1st and 2nd September


Overcast with the continuing SW wind on the 1st again meant there were few new grounded migrants so most of the day’s attention ended up being directed out to sea again which handsomely paid off with another Great Shearwater north past the seawatch hide at 15:10 while other totals included 82 Sooty Shearwaters, 11 Manx Shearwaters and 327 Kittiwakes.   Otherwise it was still quiet with the elusive Barred Warbler still in Holland along with a female Sparrowhawk, 13 Black-tailed Godwits, 23 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Willow Warblers.

The Holland Barred Warbler


                The moderate SW wind gradually moved round into the SE by the afternoon of the 2nd and the overcast morning gradually turned into a sunny, bright afternoon; it was another day with most of the attention focused on the sea and yet again, it definitely paid off with a [presumed] FEA’S PETREL which flew past the seawatch hide at 15:50, it was however quite distant and the three observers feel that it will likely end up as ‘just’ a Pterodroma sp. even after a full description is submitted however awesome the sighting was!

                Long hours staring out to sea produced some other decent day totals which included 337 Sooty Shearwaters, 45 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Storm Petrels, 6 Red-throated Divers, 2 Great-northern Divers, 7 Arctic Skuas, 16 Great Skuas, 856 Kittiwakes, 7 Arctic Terns and 394 Auk sp. with the vast majority being Razorbills with a handful of Guillemots and Puffins.

                It was quiet across the rest of the island but with seawatching and other events coverage was perhaps reduced but the switch to the SE wind did produce the first Common Rosefinch of the autumn at Holland House in the evening along with 5 Willow Warblers and a new Garden Warbler.
Willow Warbler

Purple Sandpiper

Photos Simon Davies

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