With a southeasterly gusting up towards gale force at times the sea was crying out for attention and Chesil was always going to be odds-on to come up with both the numbers and variety today - and so it came to pass. Good coverage there early and late in the day was rewarded with the likes of 71 Bar-tailed Godwits, 43 Whimbrel, 14 Garganey, 11 Shoveler, 8 Teal, 8 Arctic Terns, 5 Arctic Skuas, 3 Sanderling and 2 Little Terns among the more routine fare. For the most part the Bill was quieter although Manx Shearwaters staged their first decent show of the spring (ordinarily, 250 would be a woefully low total for a blustery day at this time of year but Manx just don't seem to be utilizing this part of the Channel at the moment) and 2 Gadwall were additions on the variety front. The seawatchers tapped into a steady overhead passage of arriving Swallows, Meadow Pipits and finches but grounded migrants looked to be genuinely few and far between rather than just keeping their heads down.
