15th - 22nd May

 With a promised spell of easterlies set for the week ahead there was a sense of excitement among the staff, however by mid-day on 19th we were all feeling a bit short-changed with the weather perhaps not being the 'perfect storm'. Anyway, enough whingeing! As a reader you'll probably wonder why I've been so negative! 

The 15th wasn't a day we were optimistic about, a heaving north-westerly didn't inspire thoughts of spring migrants. This was compounded by a Snow Bunting on Tor Ness, giving mid-March vibes instead of mid-May! The day was brightened up however with three Long-tailed Skua past Tor Ness and another that dropped into Ancum for a brief wash before carrying on.

The following day was rather scant news wise, but a Wood Sandpiper on Hooking was a long overdue year tick. The 17th was a little better, six Siskin spent the day around Holland, there was a Garden Warbler in Ancum and the south-west part of the island provided Black-throated Diver, two Collared Dove and the first Quail of the year. A Barnacle Goose kicked the 18th off while an unseasonal Hen Harrier toured the island. Good corvid passage saw over 50 Carrion Crow pass through and 12 Jackdaw. Two White-tailed Eagle caused chaos as the drifted south mid-afternoon and the first Spotted Flycatcher of the year was at Brides. The day ended with an Icterine Warbler trapped at Holland and the sense of optimism for the following the day was bolstered.

The 19th was dubbed as 'the day' as it happend, it wasn't, but it did start off with a Turtle Dove trapped in Holland. A Canada Goose (a good bird here) was at Hooking, the only migrant other the aforementioned was a Whitethroat at the Rosefinch Dyke. So would the 20th produce the glut of spring migrants we'd been dreaming of? In short....no, it was all a bit disappointing! A Whinchat at Peckhole was new for the year, another White-tailed Eagle drifted north and then south over Ires Taing. The previous days Turtle Dove re-appeared at Ancum and a Yellow Wagtail pinged south in the same area. Holland contained a few bits, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat  and a Willow Warbler but it never really kicked into life. A smart male Bluethroat was the star of the day between Ancum Willows and the hide, it even gave a few bursts of song in the evening light before being caught in Ancum Willows assumably on its way into roost.

The 21st started with a duo of Nightjars at Holland and Ancum, the former being trapped and ringed. A Whooper Swan was joined by our first Green Sandpiper of the year on Garso. Our second Mediterranean Gull of 2026 was seen drifting over Scottigar with local Black-headed Gulls, while a small pod of Risso's Dolphin were seen nearby. Eight House Martin at the north end and one over Brides was a noteable count, a Grey Wagtail at the Beacon provided some very short lived excitement as it pinged off the beach as a flash of yellow... but it wasn't to be! A second Icterine Warbler was joined by an acredula Willow Warbler at Upper Linnay. Orca were also seen from the Lighthouse, but details were scant. 

The 22nd was expected to be quieter and was, the Nightjar at Ancum was still present and eventually made it's way into the mist nets. A male Red-necked Phalarope was on Ancum as another year tick. 

Bluethroat (Red-spotted) - GG

Icterine Warbler - GG