11th May

A little pre-dawn drizzle offered some encouragement but migrants didn't respond as hoped and it remained relatively quiet on the ground, with Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher (on 20 apiece at the Bill) the only arrivals in any numbers. It was busier overhead, where amongst the customary pulses of hirundines the second Hooded Crow of recent days passed through at the Bill and was later found settled at the Grove pig farm, single Hobbies headed over the Bill and Wakeham, and a late Siskin showed up over the latter. Offshore, a well into three figure total of Manx Shearwaters would have been of little interest in most years but qualified as a major movement this year, whilst a steady passage of Kittiwakes (including a sample count of 120 in 90 minutes off the Bill during the evening) was unexpected; quality was provided by 7 Pomarine Skuas, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Great Northern Diver through off the Bill.

Being patently fully(and 'clean')-winged today's Hooded Crow was a different individual to the one seen three days ago:



A typically ropey view of a fly-by Hobby over the Obs:


In the middle of the rather blissful solitude of our evening seawatch we were suddenly joined by an unlikely companion:


A little later that most charismatic of shapes emerged from the golden glow to the west:


...and then there were three:


...and soon all six merged together to round the Bill:


...and just as quickly as they'd hoved into view so they were away on the next leg of their dash up the Channel all photos © Martin Cade: