Monday, 8 April 2024

8th April 2024

 Weather: ESE force 2, light rain, increasing 4 late afternoon

 Pink-footed Geese are now leaving the Dee for their northern breeding sites, 165 left at dawn followed by a further 219 at high tide.

Four Eiders stayed with us but scarcest of the wildfowl seen today were 2 pairs of Shovelers just off the East Hoyle for a while after the tide before flying north east.

Watching the sea produced 13 Gannets, a Red-throated Diver, 34 Common Scoter, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Guillemots, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and 7 Sandwich Terns. On the passerines side 2 Wheatears landed today,

 

Other small migrants were fairly scarce this morning but did include 12 Goldfinch, a Swallow, 2 White Wagtails, 2 Willow Warblers with 2 or 3 unidentified phylloscopus warblers and a Chiffchaff.

 A Woodpigeon was here and a Collared Dove was around the island all day.

Two parties of Bar-tailed Godwits comprised a total of 140 birds and Turnstones numbered 180 plus 5 Purple Sandpipers. Only about 900 Oystercatchers were in the roost.

Four Little Egret roosted the tide on Middle and unusually a 5th was on the main island pond. 

 

Mallard were mating in the obs garden

 

 Rock Pipits are now a regular feature of the island at all times of the year.

 Photos AS

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