10th April

Going to bed last night our heads were filled with the prospects of gentle northerlies and potential drizzle at dawn, and we were anticipating maybe the biggest fall of the year - of course what we hadn't counted on was the enormous bank of rain blocking the entirety of northern France. So it was a slightly disheartened search around the Bill for those few migrants who had made the Channel crossing before the weather system hit. As a result, new passerine migrants were thin on the ground with a smattering of the usual trinity of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, plus a couple of Redstarts; the three long-staying Ring Ouzels also remained on station at Barleycrates Lane. Another Osprey, this one over Easton during the afternoon, provided the only interest overhead. The sea watching started well with 80 Common Scoter, nine Sandwich Terns, four Red-throated Divers and three Whimbrel before the Channel seemingly became impassible to them as well; another Whimbrel was the pick of a few waders at Ferrybridge.