9th August 2010

A slow start but the southerly winds with showers brought a good variety of birds to the island today.


A touch of winter came to the summer when a Purple Sandpiper appeared on the north end rocks early in the morning (left), but was not seen after 09.00hrs. This is not without precedence as a single bird sometimes visits mid-summer for a short period, probably to rest on its journey elsewhere (certainly it seemed very keen to feed up), the local wintering flock normally build up from October.

No Manx Shearwaters today but Gannets were fishing as expected, although sea birds were generally scarce with just a single dark phase Arctic Skua (left) close to the north end and the Black Tern with other terns as we have now come to expect.
At high tide 4 Bottle-nosed Dolphins travelled south west down the Dee in two groups of 2 and were well seen breaking the surface from the north end.
Shorebirds included 7 Grey Herons, 12 Whimbrel, and a good find was 2 Golden Plover roosting the tide on the north end of Middle Eye. Also near Middle 5 Wigeon were noted.

A Hobby was glimpsed as a 'mystery' raptor until it showed itself properly by crossing the island from west to east and flushing the waders from Middle Eye.







Swallows totalled 38 but only went through for a very short period until more this evening; the 3 Wheatears present were all on Middle, and the warblers seemed to arrive in response to rain showers, first 2 Willow Warblers and later a Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat.
Ringed:- 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Wrens, 1 Sedge Warbler (above left), 1 Whitethroat (above right, you can see who has been doing all the physical work around the obs today !), 1 Linnet, 1 Meadow Pipit
(DB,CJ,KMc,CJW et al) [372] photos CJ