31st March

There were plenty of positive signs to see out the end of March, with thick cloud cover in the morning precipitating the first proper arrival of migrants both on the land and overhead for well over a week - it was very much an incremental improvement but we were very happy to take it. Among the grounded migrants, Willow Warblers made up the bulk of the numbers for the first time this spring, with 50 recorded around the Bill, as well as 30 Blackcaps, 15 Chiffchaffs and 10 Wheatears, whilst a brief Serin supplied the day's quality for the second time this month. Along the West Cliffs, a busier morning for overhead passage saw 524 Meadow Pipits, 121 Linnets, 3 Greenfinches and singles of Snipe and Red-throated Diver logged, whilst the arrival of some blue sky and sunshine in the afternoon saw numbers of Swallows and Sand Martins increase to a steady trickle. Passage on the sea was rather subdued, with just 29 Common Scoters, 8 Red-throated Divers and the Sooty Shearwater logged, plus a minimum of 100 Manx Shearwaters and 61 Sandwich Terns loosely associating with the gull flock off the Bill.