Friday, 21 March 2025

Fizzled out Friday

Dissapointment was the theme of today. With cloud rolling in over night and a moderate south-easterly wind, it was perfect conditions for drift migration. However the wind looks like it may have been a bit too keen with quite a substantial fall of overshoots (including Hoopoes with 23 reported, the nearest in Dorset HERE) in the west country and Ireland and seemingly larger number of common migrants out to the west too.

I joined the Seawatch at around 6.15am and even the sea passage had fizzled out with just a few Brents, Common Scoters and Sandwich Terns. My migrant list HERE. 5 Little Gulls went past after I left and there was some Mipits too but overall certainly much quieter than the previous two days.

I then went over to North Wall and Pagham Spit to look for drift migrants. All I managed was a single Sand Martin (my first for the year). Highlights list HERE included a couple of Spotted Redshanks, Greenshank and a pale-bellied Brent Goose. There was a Wheatear, Black Red and 2 Swallow around North Wall which I managed to miss. 

Even the moth trap was dissappointing with a reduced catch. I did put out the noc-mig recorder last night so my last hope for the day is if there was anything interesting going over last night as the cloud moved in. Will have a trawl through that when I get a chance.

The weather continues to look interesting for drift migration tomorrow too (seems to break down a bit on Sunday)- it would probably help if the wind speed reduced a bit for round here and also a bit more southerly in it. Sue is staying this weekend so hopefully will get a chance to sneak out.  

Sand Martin- year tick
The light passage of Sandwich Terns was nice to see
Summer and winter Red-throated Divers- a few were moving this morning
Shags made a reappearance off the Bill after dissappearing over the last few days
Spotshank
Greenshank
Pale-bellied Brent in with the last of the Dark-bellieds
Male Kestrel
A nice plumed up Little Egret in the Paddocks

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