5th April 2023

 Weather: SE force 3    showery rain and drizzle tbroughout

 It was dark and dreary this morning but the south easterly and intermittent showers promised much. It was soon clear there was not going to be fall of migrants however as the paddocks and gardens were very quiet. A Goldcrest was heard in the obs garden but this turned out to be the only one of the day. Later on 2 Chiffchaffs were caught for ringing, probably also the the only ones on the island, and then a solitary male Wheatear appeared on the rocks left of the lifeboat slipway. 

 

The passage birds moving through included 8 Sand Martins, a few dozen Meadow Pipits, 6 Goldfinches, also 8 Pied and 2 White Wagtails and a Reed Bunting stopped very briefly in the old obs garden. Photograph of the day certainly goes to 2 Harbour Porpoises swimming north off the east side of the island. Many have tried to capture the couple of seconds when they surface after sometimes minutes in between, but few have suceeded.

Other sea  sightings included a single Little Gull off the west side, 6 Red-throated Divers, 20 Gannets, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 20 Guillemots, 12 Great Crested Grebes and 15 Sandwich Terns. Only 122 Brent could be found today, maybe some have left. A Canada Goose sat off the west side of Middle, 5 Mallard flew vigorously around and there were 9 Shelduck and 52 Common Scoter, while  5 Eiders and a single male Goosander completed the wildfowl. The Red-legged Partridge was still here, startling everyone by its sudden appearance when it would fly to another part of the island.

Back to the truly wild world of wading birds the usual distant views of huge flocks of Knot were over the shore, while the 2,000 or so Dunlin seen were near the island. Curlew were counted at 237 and there were 30 Redshank, 60 Turnstone and 7 Purple Sandpipers. After the tide a Raven was gliding around its usual place on the west side cliff of Middle while being harassed by a couple of Crows. Although the Linnets were very lively around the island this morning the rainy weather curtailed some of the breeding activity, for example with the Rock Pipits.

Ringed:  3 Linnets, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Wren,

Photos PSW, CJ (Wheatear)