30th April

A wonderfully calm day with complete cloud cover pretty much throughout and with the faint breeze still stuck in the east it felt very promising; unfortunately, there was no sign of yesterday’s Mourning Dove but the highlights did include a single Waxwing lingering around Holland House through the morning and a Wood Warbler along walls near the Lighthouse – the first one since 2016.

                The early morning promise didn’t really kick on and continue through the day as the numbers of migrants were generally down on yesterday but totals did include a Canada Goose on Hooking, a huge flock of exactly 100 Barnacle Geese which circled the island before heading north – by far the highest spring day count, a Sparrowhawk, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Sandwich Tern, the first Arctic Tern of the year off Bridesness, 7 Woodpigeons, 4 Collared Doves, a Tree Pipit, a White Wagtail, 13 Robins, a Redstart, 27 Wheatears, a Ring Ouzel, 3 Fieldfare, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Blackcaps, 21 Chiffchaff, 8 Willow Warblers, 2 Goldcrests, a Rook, a Chaffinch and 25 Brambling.

Swallow