13th April

A better day, particularly through the morning when a widespread flurry of migrants coincided with lovely, quiet and increasingly warm conditions; sadly, the latter didn't last and by afternoon a veil of fog had enveloped the Bill area at least. Phylloscs - mostly Willow Warblers today - accounted for the bulk of the numbers, with perhaps as many as 500 about the centre and south of the island; Blackcaps, and to a lesser extent Wheatears, were also well represented but variety was otherwise not really a feature, with 4 Redstarts, 2 Yellow Wagtails and the spring's first Whitethroat the only extras making the tally at the Bill and a late-ish Redwing popping up at Suckthumb Quarry. By late morning passing hirundines had begun to feature in some quantity but the arrival of the shroud of fog put paid to a worthwhile count of both them and other visible migrants. The sea remained the poor relation, with a Puffin off Chesil the day's only oddity.


yesterday's Cuckoo - Avalanche Road, 12th April 2015 © Roger Hewitt