12th April

Still nice and calm first thing but a brisk south-easterly sprang up out of nowhere after a few hours prematurely ending the ringing at Holland; the highlights though were catching another Long-eared Owl – this time a British control and three Fieldfares with good numbers of the usual migrants.

                The NE / ENE / E winds we’ve experienced of late have been all very well but today the wind had a much more southerly element to it producing a fresh wave of new birds across the island and a fresh injection of enthusiasm around the Obs.   Migrant totals included 3 Sparrowhawks, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Woodpigeons, 151 Skylarks, 7 Dunnocks, 32 Robins, 29 Wheatears, 50+ Blackbirds (the first little influx of spring migrants), 9 Fieldfares – the first ones for two weeks, 4 Song Thrush, 46+ Redwing, 6 Chiffchaff, 11 Goldcrests, 2 Rook, 3 Chaffinches, 4 Brambling, a Siskin and a Common Redpoll.

Long-eared Owl

Fieldfare