21st-27th August
The persistent westerly based weather has continued this week, its often been coupled with showers and strong winds that have left us at times feeling a bit down in the dumps, but there have been a few signs that migration is ongoing despite the lack of passerine migrants. As of today we still haven't had an autumn Willow Warbler and the inconceivable possibility of seeing out August without one is very much looking like a reality.
A 1st Summer Little Gull toured the island on 21st, initially seen near Kirbest it eventually made its way over to Trolla before vanishing, the day also saw two Great Shearwaters pass the sea-watch hide. The following day saw the long-staying American Golden Plover re-appear once again, this time behind Greenspot. Wader numbers have been building up over the last week or so, with Ringed Plover numbers peaking at 463 on 22nd while Golden Plover numbers reached 774 on 24th. Other wader species reaching three figure counts this week have been Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin.
Good numbers of Wheatear and Meadow Pipit also made landfall, with peak counts of 251 on 26th and 372 on 25th respectively. Other migrants included a Collared Dove fresh in at Brides on the 26th, a smattering of Sparrowhawks with up to three recorded over the period and the over summering Chiffchaff remained in Holland. Sea-watching has been source of sanity with Great Shearwaters, as previously mentioned recorded on 21st and 26th along with a usual supporting cast of Sooty Shearwaters and Manx Shearwaters. The highlight of the last few days however is one of those its rare here but not in many other places as the islands 7th female Mandarin was flushed off of Ancum during the late morning on 26th, it went off towards Hooking but wasn't re-found.
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