28th February

The warmth and blue skies of recent days drew to a close as a band of rain passing through after dawn introduced fresher, breezy conditions. In contrast to the seemingly silent skies of recent nights (nocturnal recording had drawn a complete blank for two successive nights) the late hours of the night had seen a handful of thrushes on the move overhead; the daylight hours, too, came up with a trickle of grounded or visible migrants: a Wheatear was new in at the Bill, a few Chiffchaffs popped up in new locations and occasional single alba wagtails and Meadow Pipits arrived in/off through the morning. The only other reports were of 3 Common Scoter, 2 Red-throated Divers and a Black-headed Gull through off the Bill, 5 Purple Sandpipers still on the shore at the Bill and 5 Black-necked Grebes and a Slavonian Grebe still in Portland Harbour.

A very watery sunrise greeted what these days is usually considered to be the last day of winter - we wouldn't bank on it being over just yet even if all the recent migrant activity might suggest it ended days ago © Martin Cade: