9th June 2025

 Weather: WSW force 4 with mist, W3 with mist by afternoon. 

With a drop in the wind from yesterday fewer birds were noted on the sea but fortunately some  were close enough for photos with singles of Great-crested Grebe and Guillemot, 4 Common Scoter and 47 Gannet.

 A Common Tern was feeding in the Swash and 15 Sandwich Tern were about with some settling on rocks between the islands to preen.

A Curlew was heard calling but other than the 200 Oystercatcher present the only waders recorded today were 80 Ringed Plover by the reef.

 Six Little Egret fed in the Gutter after tide and 2 Grey Heron had roosted on Middle.

 

Photos AS

 

8th June 2025

 Weather: W force 5/6

 A seawatch today did not produce large counts but there was more variety than of late with records of 7 Manx Shearwater, 2 Kittiwakes, an Arctic Skua, 44 Gannets, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 16 Common Scoter and 3 Red-breasted Merganser that went west passed the north end. On the reef south of Middle were 110 Ringed Plover and 60 Dunlin. As it is mid-summer a count of only 220 Oystercatcher was about normal.

 Land birds around the island were 5 Rock and 5 Meadow Pipits, 3 Blackbirds, a pair of Pied Wagtails and a Goldfinch. 

 

 The regular female Eider was here together with 2 Grey Herons and 6 Little Egrets. 

 There was evidence again of the presence of the fox.

Photos AS 

2nd June 2025

 Weather: WNW force 3/4,  by evening NW 2/3   

The sea was very quiet today with just 2 Sandwich Tern seen but a Fulmar unusually flew up the east side of the island, normally we see them on the west side where they are considered to be 'prospecting' the cliffs. Sightings of Fulmar in general have become rarer in recent years.

 

Two male Mallard were on the pond, a single Shelduck was recorded and a female Eider came up the Gutter with the tide.

Waders about the island included 33 Ringed Plover, 2 Turnstone, 45 Dunlin and 50 Oystercatcher. Both the male and female White Wagtail were in Niffy Bay, Little Egret had increased to nine.

 Photos AS

31st May 2025

 Weather:  SSW force 4   SW 3 at noon

A mid morning visit to do some maintenance work was quiet bird wise, the highlight being a Swallow that entered the obs building accidently and was therefore ringed before release through the door. This will probably turn out to be a bird breeding on the island, we shall see.

 

 Seen while working were: 2 Little Egret, 120 Oystercatcher, and a flock of 200 Dunlin, also 4 Blackbirds, 8 Meadow and 6 Rock Pipits. The male White Wagtail is still about as are the 2 Goldfinches. A Greylag Goose flew high over the island.

 Photos CJW 

27th May 2025

 Weather:  WSW force 5,   later SW 6 with rain

For some time now we have known that a Fox has been around the island leaving signs of its activities but not seen all that often. Today it was on the rocks down the west side of the island and was caught on camera.

Although the wind was still strong today there were virtually no sea birds, just a single Great-crested Grebe flew west passed the North End. Four hundred Herring Gulls fed on a small Razor Shell wreck on the East Hoyle and 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were in the recording area.

Just singles of Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit were seen, 18 Dunlin and 30 Ringed Plover landed briefly to the south of the lifeboat station but were soon moved by spray breaking over the island.

 

The pair of White Wagtails were sheltering from the wind in Niffy Bay along with at least 4 Rock Pipit.

Also present were 2 Sandwich Terns, 5 Little Egrets and the female Eider.

Photos AS

24th May 2025

 Weather: WNW force 5   slight drizzle later

The north westerly failed to give us any migrants as expected, and a Swift was probably the only passing bird of any note. Still present is the White Wagtail, it has been a star here at this quiet time of the spring and now the nest has failed the female is also on view. Six Swallows were about the island, also 8 Meadow Pipits, 6 Rock Pipits, 20 Linnets and 4 Blackbirds. Eiders did not let us down even if only a single female showed up. Four Shelduck and 2 Little Egrets were logged as well as several species of wader: 25 Dunlin, 3 Turnstone, 2 Curlew and 22 Ringed Plover. A lovely Brown silver-line moth was definitely worth seeing.

 

Photo CJW

23rd May 2025

 Weather: ESE force 2,  N2 early afternoon

 Two Jackdaw flew west over the island, 3 male and a female Mallard were by the pond.

 

Twenty Linnet were noted but more will be on nests. The White Wagtail nest seems to have failed, with the pair being seen today around the buildings hopefully prospecting for a new site. The female has a smaller bib than the male.

 

Even a failed White Wagtail nesting attempt could be a first for the island. Two of the 9 Meadow Pipit seen today were juveniles, although a nest found a few days ago with 5 eggs had been predated. One of 7 Rock Pipit recorded was carrying small food meaning it's young are not long hatched.

 Two summer plumaged Turnstone rested over tide at the Noth End.

 About 100 Oystercatcher are still here, 3 Whimbrel were about over tide and 25 Dunlin roosted at the south end.

 along with 48 Ringed Plover.

 No Grey Herons were seen today but 3 Little Egret were present.

 

Twenty two Gannets and 12 Sandwich Terns were logged from a sea watch. Just the regular wing damaged female Eider was here this morning.

 Photo AS

22nd May 2025

 Weather: E force 3/4   slight drizzle mid-morning

A brief visit today found it as quiet as it has been for a while. The White Wagtail is by far the best attraction at the moment.

A few waders were logged, single figures of Ringed Plover, Knot and Dunlin plus the colour ringed Curlew previously mentioned here recently.

There were 4 Little Egrets this morning and a Grey Heron.  Five Canada Geese paid us a visit.

 Photos SRW

19th May 2025

 Weather: NNE force 3    haze

Early morning a seal was hauled out at the North End with injuries to both sides of its face, probably caused during a fight.

 Two Sandering were on the east side along with 44 Ringed Plover.

 

Only a single female Eider was recorded along with the 4 Shelduck, one of which was chasing off the Mallard and a pair of Scoter.

 

Twelve Gannets and 16 Sandwich Terns also showed on the sea.  Our resident singers on the island at present include a Willow Warbler and the White Wagtail. Bumble bees are visiting the Birds-foot Trefoil plants amongst the grassy areas.

 While Azure Damselflies can be seen almost anywhere at the moment.

 Three Red Admirals were logged this morning.

 Photos AS

18th May 2025

 Weather: E force 3  later WNW 3

A Yellow Wagtail landed on the old lifeboat station but was soon seen off by the resident White Wagtail. A Willow Warbler was singing on the island again and the pair of Goldfinches are still here. Meadow Pipits are now on nests or have just fledged a brood, so a bath in the pond is welcome.

 Four Shelduck were around the islands,

But there were no Eider to be seen until late afternoon when 3 males and two females turned up and were busy displaying.

Five Whimbrel were recorded, also 27 Ringed Plover. Single figures of Turnstone are all that have been recorded recently but today 22 roosted the tide at the North End, moving on when the tide ebbed.

 

 A Cinnabar moth and a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly brightened up the scene.

Photos AS

17th May 2025

 Weather: ENE force 2/3

A singing Willow Warbler in the obs garden gave hope of a more productive day, it was however a false dawn as no other warblers were encountered during the morning. The most spectacular sight and sound was the arrival of 10 Eiders off the west side of the island.

There were 7 adult and 2 immature males amongst them.

The 3 female types that have been here for some time soon joined them for some fun.

Other ducks present were not in such good numbers (2 Mallard, 2 Shelduck). Two Goldfinches are still here, likewise the White Wagtail. Two Swifts arrived as cloud rolled in, and then another 3 were over the centre of the island.

Of considerable interest for the island was a Lesser Black-backed Gull that stood at the south end of the reef near Little Eye and was colour ringed.

 

It turns out it has been here on several occassions since 2018 after being ringed at Banks Marsh in 2017. It had also visited France and Spain.Thanks to Richard Smith for the following sighting details.

The sea produced records of 70 Sandwich Terns and 4 Common Terns and the shore 4 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron, 40 Ringed Plover, 50 Dunlin and a single Whimbrel. When the sun finally reappeared and the temperature rose insects came to life, there was a Common Blue butterfly,

 

 a Cinnabar moth and 4 Red Admirals, also Azure Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly.

As the tide flooded a Raven fed on the corpse of a gull near Little Eye.

Photos SRW