on 14th a visit to west rise in the evening after a day of rain was productive. pair of garganey on lottbridge lake, hobby, masses of swifts and hirundines, and caspian and yellow-legged gulls in a small roost which were the first of either i've had since early winter.

finally got in the garden this morning to sort my plants out and very quickly added red kite to the list. a jay has been a daily visitor recently, one of those birds which becomes even more special when it's in your own garden.

got to splash point mid morning, didn't see a single bird for quarter of an hour and was about to leave, then all of a sudden the tap was turned on. funny how sea passage can start and stop so abruptly and at unexpected times... was there anything moving early morning i wonder. i ended up staying to midday seeing 23 arctic skua, 1 pom, 4 bonxies and 7 manxies.

at west rise the red-rumped swallow was showing very well going up and down the embankment on the south side of the recreational field, early morning before it warmed up. back home a sedge warbler was singing in a front garden of a house just a few doors down - i could hear it from mine so it's on the list! always good to see birds completely out of habitat.

two west rise ticks today. the red-rumped swallow was inevitable - after three springs of watching here i had a feeling this year would be the one. shows what patch birding is about when you get nearly as excited about seeing a knot!

rumper!

bit of rain did the job today. lots to see at west rise, lake crawling with hirundines mostly sand martins (house martin year tick!), 2 common sands, a dozen yellow wags including the bird in the pic below, hobby, swift, 2 lesser whitethroats singing in the carpark. wish i'd had more than half an hour, days like these are the best of west rise birding.

on 24th did a seawatch at splash point. highlights: flock of 13 eider (year tick!), arctic skuas, nice views of little gulls, btd, mixed flocks of brents and waders high up. lots of brent for such a late date, nearly 1000 and passage heaviest when i was leaving