22nd and 23rd June
Overcast and calm in the morning of the 22nd
but the clouds parted to produce a glorious, warm, sunny afternoon; mist
netting at Holland first thing produced a couple of new passerine migrants
including a Mealy Redpoll and a British control Willow Warbler - I recognised
the first three letters on the ring from a Chiffchaff earlier in the year, so a
quick text later, it was confirmed that it had been ringed on the 16th
June on Fair Isle and on its way south already!
Mealy Redpoll
Other
birds through the day included the Black-throated
Diver again in Nouster with a Great-northern Diver, a selection of waders
still with 2 Whimbrel and 11 Bar-tailed Godwits the highlights and single House
Martin and Swift overhead while there are higher than usual numbers of 1st
summer Arctic Terns hanging round the breeding colonies this year with 75 at
Bewan alone.
A
quiet day on the 23rd sunny but with a very strong SW wind blazing
across the island making observations that little bit harder; wader numbers
included 157+ Knot, 120+ Turnstone and 6 Bar-tailed Godwits while a Sparrowhawk
was in the north of the island and one of the over summering Chiffchaffs popped
up again.
The first Wheatear fledglings are now out and about
and the first Arctic Tern chicks were ringed, photos Simon Davies
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