Monday 22 August 2016

Another day of brisk westerly winds encouraged some seabird movements out to sea, but the diversity wasn't quite as good as yesterday's passage: a Pomarine Skua,  an Arctic Tern, 11 Fulmars, 636 Manx Shearwaters and 40 Gannets were the day's totals.

The slight drop in wind strength encouraged some migrants to show themselves: a slight passage of hirundines comprised two Sand Martins, 10 House Martins and 34 Swallows, whilst a single Redstart, 12 Wheatears, a Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff, seven Willow Warblers, three Goldcrests and two Spotted Flycatchers resided amongst the patches of willows, damsons and gorse dotted about the island.

Some of the day's scarcer sightings came in the form of two waders: the first was a Curlew Sandpiper - the first since September 2013 - which spent some time in Solfach in the early afternoon; the second was a Ruff which headed North over the South End in the morning. Also noted around the southern end of the island were four Purple Sandpipers, nine Dunlins, eight Whimbrels, 38 Curlews, 10 Redshanks, two Common Sandpipers and 55 Turnstones.

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