The weather last Wednesday was dire, the blustery wind verging on gale force, the temperature bitterly cold, and I hadn’t planned my holiday wardrobe to cope well in such conditions. Still, being a little crazy and wearing several layers of clothing, I returned to the Isle of Portland. I was hoping to see the Snow bunting again and also to catch sight of the small number of Purple sandpipers that had been spotted on the rocks below Portland Bill. I quickly realised both ideas were also a little crazy but, amazingly, the air above the heaving sea was alive with seabirds. So, I spent a couple of hours, hunkered down behind various boulders, sea-watching. I didn’t have a telescope, of course, but I could still watch in awe as the birds made flying look effortless, despite the tempestuous conditions.

I was amazed to see this fishing boat tackling the appalling conditions and it was making me feel seasick just watching the lurching of the boat as it battled the heavy seas. The Gannet flying close to it was one bird I could identify.

I’ve fiddled with these photos to enhance the contrast, in the hope that you can more easily see just how many birds were passing by Portland Bill despite the storm-force winds. According to those who, more sensibly, were sea-watching using their ’scopes from the comfort of the Obs’ lounge, as well as the Gannets, there were a lot of Mediterranean gulls, at least 125 Common scoters, and a huge number of auks (which covers species like Razorbill and Guillemot but which were too distant or indistinct to identify precisely).

While most birds were flying west to east, into the wind, this flock of 37 Common scoters flew in the opposite direction.

Most of the Common scoters were flying, like these, in groups of three or four. You might be able to pick out a few of the auks flying ahead of them.