1st and 2nd June

Thick fog all day through the 1^st made time spent in the field feel like a bit of a slog at times but there was still a good array of leftover scarcities to keep us entertained; the best birds included the Rose-coloured Starling around the centre of the island, the Hawfinch again round Holland, a new Red-backed Shrike at Sangar, the long awaited first Whinchat of the year at Westness and a singing Marsh Warbler at Veracott.

                Other birds across the island included a soggy Long-eared Owl at Ancum, a Tree Pipit, a Garden Warbler, 4 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher.   The dwindling wader totals included 31 Knot, 94 Sanderling and 32 Bar-tailed Godwits.

                A similar day on the 2^nd, the fog did threaten to clear at times but always won out in the end with the now NW wind too light to make much of an impact on the visibility; many of the birds were the same with the Hawfinch re-trapped in Holland, the Red-backed Shrike still at Ancum and the lighthouse Marsh Warbler re-found at Bewan House.

                Other landbirds included 2 Collared Doves, the Long-eared Owl again, a Tree Pipit, a new Whinchat, a Whitethroat, 3 Garden Warblers, 5 Chiffchaffs and a Pied Flycatcher.   The Pink-footed Goose seems set to over-summer while 5 Barnacle Geese flew north and 17 Gadwall were a bit of an influx as were 18 Black-tailed Godwits.

Blackbirds, Starlings and House Sparrows are now starting to fledge