24th March - 1st April

 It's been just over a week of weather dominated by blustery conditions and showers. We'd of course rather this bad weather happened now than in a few weeks time! Since our last blog update we've had a new volunteer join the team for the season, Charlotte Smith joins us for the rest of the year, so the team is almost complete with just one more long-term member of staff still to arrive. 

It's been very slim pickings in the last week, perhaps to be expected. The first Wheatear of the year made an appearance on 25th March at Westness and another or the same was seen in the same place on 1st April. We're still yet to have a Chiffchaff this year, which is a bit surprising! The 26th saw a Rook at Cauldhaim and a further three were seen flying north over Ancum on 31st March. Two Sandwich Tern moved through Nouster on 27th. The 28th saw the most surprising bird of the period in the shape of an Arctic Skua at Brides, in the grand scheme of things its not a rare or scarce bird up here, but the fact its around three weeks earlier than any of the previous ten spring arrivals makes it more noteworthy. A Collared Dove on 25th was the only other year list addition. It's otherwise as you where, waders are beginning to pair up, species like Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Linnet are building in numbers slowly and other birds like Black-tailed Godwit are building up in numbers as they fuel up to carry on north, with 53 seen on Ancum on 1st April. It also appears the Long-billed Dowitcher has moved on for now with it last being seen way back on 21st March. 

Looking ahead the weather still seems to be unsettled so I'm honestly not expecting too much to change in the coming days, but as previously mentioned in this post and a topic of dinner time conversation, it can stay like this for another two weeks, as long it turns easterly in May! That being said the year list sits at a respectable 102. 

Pied Wagtails getting territorial - GG

Sandwich Tern - CAF