A raging easterly gale was always going to stir things up and although the early signs hadn't looked at all promising eventually a sudden mid-morning pulse of long overdue thrushes gave proceedings some respectability. A usual with an easterly wind, most movement took place along West Cliffs where 379 Redwings, 150 Fieldfares and 7 Ring Ouzels were logged at the Bill and 276 Redwings at Blacknor; amongst the tag-alongs, 7 Siskins, 3 Golden Plovers and 2 Merlins were of note. There wasn't much evidence of an arrival of migrants on the ground: the bushes weren't easy to cover in the blasting wind but little more than singles of Black Redstart, Dartford Warbler and Firecrest were uncovered at the Bill. Rewards from the sea were few but did include 109 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Brent Geese, a Canada Goose and a Red-throated Diver through off the Bill.
Nothing hung around today including the Ring Ouzels that struck off north at a rate of knots © Joe Stockwell:
This Black Redstart spent all day about the Obs patio and car park © Joe Stockwell (still) and Martin Cade (video):
