Monday 27 August 2018

It was a dry day for the most part, but the continued strong westerly winds made it tricky to pick out small birds amongst the rustling leaves on the trees. A bit of overhead passage in the morning included a Greenfinch, a Siskin and a Tree Pipit, but the main highlight of the day came from the sea with a steady movement of Arctic Terns heading south of the west coast as well as a Little Tern.

Other birds logged included 31 Fulmars, 734 Manx Shearwaters, 106 Gannets, two Grey Herons, four Common Scoters, a Sparrowhawk, four Kestrels, two Peregrines, four Dunlins, ten Whimbrels, 37 Curlews, four Redshanks, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, six Turnstones, six Arctic Skuas, seven Black-headed Gulls, a Common Gull, 226 Kittiwakes, 38 Sandwich Terns, 216 Arctic Terns, a 'Commic' Tern, a Guillemot, a Razorbill, two Little Owls, 50 Swallows, a House Martin, a Tree Pipit, six White Wagtails, eight Robins, nine Stonechats, 11 Wheatears, four Chiffchaffs, seven Willow Warblers, two Goldcrests, a Spotted Flycatcher, four Chaffinches, a Greenfinch, a Siskin and 58 Linnets.

Mushrooms are popping up all over the place. Field Mushrooms are by far the most conspicuous at the moment in the fields below Cristin, but pull back the turf a little and you'll find all kinds of smaller (and trickier!) species.

Agriphila tristella is a very common late-summer day-flying micro moth, easily disturbed by day from patches of long grass all across the island.

The distinctive moss Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus grows in large carpets amongst the heather on top of the mountain. It's up there all year around, but looks best after a bit of damp weather when it becomes rehydrated.

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