12th to 16th July

There have been a few more signs of Autumn migration each day with Wader numbers continuing to build, especially after a blast of easterly winds on 16th. The majority of sightings came from that date when 897 Golden Plovers were counted, along with 144 Dunlins and 148 Redshanks. A Green Sandpiper was heard calling over the Observatory in the evening while there was an unusual mid-summer record of an Iceland Gull near the Lighthouse. 16 Lesser black-backed Gulls were also at the north end, a Common Tern on Gretchen Loch with a Swift there too. The summering Grey Phalarope was seen on 12th and 15th, with 2 Little Gulls still present on the former date and a Collared Dove and Common Redpoll on the latter. The busiest Storm Petrel ringing session so far saw 44 caught and ringed overnight 15th/16th with a Leach's Petrel seen around the nets the same night.

Iceland Gull

 

Juvenile Twite