27th April

The arrival of much more bird-able, quiet conditions prompted a welcome flurry of new passerine arrivals on the ground and saw a strong visible passage develop as the morning wore on; the sea provided most of what might be expected in late April but numbers - particularly of passing waders - were much reduced from the highs of the last week. Warblers accounted for the bulk of the grounded numbers, with Willow Warblers just about reaching the 100 mark at the Bill, whilst chats were noticeably fewer than they had been through the middle of the month; variety included a Sanderling, a Black Redstart and a Spotted Flycatcher at the Bill, a Black Redstart at Southwell and 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Black Redstart, a Ring Ouzel and a Spotted Flycatcher dotted around the north of the island. Visible passage peaked during the early afternoon when Swallows were passing at a rate of 10 or more per minute at the Bill; variety on this front included a Little Ringed Plover over the Bill and a Goshawk off West Cliffs. The trickle offshore included 11 Red-throated Divers, 4 Arctic Skuas, 3 Little Gulls and singles of Great Northern Diver, Great Skua and Pomarine Skua through off the Bill.

The first Wall Brown of the year was on the wing at Verne Common.

Whinchat at New Ground © Pete Saunders and Whimbrel at Ferrybridge © Mike Trew: