Saturday, 4th April: Cloudy to start with hazy sunshine later. Wind light SW2, backing to SE3-4, but with sea fog rolling in late morning.

Elmer Rocks: With a south-easterly predicted and the Covid restrictions in place, there was really only one place to go. In the event it wasn’t very special, although a trickle of movement kept the interest going. (Sea-watch 0700-1030hrs, when foggy – Poole Place)

Combined totals below (BA,OM)
Greylag Goose - 2E
Great Crested Grebe – 2E 2 o/s
Gannet – 5E, 1W
Mute Swan – 1W
Brent Goose – 33E, 1W
Shelduck – 3E
Eider – 6E (also seen at the Bill about 12 minutes earlier)
Common Scoter – 56E
Red-breasted Merganser – 4E, 6 o/s
Shoveler – 4E dropped onto sea
Grey Plover – 1W
Oystercatcher - 3E
Ringed Plover - 13
Sanderling - 5
Grey Heron - 1
Sandwich Tern – 1E, 1W
Mediterranean Gull – 15E
Chiffchaff – 8
Willow Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 1
Meadow Pipits - 13
Linnet - 5
Pied Wagtail - 2
Song Thrush - 4
Green Woodpecker - 2
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2

Friday, 3rd April: A generally calm and cloudy day with just a light W/NW breeze and some early drizzle; staying mainly dry and sunny periods developing by late morning.

Elmer Rocks - Conditions looked promising for some inbound migrants at least, but it didn’t happen and basically it was almost dead at sea and for passerines…..I stayed a couple of hours and all I logged were 3 Grey Plovers and a Great Crested Grebe west, 3 Sandwich Terns offshore and half a dozen R/b Mergansers behind the rock islands, whilst passerine excitement was limited to the courting pair of Linnets at Poole Place! However, just before I left the highlight appeared – a drake Goosander - a good way out heading east. It was also seen heading east at the Bill 10-15 minutes earlier.(OM)