Weather: SE force 4, decreasing 1/2 later, rain mid-morning
We had the pleasure again this morning of many skeins of Pinkfeet Geese flying out of the estuary, we totalled them at 1,920 birds.
The island was fairly quiet at first but for several Wheatears travelling rapidly south under the shelter of the west cliff and resting on the reef south of Middle, 11 were seen today..
A single Chiffchaff was initially singing in the old obs garden then moved towards the SK paddock. Apart from a glimpse of another phyllosoc warbler no more were present at that time. When the rain front arrived things warmed up with a small fall of birds on the island. Three Wllow Warblers and 4 or 5 Chiffchaffs were grounded, also the first large warbler on the island this year, a male Blackcap.
Finches coming through featured 10 Goldfinch and a Greenfinch, while some of the 58 Linnets recorded today were obviously also passage birds. A Goosander, 2 Canada Geese and the 16 remaining Brent were here, also the pair of Eider.
Excitement was generated during a sea watch when a small grebe species was seen with a couple of Great Crested Grebes far off the east hoyle tide edge. It gradually drifted away always not close enough for a definitive identication, opinion was that it was probably a Slavonian Grebe. Also on the sea in addition to 11 Great Crested Grebes were 2 Red-throated Divers, 3 Gannets, 2 Guillemots and 128 Common Scoter (including 8 close around the island). A Harbour porpoise was swimming off the north end. As the tide dropped the west hoyle accommodated 100 Sandwich Terns, 25 were seen earlier passing the island. A Golden Plover was heard in the morning, other waders included 7 Purple Sandpipers, 56 Ringed Plover, a Grey Plover and 62 Redshank. There were 5 Little Egrets today, more than most recent days.Two Wheatears were at the north end as observers left the island.
Ringed: 1 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler. 3 Linnets.
Photos AS, CJ, SRW
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