21st - 22nd August

The weather has slowly turned more easterly over the past couple of days, but it looks like we're going to have to be patient before it starts turning things up. Even so, there has still been some interesting bits about to wet the appetite for the days to come.

The American Golden Plover was still present on the 21st in the field near Cott, as was the Little Stint on Ancum. The Buzzard is also still hanging about, being seen mostly in the Ancum area round Sangar and South Gravity. A Tree Pipit was seen at North Gravity, our first of the Autumn. Two Kestrels were seen, one at the Old Kirk and another over Bewan. Sea watching continues to produce the goods, with another addition to year list in the form of Balearic Shearwater. A Black Tern, presumably the same bird seen going north then south on the sea watch on the 20th, was seen briefly on Bewan, before it seemingly vanished out south. The biggest surprise of the day came in the evening when one of the wader traps on Gretchen manged to catch a Little Ringed Plover. Just a fifth record for the island, but second of the year, it is the first to be ringed here.

Again on the 22nd, the American Golden Plover and Little Stint were still present in their same locations, as was the Buzzard in the Ancum area. Yet another addition to the year list came when three Tree Sparrow were found at the Shooting Gallery. It proved to be a fairly good day for raptors also, with a ringtail Hen Harrier being seen at Ancum house, and a Peregrine being seen near the lighthouse. There were more Swifts about, with two in the Kirbest area, one at Holland, and potentially another individual at Ancum. A Whinchat found late in the day near Dennishill is hopefully the start of the migrants arriving in the current set of easterlies.

The weather looks good for the days ahead with both easterlies and rain forecast, a combination that always seem to do good for us. Later in the week also looks promising for more sea watching, leaving us hopeful for a repeat of last years Fea's type Petrel influx!

Black Tern - MH

 

Little Ringed Plover - VB

Little Stint - GG