Just when we thought we'd had our fair share of rarities for the spring, another surprise lay in wait for us today. Mark was seawatching from Ty Bach when he clocked onto a small passerine flying between Carreg and Carreg Bach. It pitched up and gave a couple of brief flutey notes (almost like a Golden Oriole!)  before flying into the pines behind Ty Nessaf and bursting into song from the undergrowth. Alarm bells were ringing and the obs team was assembled. The fixed mist nets were opened and within minutes the bird was caught. We all looked at each other with disbelieving expressions on our faces. It was the fifth record of Blyth's Reed Warbler for the island, and perhaps more amazingly, the second we've logged this spring!

The bird was quickly processed and released, after which it spent the rest of the day singing and occasionally showing well in Ty Capel Withy.

A very jolly audience! 

After release the warbler went on to sing and show itself in the field occasionally, allowing us glimpses of what is usually an extremely skulky Acro. 

Elsewhere, a Reed Warbler was new in on the South End as was a Spotted Flycatcher in the Withies. Other birds included eight Fulmars, 535 Manx Shearwaters, the male Sparrowhawk (now unfortunately minus his partner), two Peregrines, a Whimbrel, seven Puffins, two Collared Doves, three Swifts, 17 Swallows, ten House Martins, two Stonechats, 13 Wheatears, three Sedge Warblers, eight Chiffchaffs, two Willow Warblers, three Chaffinches, a Goldfinch, 24 Linnets and two Lesser Redpolls.