7th May

Although today had its moments it certainly fell well short of expectations, with scarcely a hint of a flurry of new arrivals on the land and far less out to sea than had been anticipated. A Golden Oriole that evaded most would-be observers in the Thumb Lane area proved to be by far the pick of the grounded migrants. Single Turtle Doves at Southwell and Broadcroft were of further interest but few of the most routine commoner species even registering a double-figure total at the Bill; it was busier overhead where Swallows trickled through all day and a tardy Short-eared Owl arrived in off the sea over Chesil. In a light southeasterly there were particularly high hopes for the sea but this too failed on the numbers front: the Bill totals included 3 Arctic Skuas, 2 each of Red-throated Diver, Great Skua and Black Tern, and singles of Teal, Pomarine Skua and Little Tern, whilst Chesil chipped in with 4 more Pomarine Skuas and an Arctic Skua.

Always the chief prize of a May seawatch © Ian Lewington www.ian-lewington.co.uk