22nd June 2017

NW 2, rain earlier 

A brief lunchtime visit produced the first Mediterranean Gull of the summer for the islands.  A small adult summer was picked up with Black-headed Gulls and Sandwich Terns moving along and dropping down on the North shore of the East Hoyle bank.

Having been watched for a short time in the company of a couple of Black-headed Gulls which seemed intent on giving the Med a hard time.  It decided to make its own way down the gutter past the Obs and between the islands over the North End of Middle off to the west (see photos above and below).

Elsewhere a single Little Egret fed in the gutter and the first Whimbrel for three weeks was heard (which way is it heading - north or south?)

To end an extremely pleasant brief afternoon visit three spikes of Common Spotted Orchid were found in one of the gardens; a single having been found in June 2014 (the first ever on the islands), two in 2015 but none seen last year - today's three spikes were therefore a welcome surprise.

The Grey Seal haul-out on the West Hoyle sandbank was very impressive with 769 seals counted (part of the haul-out shown below).