A brief visit locally today, I didn’t bother going out until after lunch, confining my visit to the local area. A brief look along the beach produced nothing bar a few Meadow Pipits, so I spent my time searching the usual circuit of fields and hedgerows. At hotspot set-aside and hedgerow there was no sign of the Dartford Warbler today although four Stonechats were still very active. My route produced 12 Chiffchaffs, two Goldcrests, two Song Thrushes, six Long-tailed Tits and four Skylarks, with a surprise being a Marsh Tit again - near the paintball road entrance behind Poole Place – calling quite often for a while and showing well briefly. (OM)