Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre: 8th May

Birding was hard going today, with the low cloud and stiff westerly that set in once the morning's heavy rain cleared through making it hard to get amongst the seemingly low numbers of migrants that had made landfall. A bit of variety around the Bill area included 10 Willow Warblers, 4 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Garden Warblers and singles of Sedge Warbler and Pied Flycatcher, whilst overhead a steady arrival of Swifts and hirundines indicated that conditions were maybe not so grim on the other side of the Channel; waders also increased a little, with 142 Dunlin, 47 Ringed Plover, 9 Sanderling, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Whimbrel at Ferrybridge. One the rain cleared through there were hopes for the sea, but concerted watching at the Bill could only come with 5 Great Skuas, 2 Arctic Skuas, a Great Northern Diver and a Pomarine Skua.