28th April

Today saw a continuation of our rewarding spell for grounded migrants, even if on this occasion it occurred in the oddest of circumstances: the fierce and really chilly easterly blowing at dawn made the first couple of birdless hours something akin to purgatory, but there followed a wholly unexpected grounding of new arrivals that more than salvaged the day. Although not quite a monoculture, the dominance of Willow Warblers again hinted at the season still having some way to go before it catches up with the timings we've grown accustomed to in recent years. The Willow Warbler tally was a good 200 at the Bill, where the strength of the wind likely led to some significant undercounting of both them and the other rapidly moving migrants that included substantial numbers of Swallows and House Martins overhead; there were few surprises amongst the array on offer, with 4 more Hobbys about as good as it got around the south of the island. Overall, the sea was again a disappointment even if 10 Arctic Skuas, 6 Red-throated Divers, 3 Great Northern Divers, a Great Skua and another fly-by by the as yet unconfirmed white-winged gull between the the Bill and Chesil wasn't to be sniffed at.

Some wader passage involving something other than Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits was both overdue and welcome, with Ferrybridge hosting both this Golden Plover © Debby Saunders...



...and a couple of Sanderling © Pete Saunders: