9th and 10th September
A pleasant day on the 9th with bright
conditions and a light westerly breeze; there weren’t too many new grounded
migrants but there was still a turnover of waders with 2 Little Stints and 2
Curlew Sandpipers at the north end, another increase to 48 Ruff, a Whimbrel and
counts of 58 Black-tailed Godwits and 128 Redshank. Another influx of ducks included 69 Wigeon,
105 Teal and 60 Mallard while the first 3 Long-tailed Ducks of the autumn passed the
seawatch hide.
The
only new landbird in the nice weather was a Redstart at Phisligar while other
birds included single Sparrowhawk and Merlin, 3 Sand Martins, 70 Swallows, a
Rock Pipit, 76 Wheatears, 5 Willow Warblers, 5 Lapland Buntings and a high
count of 326 Linnets.
flava Wagtail, photo Bryony Baker
Promising
conditions on the 10th with a hint of east in the brisk and
increasing southerly wind and numerous showers, it was however seawatching that
stole the show with our third Great Shearwater of the autumn passing north past
the seawatch hide late afternoon along with 85 Sooty Shearwaters, 7 Manx
Shearwaters, 600+ Gannets, 18 Arctic Terns, a Common Tern and 160 Razorbills counted
in just a couple of hours along with small numbers of Risso’s Dolphins lingering off the north
and west coast of the island.
There
was a hint of some new arrivals with a Common Rosefinch at the north end, the
first Dunnock of the autumn at Holland, 2 Tree
Pipits, 5 Rock Pipits, a new Lesser Whitethroat and an increase to 10 Lapland
Buntings noted. Other birds comprised
the Marsh Harrier still, single Peregrine and Kestrel, the flava Wagtail still at the Beacon, 3
Willow Warblers and the Redstart still.
Sedge Warbler, photo George Gay
Tystie and Kitt, photo Simon Davies
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