4th and 5th April
A lovely sunny day on the
4th with the moderate wind swinging around in the westerly quadrant
becoming very calm by the evening; there was a decent little arrival of new
birds across the island with the 3 Sandwich Terns off Southness and later on
Gretchen, the Jackdaw over Westness, the male Lapland Bunting at Southness and the male Siskin trapped in
Holland all new for the year.
There was also a noticeable arrival of Thrushes with
215 Blackbirds, 102 Fieldfares, 43 Song Thrushes, 120 Redwings and 5 Mistle Thrushes
spread across the island while other landbirds included 6 Woodcock, 2
Woodpigeons, 107 Skylarks, a White Wagtail, 34 Pied Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail
(later trapped at Holland becoming only the seventh to be ringed on the
island), a Dunnock, 74 Robins, a Stonechat, a Black Redstart, a Chiffchaff, a
Rook, 6 Chaffinches, 35 Linnets, 17 Snow Buntings and 6 Reed Buntings.
Wildfowl counts comprised 709 Greylag Geese, the 3
Barnacle Geese, the Whooper Swan, 8 Shelduck, 174 Wigeon, 14 Pintail and 9
Shoveler while a 2cy Glaucous Gull flew south past Torness
and 6 Black-tailed Godwits were on Gretchen.
The westerly winds became much stronger on the 5th
bringing several heavy (but very localised) hail showers making it a bit
uncomfortable out in the field; there was a corresponding dip in the number of
birds seen through the day both because of the weather and a bit of a clear-out
of yesterdays Thrushes as totals included a Merlin, 2 Woodcock, a Woodpigeon,
30 Meadow Pipits, a Grey Wagtail, 43 Robins, 118 Blackbirds, 59 Fieldfare, 17
Song Thrushes, 69 Redwing, 5 Mistle Thrushes, a Chiffchaff, 2 Jackdaws and 3
Chaffinches.
Lapland Bunting George Gay
Merlin Simon Davies
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