14th May

A day serious blighted by the comings and goings of thick fog that was always lapping around the shores of the island - the Bill area was particularly affected but nowhere escaped spells when meaningful fieldwork was almost impossible. Plenty of effort was put in and a respectable round-island tally of new arrivals that included 7 Spotted Flycatchers, 6 Reed Warblers, 4 Wheatears, 3 each of Sedge Warbler and Chiffchaff, 2 each of Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat and Willow Warbler, and singles of Cuckoo, Tree Pipit, Firecrest and Corn Bunting (the long-staying Corn Bunting was also still present) suggested that with more helpful conditions there might have been something of higher quality to be uncovered.

Two photographs taken at more or less the same time this morning: Fortuneswell bathed in sunshine but looking as though it was about to be swallowed up by fog © Nick Hopper and the Obs barely visible at 100 metres © Martin Cade: