3rd May 2021

 Weather: SW force 5, later SE force 6 then WSW with rain

The highlight of the day was the sight of an adult Hobby flying across the island and travelling east towards Red Rocks. Perhaps the Hobby was following it's usual prey, the Swallows now passing in numbers, 70 recorded today with 18 Sand Martins, 3 House Martins and the first 2 Swifts of the year which also arrived today, typically for Swift coming in the wake of stormy clouds and rain. Both Peregrine and Kestrel were raptors also seen, while a Raven also showed. In addition to the hirundines and Swifts the only other small migrants were 8 Wheatears, 2 White Wagtails, a Yellow Wagtail and 5 Goldfinches. Whimbrel were again the stars of the waders, 35 present with other species logged being 34 Grey Plover, 12 Ringed Plover, 140 Dunlin. Despite the strong wind being mostly blowing out to sea, good numbers of sea birds showed especially for this time of year: 58 Gannets, 2 Red-throated Divers, 33 Guillemots, 14 Great Crested Grebes, 25 Common Scoter, 234 Sandwich and 163 Common Terns and 2 Arctic Terns. There has been no sign of any Brent for several days now but as well as the 4 Shelduck, 2 Pairs of Eider were here and single Wigeon and Pintail were noted. Little Egret totalled an exceptional 11 birds today as well as 2 Grey Herons. We do not often mention the gulls around the island so for once the results of counts today revealed 21 Black-headed at the north end, 15 Lesser and 16 Greater Black-backs and approximately 350 Herring Gulls. After the Dark Sword-grass moth yesterday, 4 were in the moth trap this morning, together with the first Silver Y trapped this season.