14th to 17th May

Pretty quiet the last few days and a bit of a struggle with limited new arrivals despite more promising south-easterly winds and rain overnight on 14th/15th. Only a Greenshank was of note on the first day of the period with a pair of Garganey near the mill the pick of the sightings from the 15th and they remained to 17th. That day also saw the only (tiny) arrival of passerines which included a Tree Sparrow at the Lighthouse, 2 Song Thrushes and a handful of warblers including a Garden Warbler at the Obs. A Black-throated Diver in Nouster bay on 16th and 17th was assumed to be last weeks bird and also through there passed 6 Common Scoter on the latter date. A wide ranging first-summer Marsh Harrier on 17th was by far the best bird of the period on a day which also included the first Short-eared Owl of the year, 3 Sparrowhawks, an Iceland Gull, 10 Carrion Crows and single Redpoll and Siskin.

Iceland Gull (photo Stephen Rutt) 

 Kittiwakes (photo Stephen Rutt)

Tree Sparrow (photo MW)