11th April 2022

 Weather:  ESE force 4, later in the morning E 5/6  cloudy with a cold wind

The first Willow Warblers of the year duly arrived soon after dawn in the gardens and paddocks, 5 being ringed in the SK during the first round of the trapping area. This small fall of Willow Warblers did not sustain its momentum and only a total 12 were noted during the morning together with 5 Chiffchaffs. An unexpected bonus was the first Wheatear to be ringed this year, surprisingly caught in the 'heli' together with a Chiffchaff.

The second first for the year were 2 Swallows floating in at the north end, while 3 Sand Martins passed later down the west side. Two other Wheatears arrived and a few Meadow Pipits passed through but there was very little 'overhead', and apart from the resident Linnets, finches were particularly poorly represented, just a single Goldfinch made an appearance. In the late morning both the drake Eider and a female Goosander sat on the whaleback and a male Common Scoter did the same at the north end, while a lone male Wigeon flew out of the estuary off the east side. During a search for Sandwich Terns on the sea, only 3 Gannets were seen off the west side but later 9 Sandwich Terns called to the east of the island, the second appearance for them this year. Gulls and waders were at a premium this morning during the very small tide, best of the waders were 36 Ringed Plover and 35 Redshank. No Pink-footed geese found the right conditions to pass north this morning, but only 23 Brent could be found, the rest may have left last night, the coming days will tell.

Ringed: 7 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Greenland Wheatear, 1 Robin, 1 Wren, 1 Meadow Pipit and 4 Linnets.

Photos CJ