on the subject of eastern chiffs the webpage is still online with proper tristis song and calls recorded from a couple of birds that were at sandown canoe lake in march 2009 http://wightvogels.web44.net/news.html

a black-throated diver was feeding close to shore at sandown this morning, i rarely see these in winter. dunlin still present!

3 grabs from the videos

3 (different) gadwall at the canoe lake and a peak of 70 herring gulls. at brading sewage works the grey + white type chiff showing well and 2 ruff with 7 dunlin amongst lapwing from the old seawall.

third time i've seen dunlin on this spot. went to twitch the 4 black-necked grebes at binstead in the avo, cant have been a flock bigger than this on the iow? i'd only seen singles before. c.300 herring gulls roosting at ryde but too distant.