Sunny and calm conditions were ideal for some movement of birds – and for mist-netting some of them in the morning. Migrants flying overhead included a Yellowhammer, 15 Skylarks, six Swallows, three Grey Wagtails, 650 Redwings, 65 Chaffinches, three Bramblings, 60 Greenfinches, 39 Goldfinches, three Siskins and two Lesser Redpolls. A Little Egret and a Lapland Bunting were around the Narrows, a Short-eared Owl was on the South End and two Ring Ouzels were seen on the side of the mountain. Other passerines included three six Reed Buntings, three Firecrests, four Goldcrests, the Lesser Whitethroat, a Willow Warbler, 14 Chiffchaffs, three Blackcaps, seven Great Tits, four Blue Tits, two Mistle Thrushes, six Fieldfares, 14 Song Thrushes and 55 Blackbirds. A large corvid flock, consisting of 250 Jackdaws and seven Rooks arrived and circled high above the island until a Peregrine appeared and snatched one of the Jackdaws. Three Kestrels, two Sparrowhawks, a Merlin and a Buzzard were seen, three Snipes were in the lowlands and the Wigeon and a Teal were on the sea. A gathering of 500 Black-headed Gulls offshore contained a couple of Mediterranean Gulls, six Common Gulls and an Arctic Tern.

Lesser Whitethroat

(c) Richard Brown

Brambling

(c) Steven Stansfield