Rillage Point to Watermouth

From 05.50 this morning. Keen onshore NE breeze (F3), but clear skies, so not much in the way of grounded migrants; best was a Lesser Whitethroat – my first of the year. Others included 6 Whitethroats and 5 Wheatears. Diurnal migrants made a better showing, with a continuous trickle of hirundines (rather than the rush of yesterday), 5 Swifts, 20 Whimbrels, 1 fly-over Yellow Wagtail and at least 5 fly-over Tree Pipits. Also a steady passage up-Channel of small Kittiwake flocks (both ads and imms), totalling 165 birds. I wonder if these are taking a short-cut to the North Sea via the Severn Estuary, then (high?) overland to The Wash. I remember seeing similar flocks flying up the middle of the Severn Estuary during fine weather in April when I lived in Gloucestershire in the early 80s.