3rd April

An ultimately rather disappointing day, with the early promise of there being considerably more grounded migrants than on any other morning this week coming to nothing once the early arrivals had departed. Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler dominated at the Bill, where both got to around the 50 mark, whilst 10 Blackcaps and singles of Black Redstart, Redwing and Firecrest provided at least some variety there; with rain always a threat visible passage didn't get going at all. With the breeze shifting towards the north-west sea interest dwindled and the totals at the Bill struggled to a relatively paltry 63 Common Scoter, 7 Little Gulls, 6 Red-throated Divers, 5 Sandwich Terns and singles of Manx Shearwater, Shoveler and Arctic Skua; the Iceland Gull put in just one brief appearance there, with the other long-stayer remaining in situ at Ferrybridge.

And it was a day of peculiar conditions, when a glimpse of the sun at dawn preceded gathering clouds that eventually led to a tremendous fall-out of Saharan dust once it started raining:

 
...a strange orographic fog swathed the top of the island during the evening:
 
 
...and finally there was the most lurid of sunsets (photos © Martin Cade):