21st-30th June

A Red-necked Phalarope showed well on Bewan on the 25th and 26th. Golden Plover’s have started to return and numbers built up to 50 by the end of the month.  A Storm Petrel ringing session on the 26th produced 18 birds, with the first bird in the net the first Leach's Petrel of the yearA Lesser Redpoll with a brood patch was caught several times at Holland and 5 recently fledged birds trapped and ringed on the 27th show that the species has bred on the island for a second year. Nest recording continues, with 20 Wheatear and 15 Sedge Warbler chicks ringed a lot more than are usually done. The first Black Guillemots have hatched and effort is now being put into ringing them as well as catching the adults, with over 60 trapped so far (the historical island total is only 37). This included some retraps of birds ringed as chicks in the past, the oldest being from 1994, two years off the UK longevity record.

 Red-necked Phalarope

 Lesser Redpoll

 Black Guillemot

 Black Guillemot

(All photos Euan Ferguson)

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