it that a far greater number of presumably already weakened, displaced seabirds became wrecked along the shore. Most of the day's seawatching activity was centered on Chesil Cove, where different observer's interpretations of events put the Leach's Petrel tally at between c20 and 56, along with 4 Great Northern Divers, 2 Little Gulls and singles of Storm Petrel and Great Shearwater. From the Bill, an additional 3 Leach's Petrels, 19 Common Scoter, 2 Arctic Skua, a Little Gull and a Sandwich Tern were logged, whilst a single Leach's Petrel and a Red-throated Diver passed through Portland Harbour, 2 Great Northern Divers were settled there and a Grey Phalarope made a brief appearance at Ferrybridge before disappearing up the Fleet. Despite the conditions, 800 more Wood Pigeons and a steady trickle of finches left to the south from the Bill; also a single Merlin passed through the Cove, a late Whinchat was at Portland Castle and the lingering Ring Ouzel was still at the Bill. 

Today's Grey Phalarope from Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders:



And a bit of Leach's Petrel action © Dave Foot: