7th April

With not a sniff of a change in the weather there was a real feel of diminished returns about today's proceedings, with a much thinner spread of migrants on the ground as well as less on the move both overhead and on the sea. An Osprey heading north over Southwell was an a nice afternoon highlight and saved the day after the earlier returns had been so relatively impoverished, with 3 Black Redstarts, 2 Sanderling, 2 Redstarts, 2 Fieldfares and a Bullfinch the best on offer at the Bill and the year's first Common Sandpiper at Ferrybridge the pick of the bunch elsewhere. Sea passage off the Bill included 23 more passing Red-throated Divers.

This afternoon's Osprey over Southwell...

                          ...and this morning's Common Sandpiper at Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders:

Whitethroat at Southwell this evening © Debby Saunders:

We received details today of another interesting Chiffchaff ringing recovery: a bird originally ringed here at the Bill in October 2018 was controlled three days ago by the guys at Hilbre Bird Observatory; the oldest Chiffchaff from UK ringing is apparently a bird of seven years and seven months, so at six years and six months this individual's already lived to a grand old age and is still going strong:

Although the moth-traps are still really quiet there have been the occasional oddities cropping up, with last night's Great Prominent at the Obs only the fourth record there of this oak woodland species © Martin Cade