11th March 2016

Weather: S force 1 sunny

Today could be regarded as the start of spring passage with typical birds going through on the southerly breeze. A Reed Bunting was on the bramble on Middle Eye early in the day, a Merlin flew west to east across the main island and a Woodpigeon sat on the sea watching hide for a short time. Small birds moving through were 2 Skylarks, 9 Pied Wagtails, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Chaffinches (right, CJ), and on the ground an extra Robin or 2 and a Song Thrush. A bright sun and a calm sea made finding anything that was on the sea relatively easy; including a drake Eider off the north end and later on the whaleback (above,CJ), 2 Scaup to the north and 4 others off Little Eye on the flood (10 metre) tide, also 17 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Red-breasted Merganser and 3 Red-throated Divers. Amongst the waders logged today were 5 Purple Sandpipers, 150 Sanderling and 300 Curlew. In the afternoon  a flock of 90 Pink-footed Geese flew across the island from the direction of the Lancashire mosses and headed towards Wales.