Pretty quiet all round today, with hopes that early dampness and a distinct dip in the temperature might drop some migrants largely coming to nothing. With little in quantity or of particular note amongst the scatter of routines on the ground or overhead it was left to the lingering
Turtle Dove at Sweethill to provide the land's highpoint; of note was the continuing preponderance of
Chiffchaffs over
Willow Warblers - at the Bill today the ratio of 45
Chiffchaffs to 15
Willow Warbler was the reverse of what would usually be expected in early May. For the most part the sea was just as quiet, with 6
Great Northern Divers through off the Bill easily the highlight; elsewhere, the lingering
Red-necked Grebe remained in Portland Harbour.
One of the six Great Northern Divers through off the Bill this morning - now in full summer plumage they're always one of the real highlights of early May migration © Pete Saunders:
Sadly rather too far out in Portland Harbour this evening to fully appreciate the beauty of its summer plumage, the lingering Red-necked Grebe off Sandsfoot Castle did nonetheless still look pretty decent through a scope © Martin Cade:
Rather more notable than most of the day's birds, this Hairy Dragonfly right at the Bill tip near Pulpit Rock is as far as we know only the third record for the island of a species that in recent years has increased dramatically on the nearby mainland © Jake Bailey:
