Sunday, 27 August 2017

All told, a pretty slow day, with most of the interesting highlights on land. The most notable count of the day was an excellent 86 White Wagtails, our highest of the season with an obvious afternoon arrival on the South End and the Narrows. 26 Goldcrests also represented a significant arrival, but warbler totals were  very modest, with 12 Willow Warblers and three each of Chiffchaff and Whitethroat all that was seen. Other grounded migrants were represented by 134 Linnets, 112 Meadow Pipits (also a decent increase), eight Robins, six Wheatears and a single new in Song Thrush at Nant. Overhead 18 House Martins were the only sighting of note.

Rock Pipit - Elliot's Birding Diaries 

It was similarly quiet out to sea, indeed totals of 34 Kittiwakes and nine Manx Shearwaters were absolutely pitiful! With almost all adult Manxies having left the island now, it seems our peak counts for the year are behind us. 105 Gannets and 196 Herring Gulls were the only noteworthy counts out to sea, with a little bit of low-key variety also noted; 11 Black-headed Gulls, two Razorbills, one Guillemot, three Common Scoters and the lingering Red-throated Diver again being seen.

Stonechat - Elliot's Birding Diaries 
Waders were reasonably well represented, with the day's highlight perhaps the Green Sandpiper that spent much of the afternoon in the Wetlands but was only seen sporadically, the third record of the year. A Common Sandpiper on Carreg Yr Honwy was the first record for over a week, as was a Purple Sandpiper also present there. A single Sanderling was also notable, with counts for the regular species of 64 Turnstones, 61 Curlews, 21 Dunlins, 12 Whimbrels and 11 Redshanks.

Non-avian highlights included an unusual Speckled Wood  on the West Coast, the only sighting this year away from the newly established colony at Nant. Five Painted Ladies were also seen, but little else of note.

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