31st March and 1st April


Very thick, very wet fog covered the island through the morning of the 31st but brightening conditions later in the day, plus a few showers saw a few bits drop in with 4 Woodpigeons, a Black Redstart, 4 Fieldfares, 11 Redwings, a Mistle Thrush, 8 Goldcrests and 6 Wheatears logged by the end of the day.

                Presumably the same drake Green-winged Teal reappeared on Gretchen – not seen since 18th March, after some of his mysterious island hopping antics where a pair of Sandwich Terns were seen mating in the afternoon (ambitiously early some might say!).   Waders also saw some notable increases especially 355 Golden Plover, 120 Sanderling (easily the highest count of the year), 304 Turnstone and 2 Black-tailed Godwits.

This distinctive Wren has had his nose in the icing sugar!  photo Simon Davies


                The first of the month was, by in large a very pleasant day – with the exception of heavy drizzle late afternoon with light winds and bright conditions; perhaps most notable sighting was the reappearance of the infamous Northern Harrier, whose occurrences now are very sporadic and unpredictable as he spends longer and longer periods off island in some as yet undiscovered location!

                The Black-throated Diver also popped up again in Nouster along with good counts on calm seas of 31 Great-northern Divers, 9 Red-throated Divers, 26 Long-tailed Ducks and 11 Red-breasted Mergansers while on land, there was a bit of an arrival of Thrushes including 54 Blackbirds, 12 Fieldfares and 41 Redwings along with a Woodcock, a big female Sparrowhawk, 2 Woodpigeons, 38 Pied Wagtails, a Black Redstart, 4 Wheatears, a Chiffchaff and 3 Goldcrests.


Northern Harrier, photo Simon Davies
Pied Wagtail, photo Simon Davies

Comments