Sedge Warbler at Sweethill today © Debby Saunders:
1st May
Not the most auspicious of starts to the new month, with the beginnings of the first major change in the overall weather pattern for several weeks not delivering anywhere near as much as might have been hoped - maybe the further changes reported to be afoot will offer more for us? Grounded migrant numbers did pick up, with Chiffchaffs surprisingly still well ahead of Willow Warblers - 50:30 at the Bill - everywhere; the disappointment was the lack of a varied supporting cast, with little of particular note amongst the odd ones and two of expected fare. A more Yellow Wagtails and singles of Hobby and Redpoll passed over at the Bill but even the return of blazing sunshine by the afternoon didn't really perk hirundine numbers up. One again the sea offered a fair bit of salvation with a steady eastbound passage of Kittiwakes a surprise development - 285 passed through off the Bill during the morning with unquantified movement continuing there during the afternoon and off Chesil during the evening; 18 Whimbrel, 4 (Dark-bellied?) Brent Geese, 3 Red-throated Divers, 3 Arctic Skuas, 2 Pomarine Skuas and a Great Northern Diver were among the other movers offshore.
