28th to 30th April

What's been a quiet April overall drew to a close with a little bit of interest and we head into May with plenty of optimism of some good days ahead. Highlights from the 28th were a smart drake Garganey on the pool at Scots Ha, a Long-eared Owl in Holland gardens, 2 juvenile Glaucous Gulls and some light corvid passage which included 2 Jackdaws, 6 Rooks and a Carrion Crow. There was also (at last) the first Blackcap of the year with 3 Black-tailed Godwits, a Woodpigeon and Collared Dove also new. A fresh easterly breeze on 29th delivered us the first 2 Arctic Terns of the year in Nouster Bay, but with bright sunshine other new arrivals were limited to a Lesser Whitethroat trapped and ringed at the Observatory, single Willow Warbler and Goldcrest in Holland, 3 Collared Doves while some 60 Wheatears included the first clear 'Greenland' race individuals. The final day of the month was largely unproductive in a return to winter northerlies just a Greenland White-fronted Goose, the 7 Barnacle Geese and 5 Pink-footed Geese worthy of a mention. So, bring on May...

Garganey (photo George Gay)

Dunlin (photo Molly Laban)

Eiders