7th April 2021

 Weather: NNW force 5

The early tide meant leaving the mainland in the dark and it was still dark on reaching the Obs.With temperatures below freezing and a strong NWW wind blowing there wasn’t much hope of any summer migrants so attention turned to the sea. With the breaking of the dawn 3 Little Gulls fed close quite close to the north end slip and these were joined by an adult and 1st winter Kittiwake.

A single Sandwich Tern struggled to make headway into the wind. The adult Kittiwake was seen several times over the high tide doing a circuit of the island and was later seen looking fairly moribund below the cliffs on the east side.

 The gale force winds had displaced a number of seabirds including 6 Red-thraoted Divers and most seemed to be seen flying up the west side before the high tide.

 

Three Razorbills, Guillemot, adult Gannet, Shag and the years first Manx Shearwater were all recorded. Small parties of Common Scoter were also seen departing the Dee Estuary along the west side.

 There was signs of breeding activity among the resident passerines with at least 12 Linnets pairing up with the males singing. A single brave Meadow Pipit was singing and display flighting whilst a pair of Rock Pipits were present at the north end. The local Carrion Crows were seen carrying nesting material.

 

Wader numbers seemed sparse but as the tide fell 6 Purple Sandpipers and 38 Turnstone dropped onto the north end rocks - one of the Turnstones was ringed with what appears to be a BTO ring on the right leg so is likely to be a bird ringed elsewhere in the UK. 

The male Eider wasn’t seen until the tide fell and appeared to have been roosting out the wind on rocks to the east of Middle Eye. 

 The Rock Pipits are still thinking of breeding.

The remaining 6 Purple Sandpipers are also thinking of breeding, but not hereabouts!

With the occasional snow flurries and hail it felt more like the middle of winter rather than early spring but hopefully we’ll soon get better migration weather.