Saturday 30 May 2020

An early start today, spurred on by the successes of yesterday. The weather conditions were a gentle northerly, which did making the baking sunshine a lot more bearable. Sam headed south and George went north, Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Garden Warblers were in song up at Nant and in the Withies which made up a good chorus.

There was some wader passage today, 13 Sanderlings and two Dunlins a nice surprise as it's getting to the tail end of spring passage and the first of each species for about one week. Not much else was had during the census' though, and it appears that the Woodchat Shrike has moved on since yesterday as George could not relocate it in the North West Fields this morning.

Some paperwork was done during and after lunch, just summing up the project work that has been done so far with the breeding birds. Many of which are fledging young, however, the House Martins are still building their elaborate nests on the sides of a few buildings.

 Juvenile Wheatear, look at the mottled back pattern and the orangey fringes to the wing feather 

 the beginnings of a House Martin nest

Wheatear

After lunch, George continued with his Oystercatcher survey and Sam continued his burrow census. It was a cooler afternoon, but the sky was still clear and the sun was beating down, it feels as though we really are in summer now.

The main cause of excitement came late in the day, when George was reaching the tip of the South End on his Oystercatcher survey and a Shore Lark called as it flew over him, it then flew slightly out to sea and then returned to land on a rock at the very south end where he managed to get a few photos of it! A great bird to find, the first since 2015! He radioed Steve and Sam who came down as quickly as possible, just as it was flying over towards the Narrows where Steve got a few photos too!

Shore Lark far more striking than most lark species and the first for
Bardsey since 2015 on the same day!

Even more excitement came later in the evening when George (he is good!) heard a Blyth's Reed Warbler singing in the Obs garden, not at all bad, and in the same place he heard the Greenish Warbler singing yesterday.

What will tomorrow bring...?

Ringing totals: Great Tit 4

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