Friday 6 April 2018

With our first group of guests due to arrive tomorrow, it was all hands on deck to give the observatory a much needed deep clean. Binoculars were replaced by dustpans and brushes for the best part of the day, but we still managed to fit in a bit of birding in between the polishing.

A pair of Teals that landed on Nant Pond in the afternoon were the first since two birds on 23rd March and a smart summer plumage Golden Plover was the first since three on 11th March. At sea, a Fulmar, three Manx Shearwaters and ten Gannets were seen, whilst raptor interest came in the form of a female Sparrowhawk at Nant, a female Merlin and a Peregrine. The ever present Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming in the observatory garden for much of the day and two unringed Blue tits were visiting the feeders there. Migrant warbler numbers were slightly down on the past couple of days, with six Blackcaps, 33 Chiffchaffs and 17 Willow Warblers noted. There were two Firecrests, one at Plas Withy and another at the observatory. Several roaming finch flocks contained 13 Chaffinches, seven Goldfinches, 17 Siskins and 15 Linnets whilst an elusive female Bullfinch was seen at the observatory.


No matter how wintry and bleak the island may still feel at times, Daffodils have an unrivalled ability to make it look like spring!

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