24th April 2026

 Weather: ESE force 3, later 4,     slight mist

 

 Another fall of Willow Warblers, it is not often we get them on 2 days consecutive days, not quite as large as yesterday, and probably just short of half the numbers. A new bird ringed for the year was a Grasshopper Warbler. An elusive migrant so always pleasing when are able to ring them.

 

  Yellow Wagtails showed up well today with 8 individuals calling and some dropping to the ground.

 

  

 Redpolls also exceeded the norm, 18 went over this time, six came down to be ringed.

 

 

 

 

Whereas we used to be looking out for Common Redpolls which are always much paler, we now don't have to agonise over the identification as we are now told they are all the same species. Four Siskins and 8 Goldfinches were the only other finches among the local Linnets. A female Redstart was ringed,

  also a female Blackcap and a male Blackcap was seen in the field.

 

 Three out of the 4 Whitethroats here were ringed.

 

  

 

 

 Eight Greenland Wheatears were seen during the day.

 

  Just a single White Wagtail was recorded.

  and 20 Swallows were logged.

 Eight House Martins went over

 and 8 Sand Martins did their flights on passage.

 

 The single Whinchat today was a female.

 

 

Among the waders 2 summer plumaged Bar-tailed Godwits stood out, 

 Not quite so spectacular were 17 Whimbrel calling about the island.

Dunlin numbered 835, Ringed Plover 24, Turnstone 21 and there were 2 Purple Sandpipers. Gannets featured again as they have for a few weeks now.  

 Sandwich Terns were counted at 120, there were 2 Guillemots, 9 Great Crested Grebes and 8 Common Scoter. Five Eiders were present with 12 Shelduck.

Seven Little Egrets were around the islands (more than of late) and a Grey Heron.

In the middle of the evening the Long-tailed Duck reappeared off the island with some Scoter. Summer butterflies featured 2 Speckled Woods, an Orange tip, a Small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock.  

Ringing: 46 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 6 Redpolls, 3 Whitethroats, 1 Redstart, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Blackcap.

 Photos AEH, SRW 

23rd April 2026

 Weather: ESE force 3  slight mist, SE 4 by afternoon

A huge fall of Willow Warblers this morning and all qualified hands were called upon to catch, ring, process and record the birds. During the day 99 Willow Warblers and 1 Chiffchaff were ringed, we are estimating more than 200 Willow Warblers passed through the islands today, arriving in all places on the island before movinbg into the Blackthorn.

 

The first bird ringed apart from those was a Greenland Wheatear

 followed by a male Redstart,

 and then 2 Whitethroats were caught at the same time, one was an obvious male, and the other a female type. 

 

 

 

A Blackcap was also on the ringng list, and in the afternoon 1 of the 3 Tree pipits recorded flew into the obs mist net. 

 

 The Willow Warblers and other birds being ringed took up most of the available time but there were other species recorded that were much admired. Two Yellow Wagtail flew over and 2 male Whinchats were about the island with another female turning up in later in the afternoon.

A Grasshopper Warbler was heard briefly on the island but could not be located. A highlight for many was a Swift flying low over the island, the first any of us have seen this year.

Seldom have we seen such detailed photos of these fast flying birds. A Raven was a late addition to the daily list.

Whimbrel are increasing in numbers, there were 27 today, also 300 Dunlin and 8 Bar-tailed Godwits. Eight Gannets were out to sea with 60 Sandwich Terns, 16 Common Scoter, 4 Great Crested Grebes and a Guillemot. Others not so far mentioned were 5 Eiders, 2 Little Egrets and 8 Shelduck. A very exciting day, we have only featured one Willow Warbler photo, but i'm sure you will have seen many here in the past, and we have certainly seen many today. 

Ringed: 99 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Wheatear, 1 Redstart, 1 Tree Pipit, 2 Linnets. (total 108), one of the busiest days ever.

Photos: CJW, PSW, SRW

22nd April 2026

 Weather: E force 4      slight mist,  but sunny all day

Willow Warblers were arriving today, more than yesterday, about 25 all told on the island but just a single Chiffchaff was here. We are at the time now that Willow Warblers will normally occur more often than arrivals of Chiffchaff, only 1 today, which tend to dominate before the first half of April. A female Redstart was seen in the obs garden first thing and was later caught in the SK trap. 

 A male Blackcap also liked the obs garden and was also caught for ringing.

 

 A male Whitethroat appeared in Telegraph House west garden. Four Swallows and 4 Sand Martins flew around the island, but passing finches did not impress, with just a single Siskin and 4 Redpolls to show on the list, apart from the island Linnets. A White Wagtail was a lone individual, best of the migrants were 2 passing Tree Pipits. As the tide flooded a Merlin flew from Middle Eye towards Red Rocks in the blusterly easterly. 

 

Also at the flood tide when some of the sand banks got covered 1,200 Black-tailed Godwits vacated to south west of Little Eye, while 450 Bar-tailed Godwits were mixed in with them.

 

 Thirteen Whimbrel were conted today, also 28 Ringed Plover and 220 Dunlin. On the sea were 12 Common Scoter, 20 Sandwich Tern, a Guillemot and 2 Great Crested Grebes. Staying near the island as usual were 2 pairs of Eider on the whaleback and another pair off the west side of Middle. Lepidoptera this morning featured Two male Orange Tips, 2 Peacocks, a Painted Lady and a Silver Y moth.

 Ringed:  10 Willow Warblers, 1 Redstart, 1 Blackcap.

 Photos: PSW, SRW