Sorry, we seem to have lost computer functionality at the Obs tonight so you'll have to make do with a bit of unillustrated writing via my phone - photos/videos etc to follow later when we get things working again!
9th April
Another day that slightly flattered to deceive, with a decent enough list of relatively brief oddities and suggestions from the mist-nets at least that there were migrant about but an overall feel from most fieldworks that rewards were hard to come by. The right old miscellany of oddities included 2 Red-necked Grebes settled off the Bill, 9 Canada Geese and an Egyptian Goose through on the sea, a Marsh Harrier overhead at the Bill and, right at sunset, a Caspian Gull settled at Ferrybridge. Grounded common migrant totals from the Bill included 90 Willow Warblers and 60 Chiffchaffs but among the less frequents there and elsewhere 3 Redstarts and singles of Common Sandpiper, Tree Pipit, Black Redstart and Grasshopper Warbler were about all that could be mustered. There was a feel that visible passage was poorly tapped into, with no serious quantification of what looked at times to be pretty steady passage of hirundines in particular. The sea was well-watched but for no more than mediocre returns, with 6 Red-throated Divers and an Arctic Skua the best off the Bill where Manx Shearwaters and Sandwich Terns remained present in fair supply.
