14th to 16th March

With the winds having veered ever so slightly to the south-east its started to feel a bit more like spring, although that first Wheatear still seems a week away yet. The main talking point has been the influx of Stonechats-usually a scarce visitor to the island at this time of year, we were treated to 3 birds on both 14th and 15th before a day record of 7 were logged on 16th (pairs at Nether Linnay and Senness, 2 males near the Airfield and a further male at the south end). Skylark passage has also been stronger over recent days with 143 on 14th building to the spring peak so far of 262 on a sunny 15th. Meadow Pipits are still only trickling in slowly but Rock Pipits have been much more conspicuous with 12 counted on 15th increasing to 20 the next day and single 'littoralis' (Scandinavian) types were picked out on both dates. A third juvenile Glaucous Gull joined the lingering pair on the links golf course on 15th, when a Black-tailed Godwit was on Ancum and the other notable non-passerines have been different Greenland White-fronted Geese on 15th and 16th and a Woodcock on the latter date.

Scandinavian Rock Pipit 

Rock Pipit (photo Stephen Rutt)

Glaucous Gull (photo Stephen Rutt)