4th June 2011

The forecast easterly did not materialise, but the very light westerly breeze meant observers awoke to a delightfully warm morning.

Despite the wind direction a single, rather late, Willow Warbler was trapped and ringed mid morning. However, focus was mainly on the breeding birds with a recently fledged juvenile Pied Wagtail being fed by its father in Niffy Bay and several broods of young birds around the islands including at least three broods of Linnets (see juvenile left).

Two broods of recently fledged Blackbirds (confirming our suspicions of two nests) could be seen and three different juveniles were trapped and ringed in the heligoland traps during the day.

A pair of recently arrived Swallows spent the morning collecting nesting material from Niffy Bay (see left - 'Niffy Bay' the place to be today!) and the rest of the time basking in the sun on the day room roof (see right).

With the sun beating down and temperatures touching 20 degrees the reappearance of yesterday's Hummingbird Hawk Moth at the cliff top in 'Niffy Bay' was still a nice surprise for those who missed it the previous day (see below).

Up to seven Grey Herons appeared on the flooding tide and at least four Little Egrets fed in the gutter - a common sight these days! A single immature Kittiwake appeared flying around the North End before deciding to roost up over the tide (see below).

(CLW, SRW, CJW(f), GIW, TGW (from over), CJ+2, NDW) [611-38] Photos SRW