18th December

With no end in sight to the mild weather the birding situation remained much as in recent days. A small southbound passage of Goldfinches was again underway at the Bill, where 106 were logged through the morning, whilst 3 Purple Sandpipers and at least singles of Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and Firecrest were still about on the land and 10 Red-throated Divers passed through on the sea. The Short-eared Owl tally at Southwell increased to 3, with 4 Chiffchaffs and 2 Goldcrests scattered around various private gardens there. Elsewhere, a Chiffchaff was at Blacknor, 2 Black Redstarts at Chesil Cove and singles of Great Northern Diver and Black-necked Grebe in Portland Harbour.

Portland continued to be the poor relation on the immigrant moth front, with singles of Small Mottled Willow at the Obs and Southwell the only arrivals worth a mention.




Great Northern Diver and Short-eared Owl - Portland Harbour and Southwell, 18th December 2015 © Duncan Walbridge (GNDiver) and Pete Saunders (SEOwl)