16th-25th January

The length of time between updates gets longer as the quality of this winter's birding stagnates! There were almost no changes to report during this ten day period, with most of the regulation winterers still on station and precious little by way of an upheaval in the weather on the horizon to suggest anything's likely to change in a hurry. The only additions to the year list were a Pintail through off the Bill on 16th and a Golden Plover settled at Southwell on 19th; also from the sea, 3 Brent Geese through on 17th and the occasional passing Great Northern Diver were the only worthwhile additions to the daily few Red-throated Divers. Two Black-throated Divers remain in Portland Harbour along with up to 11 Black-necked Grebes, 9 Great Northern Divers and 7 Common Scoter. On the land, Black Redstarts have been scattered everywhere and included an additional bird at the Bill on 25th; up to 8 Purple Sandpipers have been daily at the Bill, single Firecrests remain at the Obs and Pennsylvania Castle, 2 Reed Buntings are still at the Bill, with the odd single Snipe, Redwing, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest reported here and there. All in all, very routine.

One of the dozen or more Black Redstarts scattered about the island this winter © David Nunn:


And a Goldcrest at the Grove - despite the good passage showing late last autumn this has been the only one we've been able to find all winter © Martin Cade: