24th and 25th June


The 24th was a really difficult day to be out in the field with a blazing westerly wind sweeping across the island slowly increasing up to a gale force 8 by the afternoon bringing with it some vicious showers; a Great-northern Diver in Nouster and a handful of Manx Shearwaters and Storm Petrels offshore in the morning were the only birds of note through the day.

                The wind was still brisk through the morning of the 25th but it gradually eased down through the day and there was slightly more to look at, especially in the afternoon; 2 Quail flushed together from the side of the road near Rue were the highlight while returning birds were more in evidence with 3 beautiful summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwits, 10 Golden Plover and 96 Turnstone on The Links and 14 Wigeon and 10 Gadwall on Hooking.

                Other birds of note included a Woodpigeon and 14 Sand Martins still (lingering around the sandbanks along The Links looking a bit suspicious!) while there were at least 157 Black-headed Gull fledglings around Hooking Loch – the best total of fledged birds for many years!



The Oystercatchers were given a hard time by everything as they were trying to collect food!

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