3rd March

What do we know about migration? - not a lot on the evidence of today's happenings. After a murky and at times drizzly night we were expecting a nice little flurry of the likes of Redwings and 'crests, with maybe the odd few summer migrants thrown in for good measure. A rapid listen through the night's nocmig recording as dawn broke soon put us straight on that delusion as literally not a single passerine had been recorded over the Obs and it wasn't long before the virtual absence of new arrivals was confirmed both by sight and in the nets. Eventually, single Chiffchaffs - the first of the season - showed up at Reap Lane and the Obs, whilst the nets provided some evidence of a handful of under the radar arrivals like Robins having snuck in, but overall the migrant situation was pretty dreadful. The only other report of any note was of 2 Red-breasted Mergansers through off the Bill.

Our day will eventually come but, thus far, summer migrants have given Portland a wide berth so it was nice to at last see a new Chiffchaff busying itself around the Obs garden © Martin Cade: