28th February

The promised rash of showers blown through on a brisk northwestly either missed the island or didn't materialise and - out of the wind at least - it wasn't too bad a day. Given the conditions it was quite a surprise that some obvious migrants pitched up, with singles of Chiffchaff and Firecrest both new at the Obs; the first 2 Rooks of the spring also showed up overhead there, with further fly-by interest in the form of a Merlin over the Bill and an Iceland Gull over Chesil Beach/the Beach Road. Seawatch reports included singles of Red-throated Diver and Great Northern Diver past the Bill, whilst 4 Slavonian Grebes and 2 Great Northern Divers were in Portland Harbour.

Since there hasn't been a Chiffchaff at the Bill for many weeks and as far as we're aware there hasn't been a Firecrest anywhere on the island all winter it must be pretty safe bet that both these birds were fresh in from somewhere a fair way off © Martin Cade: