15th May

An outstanding spring days birding with the undoubted highlights being totals of 6 wood warbler and 10 bluethroats, the latter at least being the highest day count for over a decade, and on a local scale a corn bunting seen at Nether Linnay, is the first for over 15 years. 4 dotterel remained at Cott, a common sandpiper and 2 whimbrel at Torness and the 2 curlew sandpiper still. 2 icterine warblers were in Holland and other warbler counts for the day consisted 3 sedge, 5 garden, 8 willow, 10 chiffchaff, 3 blackcap, 5 whitethroat and 11 lesser whitethroat. 13 spotted and 5 pied flycatchers were seen, 3 tree pipits were behind Trebb, a black redstart at Nether Linnay and 5 redstart dotted around. The remainder of today's sightings included 28 wheatear, 3 whinchat, a white wagtail, a song thrush, 5 house and 1 sand martin and single woodpigeon and collared dove. Despite favourable easterly winds such a number of scarce and common migrants was somewhat a surprise given the clear blue skies, but with strengthening winds and rain forecast it has the potential to become even more exciting...