Portland Bill - Day 2

The second day started dull and cold, before the driving rain kicked in mid-afternoon.  There were a few Manx Shearwater out on the sea, and five Whimbrel flew in settling at the bill during the downpour.

A short walk in the morning was relatively productive with a few Northern Wheatear moving through a couple of Common Sandpiper, and a hardy Purple Sandpiper clinging onto the rocks.

It all got quite exciting after the rains.  The clouds moved away, the sky was blue and the sun transformed the landscape.  Walking up past the observatory, it was evident that passerines had been forced down by the rain.

This stunning Whinchat sat along the fenceline and paused for long enough before disappearing into the adjacent field.

Checking the bushes, three Garden Warbler were present when this female Common Redstart popped out picking off insects on the deck.

It was all quite exciting as you never knew what was going to appear.  So a female Pied Flycatcher that eluded my camera was a nice surprise before it too disappeared.

This coastguard helicopter flew past on a training exercise.