One of the spread of Great Northern Divers at Ferrybridge and Portland Harbour © Pete Saunders:
2nd-5th January
All sorts of weather and not that many sorts of bird in the last few days as the conditions swung from flat calm and icy cold to wildly windy, wet and extremely mild. The only even slightly out of the ordinary sightings were of a Mallard off the Bill on 2nd and a Goldeneye in Portland Harbour on 4th. Red-throated Divers were daily off the Bill (max 14 on 4th), with a lone passing Shelduck (on 3rd) also of note on the sea; the daily regulars around Portland Harbour have included 5 Common Scoter, 4 Great Northern Divers, 3 Black-necked Grebes and 2 Black-throated Divers, with several more Great Northern Divers and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose at Ferrybridge. Black Redstarts have been scattered at their regular spots and winterers at the Bill have included 4 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Reed Bunting.
