9th May

A great day, with the highlight being a skulking Thrush Nightingale found at Trolla Vatn mid-morning. A male Bluethroat was at Nether Linnay, as was a Wood Sandpiper, both firsts for the year. 4 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Sedge Warblers, and singles of Pied Flycatcher and Common Redstart were also firsts. Other passerine migrants included 55 Swallow, 8 House Martin, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Robin, 4 Common Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 2 Garden Warbler, 16 Chiffchaff, 4 Willow Warbler, 3 Siskin, 2 Chaffinch and 1 Lesser Redpoll. Wader numbers were good, with 373 Turnstone, 230 Purple Sandpiper and 26 Knot the highest counts of the year, as was the count for Arctic Terns with 647 recorded. Also seen were Kestrel and Short-eared Owl, and a pair of Garganey on Garso. 

Thrush Nightingale (photo Euan Ferguson)

Bluethroat (photo Carmen Azahara)

Sedge Warbler (photo George Gay)

Knot (photo George Gay)

 A juvenile Swallow born this year was amongst 8 caught at Holland in the evening. As no Swallows will have fledged yet in the UK this bird was likely born in the Mediterranean (where Swallows can start to nest in February) and has migrated north with breeding adults.