26th April

All too murky and breezy today with the heavy cloud cover evidently extending right across the Channel and seemingly dissuading both nocturnal migrants and seabirds from moving in any quantity. There were birds about on the ground but they weren't straightforward to get amongst in the wind and there was a feel that many didn't drop in until the afternoon; Blackcap and Willow Warbler remained the prominent duo, reaching 30 each at the Bill where singles of Grasshopper Warbler and Firecrest provided the best of the quality on the ground and a lone Hobby passed overhead along with a steady trickle of Swallows; elsewhere, the season's first Spotted Flycatcher was at Avalanche Road, a late Goldcrest was at Southwell and 2 Yellow Wagtails, a White Wagtail and a Black Redstart were of interest amongst the the commoner fare. Offshore, passage was pedestrian at best with a handful of divers - including a Black-throated Diver off Chesil - a few Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits, and 3 Arctic Skuas the best of it.