Weather: ESE force 3/4 slight mist, SE 4 early afternoon
A Long-tailed duck was with a small scoter flock off Niffy bay which was noticed first thing and was expected to drift towards the obs on the approaching tide,
Unfortunately it could not be located after the distraction of the arrival of a small fall of phylloscopus warblers, followed by a male Restart caught in the 'heli'.
A total of about 41 small warblers were here during the day, 12 Chiffchaffs were ringed, plus a 'control' was trapped which was ringed elsewhere in Britain, where and when we will discover later (both pictures below).
Willow Warblers almost matched Chiffchaffs in numbers, with 11 Ringed. A little later a female Blackcap arrived in the SK trap.
Two Greenland Wheatears were among the migrants, also 2 White Wagtails, 6 Goldfinch, 1 Chaffinch, and a Siskin, while Redpolls were definitely on the move today, 34 passed through the islands. Just 4 Swallows were noted, and for a change no Woodpigeons nor Jackdaws.
The first rain dropped a few more in including a Grasshopper Warbler towards the north end in the Tea bush near 'wheatear' wall. Soon after a new male Redstart was trapped in the 'newton'.
Seawatching from the obs improved during and after rain on the ebb tide. There were 185 Gannets, 320 Sandwich Terns, 4 Common Terns, 47 Manx Shearwaters, 35 Razorbills, 12 Guillemots, 12 Common Scoter, 6 Red-throated Divers, and 4 Great Crested Grebes. Both sawbills featured today, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers (2 male) and 4 female Goosanders.
Only 19 Brent appear to remain, including 3 dark-bellied birds.
Eight Shelduck were counted, while Eiders as usual now were here, 2 males and a female. Three Whimbrel were present....
.........but again only 1 Purple Sandpiper could be counted. Black-tailed Godwits were on the west hoyle sands again, 350 birds.
Ringing: 12 Chiffchaff, 11 Willow Warblers, 2 Redstart, 1 Blackcap, 3 Linnets, 1 Wren.Photos SRW
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