Conditions did not improve today, with the wind, wet and fog set in and only clearing marginally by the late afternoon. It may come as a shock to some, but these were the yearned after conditions after a stunning two-month period of seemingly endless sunshine and calm weather. The damp conditions gave an eventual excuse to stay indoors and catch up on some of the shoulder high stacks of paperwork which has been building up since the beginning of the breeding season, and update (shudder) IPMR. After the parched conditions it was a godsend to see the rain falling and slowly filling up the wells around the island.

Despite the rain, a few migrants were recorded amongst the usual breeding birds, a Sparrowhawk was flushed off the South End which was presumable a new bird in, a Curlew was heard calling distantly on the Narrows along with a Whimbrel, whilst a Cuckoo was seen very briefly in the Withies, hopefully we can expect another successful breeding attempt of this species on the island. The first signs of southward Swift passage was also noted with three birds recorded, a sign of autumn already! Finally, five Siskins were also logged, a pair in Cristin garden, and three on the South End which swiftly moved on. Could we expect to see our first Green Sandpipers, or Black-tailed Godwits in the coming days, only time will tell.

Foxglove reaching out from the dew spangled undergrowth, the island is looking particularly luscious after today's rain