18th April 2026

Weather: WSW force 4,    veering WNW 4 in the afternoon

 Another day of seriously good numbers of sea birds with 185 Gannets, 75 Manx Shearwaters,

 

 .......8 Guillemots, 26 Razorbills, 8 Red-throated Divers, 200 Sandwich Terns, 9 Common Terns, 9 Kittiwakes, and 16 Red-breasted Mergansers, 

About 350 Common Scoter were out to sea, and a few towards the island included the company of the Long-tailed Duck of recent days which unfortunately was flushed by the  RNLI jetski and flew out north east and was lost to view.

 

Recorded this morning were 5 Canada Geese and 3 Greylags. A Merlin was an early visitor and also first thing 3,500 Black-tailed Godwit were again on Salisbury bank before the rising tide moved them. Other waders featured 96 Ringed Plover, 480 Dunlin,

 

 ... also 45 Turnstone, 3 Purple Sandpipers and 5 Whimbrel. 

A massive 3,500 Herring Gulls were estimated on the shore. Ten Woodpigeons continued the recent upsurge in records, while just the 2 Willow Warblers and 1 Chiffchaff were here today with 10 Goldfinches, 6 Redpolls, 12 Swallows and 2 Greenland Wheatears

 

 The morning moth trap revealed a Dark Sword Grass, and a Hebrew Character.

 

 .. while butterflies seen were a Large White and 3 male Orange Tips.

Ringed: 1 Goldfinch

Photos CJW, SRW

17th April 2026

 Weather: ESE force 4/5   veering SW 5/6 in the afternoon

In reaction to the south easterly a few migrants arrived in the morning. Hirundines floated through in scattered small numbers totalling 12 Swallows, 3 House Martins and 9 Sand Martins. An estimate of over a dozen Willow Warblers arrived with 4 Chiffchaffs during the first part of the day, also a Blackcap, 3 White and 2 Pied Wagtails and 3 Greenland Wheatears.

 After the tide there was a trickle of a few more phylloscopus warblers, and a female Redstart appeared following drizzle.

 Goldfinches (20) were again the only finches moving on view apart from the Linnets. Early on before the tide 3,000 Black-tailed Godwits were on the Salisbury bank, a Greylag flew south and yet again the Long-tailed Duck was consorting with some Common Scoter off the east side, at one stage resting with them on the rocks.

  

 

Five Eiders gathered today, 3 males and 2 females. Only 2 Brent were seen this morning, 1 pale and 1 dark bellied, 

 

 ... also 8 Shelduck and 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, while later in the afternoon a pair of Teal were here. It was a good sea watch again with 145 Gannets,

 ...with supporting cast of 9 Manx Shearwaters, 7 Red-throated Divers, 70 Sandwich Tern, 4 Common Tern and 12 Great Crested Grebes. Apart from the Black-tailed Godwits waders appeared in normal numbers, there were 220 Oystercatchers, 25 Curlew, 4 Whimbrel, 150 Dunlin, 30 Ringed Plover, 80 Redshank and singles of Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwit and Purple Sandpiper. Four Little Egrets and a Grey Heron was about average for the last few weeks. Two butterflies braved the windy weather, a Painted Lady and a Peacock. All in all there were decent records on a day with mixed wind direction.

Ringing: 11 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, 1 Redstart, 1 Wren, 1 Linnet.

Photos SRW
 

16th April 2026

Weather: SW force 3/4    SW 6 in the afternoon

The Long-tailed Duck that associated with some Common Scoter on Tuesday was back briefly over the high tide.

 

 

 With small migrants being scarce today the sea was given some attention. Counts included 115 Gannets, about 210 Sandwich Terns, 6 Red-throated Divers, 84 Common Scoter, 8 Guillemots, 42 Razorbills, 2 Great Crested Grebes and a single Manx Shearwater. 

 A female Wheatear was the best of the few small bird arrivals.

 A ringed male Redstart will be the one still present from Tuesday, while a White Wagtail and 5 Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff will be mostly new birds today. A Woodpigeon turned up after a blank yesterday.

 Fifty four Grey Plover flew north, also seen were 42 Ringed Plover, 24 Curlew, 2 Whimbrel, 200 Knot, 68 Dunlin, 3 Purple Sandpipers 56 Redshank and 118 Turnstone. 

Later 2,200 Black-tailed Godwit were on Salisbury bank. Only 3 Brent were sighted today, also a single drake Eider. Around the islands were 8 Shelduck, 2 Grey Heron. 

 ...........and 4 Little Egret.

Late afternoon a message from seaforth told of an Osprey leaving there and heading to Wirral. The bird was picked up going south over Wirral and then tracking across the estuary south of little Eye. 

Ringing: 1 Wren, 3 Willow Warblers.

Photos SRW 

15th April 2026

 Weather: SE force 5/7     S 6 with showers by noon

Too much strong wind combined with overnight rain meant migration came to a standstill, even if the wind was in the 'right' direction. An adult male Greenland Wheatear was trapped this morning and a female was also here. A great many of the Wheatears caught in spring are in their second calendar year so it was nice to see one in full adult plumage.

 

 

 

 

A male Redstart was also here, probably from yesterday. About the island were 2 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff and a Pied Wagtail. Present on the island were a pair of Swallows, which seem to be returning breeders, also 3 Sand Martins and 2 House Martins on passage. Ten Goldfinches were the only finches today....

  .... apart from the 20 or so breeding Linnets. 

 The very strong winds brought some good sea birds passed the island including 35 Gannets, 150 Common Scoter, 70 Sandwich Terns, 4 Great Crested Grebes, a Red-throated Diver and 18 Manx Shearwaters, some of which managed to pass the island on both sides. Five Guillemots and a good count of 48 Razorbills showed. 

  

 

A female Red-breasted Merganser was in the south end of the gutter, another pair was also noted and there were 2 male Eider and a female today.

There was still a single Purple Sandpiper to be seen with 60 Turnstone and 50 Ringed Plover. Curlew numbered 180 with 2 Whimbrel and Dunlin 270. Two dark-bellied Brent were with another 18 pale-bellied.  

Ringed: 1 Greenland Wheatear, 1 Robin, 1 Goldfinch, 3 Linnets.

Photos BT, SRW  

14th April 2026

 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 

13th April 2026

 Weather:  SE force 2, slight mist around the estuary early, In the afternoon S  light air (0) 

It was clear overnight with a light breeze from the south east meaning although many Chiffchaffs and a few Willow Warblers were grounded ( most of the phylloscopus arrived in the first 2 or 3 hours ), there was not much movement overhead during the rest of the day. A total of 21 Chiffchaffs (30 estimated) 

 and 6 Willow Warblers (10 estimated ) were ringed. 

 Two male Blackcaps were caught this morning then a female mid afternoon and another male late afternoon after a brief spell of rain. 

 

Other migrants were 7 White Wagtails, 6 Goldfinches, 2 Siskin, a House Martin and 12 Swallows. 

 

More chunky arrivals and fly-overs included a Woodpigeon, 5 Jackdaws and 2 Greylag Geese that joined with the 70 Brent Geese briefly at dawn in the gutter.

 

........... while 20 Pink-footed Geese flew out of the estuary at dawn, there were 8 Shelduck, 3 males and a female Mallard on the pond and of course a pair of Eider.

Gannets fed in good numbers again (60) and there was a Red-throated Diver, 12 Common Scoter, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Guillemots and 5 Razorbills. Four Little Egrets and a Grey Heron on the shore and approximately 300 Sandwich Terns were about.

 A few of the waders seen were 42 Ringed Plover, 42 Turnstone, 65 Redshank and 1 Purple Sandpiper. Butterflies flying were 2 Peacock, a Small Tortoiseshell and 2 male Orange Tips. 

 

Ringed: 21 Chiffchaffs, 6 Willow Warblers, 4 Blackcaps, 10 Linnets, 1 Wren, 1 Blackbird, 1 Meadow Pipit. 

Photos SRW