The weather today did not stray from the norm and it was another gloriously sunny, warm day on the island.

Sam opened the nets at the Observatory in the morning as it was nice and calm, and George headed down to do census from the Lowlands to the South End. Two Sedge Warbler were heard singing at the Obs before leaving and a further three were singing down in the Withies. A Willow Warbler was also singing in the Withies and has been for several days (assuming it is the same bird) whether this will attempt to hold territory and breed is unlikely, but not impossible. Willow Warblers were thin on the ground today though, as were most other migrant passerines.

Singing Sedge Warbler

Around midday, Steve, Emma were in the Lowlands and Sam and George were just North of them on the West Coast. Both pairs independently got onto a Kite sp. which was heading North. By the time we had got onto it, it was heading away from us and was hard to get anything on it properly. However, it banked once allowing the upperside to be seen, this revealed an altogether brown tail lacking any rufous tones, a brown mantle and brown wings. The tail also lacked any black tips to the outer tail feathers and was without a deep fork, these features are all indicative of a Black Kite. Also, the bird was in heavy moult and was quite tatty consequently, this being in contrast to the two Red Kites which have been recorded this year, both being pristine individuals. Unsurprisingly, this is another new species for the year list and takes us to a total of 111.

tail clearly appearing as brown lacking any orange that would be expected in Red Kite.

upper wing also lacking all red-orange tones with a brown carpal patch.

Overhead passage was strong from lunchtime onwards, it was mainly comprised of swallows and martins with 393 Sand Martins, 73 Swallows and 16 House Martins recorded; they were all heading North through the island, feeding as they went. Unsurprisingly, this is the year high count of Sand Martins and is an impressive count, last year the peak count was ... Other overhead passage included two new birds for the year list, a 'flava' wagtail which North flew over the South End and a Common Swift which passed North over the South End also.

Sand Martin 

A walk from Solfach, across the narrows to Henllwyn saw a clear increase in waders from previous days. For the first time this year, there were multiple Common Sandpipers recorded with four joining 11 Purple Sandpipers in a high tide roost. Over on the South End there was more about too, with the year high total of Whimbrel - a total of 43 were recorded today across the island with most being on the South End feeding on the grassy cliff tops. Wheatears were present in reasonable numbers too with 19 on the South End and .... elsewhere. There are increasingly more singing males making song flights from the walls around the island, before long they will be nest prospecting in most walls across the island, with some having started weeks ago.

the 'Greenland' leucorhoa Wheatears are putting on quite a show at the moment, some being considerably more obliging than the residents.

Shelducks are flying up and down the coast a lot at the moment getting their daily exercise in, as I'm sure most of us are!!

40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present in the colony at the North End today

Female Lapland Bunting was still present on the South End

Other birds of note today included: 127 Oystercatchers, one Curlew, one Redshank, eight Turnstones, one Little Owl, one Robin, 46 Wheatears, one Grasshopper Warbler, 14 Sedge Warblers, one Whitethroat, 13 Blackcaps, 13 Chiffchaffs, 15 Willow Warblers, two Goldcrests, five Great Tits, 27 Goldfinches, 2 Redpolls, one Lapland Bunting, two Canada Geese. 

Ringing produced: Sedge Warbler 2, Goldfinch 4, Blackcap 2, Robin 1, Chiffchaff 1. Total 10 birds of 5 species.