A few moments of joy in an otherwise highly unremarkable day included a reappearance by the Hooded Crow that showed nicely for all walkers after settling in the Crown Estate Field, the first SedgeWarbler for the Bill, two male PiedFlycatchers (one at Southwell school and one at Fortuneswell) and a Hoopoe in flight at Weston. With such clear skies but largely opaque haze over the sea, it was unsurprising that visible migration was limited to a handful of YellowWagtails, Wheatears and Whitethroats (low single figures of all) as most migrants presumably shot straight through way over our heads. The sea also proved difficult in the reduced visibility: the only real highlight was four VelvetScoters amongst a flock of 9 CommonScoters.
After a long lean period Hooded Crow has lately become an annual - and see-able - visitor to the Bill. Today's bird wasn't particularly endearing itself to us by joining the throng of corvids feasting on our recently sown stewardship crops! Geoff Orton (still) and Martin Cade (video):
