The mild and gusty southerly airflow brought an ALPINE SWIFT (part of a definite UK influx of this species), which treated me to an unforgettable 8 minutes as it flew circuits of the headland and lighthouse from 08:12 to 08:20, before heading off high to the north-east. At times it was at head height or even flying below me! It was busy for migrants in general, with at least 85 Sand Martin & 3 Swallow (both my first of the year here) heading west, 9 Skylark, 6+ Wheatear, 16 Stonechat (a small fall coinciding with the other migrants and by far the highest count since last autumn), 330 Meadow Pipit, 48 Pied/alba Wagtail (all flyovers and all of those I got a decent look at were Pied), 27 Goldfinch, 55 Linnet, 2 Greenfinch and a Reed Bunting. A group of 3 Shelduck flying west over the sea were also migrants and new for the year. Amazing what a change in the weather can do!
