With the
Pallid Swift marooned in the gloom at West Weare/Chesil Cove under the blanket of heavy cloud that enveloped the whole island there was rarity interest for the duration.
Thrushes again featured in quantity overnight and in the hour or so after dawn 450
Redwings, 30
Song Thrushes and 15
Fieldfares either lifted off or passed through at the Bill; the varied list of back-ups there included 15 each of
Goldcrest,
Siskin and
Brambling, 7
Black Redstarts, 3
Blackcaps and ones and twos of
Curlew,
Golden Plover,
Lapwing,
Snipe,
Chiffchaff,
Firecrest and
Corn Bunting, whilst elsewhere there was a
Water Rail at Southwell and a scatter of at least 3 more
Black Redstarts.
The Pallid Swift at Chesil Cove today © Mike Trew (top) and Joe Stockwell (bottom):
The Water Rail at Southwell © Pete Saunders:
Black Redstart and Corn Bunting at the Bill © Joe Stockwell:
And on the basis that you probably want to peruse as many images as possible when trying to make an objective assessment of the subtle plumage features of a Pallid Swift we eventually got round to sorting out a few of ours from yesterday at the Bill © Martin Cade:
