20th April

Still bright and sunny but the wind had switched round into the SSW which eventually brought some light rain by the evening; the only real effect of the wind change was on the sea where an hour’s watch in the morning produced the first 2 Manx Shearwaters of the year along with a decent passage of 180+ Kittiwakes and 9 Great Skuas.

                There was a general reduction in the number of migrants across the island as totals comprised the Canada Goose again on Hooking, 3 Garganey also on Hooking (all three were drakes this time though), a Sparrowhawk, a Merlin, a Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Doves, 12 Sand Martins, 15 Swallows, 150 Meadow Pipits, a Dunnock, 37 Robins, 73 Wheatears, a Blackcap, 13 Chiffchaffs, 8 Willow Warblers, 4 Goldcrests, 2 Jackdaws, a Rook, 2 Chaffinches, 2 Brambling and a Goldfinch.

Still a couple of Goldcrests hanging around