A very gradual improvement in the weather didn't come nearly soon enough to perk up passage on land or sea today and, with the exception of a peculiar although not entirely unprecedented arrival of winter thrushes, it remained pretty quiet for mid-April. The thrushes included 57
Fieldfares and 50
Redwings at the Bill and 11
Fieldfares at Reap Lane, whilst other migrant totals at the Bill included 25
Blackcaps, 20 each of
Wheatear and
Chiffchaff, 10
Willow Warblers, 2
Short-eared Owls and singles of
Black Redstart,
Ring Ouzel,
Firecrest and
Redpoll; visible passage there was never heavy but included a trickle of
hirundines,
Meadow Pipits and
Linnets. Elsewhere, the '
Eastern' Lesser Whitethroat lingered on at Southwell. Reduced visibility curtailed seawatching through the morning and the only worthwhile report from the afternoon was of 3
Red-throated Divers through off the Bill.
This quite colourful Redpoll was a rather unusual visitor to the Obs garden feeders around which it lingered for the best part of the day © Martin Cade: