Puffin off Jenny's Cove. ©Thomas Weston
A foggy day to start with census being affected by visibility most of the morning but after midday the sun came out and it was a lovely day. Good coverage was achieved again with the second day of feral stock counts being undertaken. As a result, the sightings below are combined with counts from across the island today.
New migrants included an exciting sighting of a single (first of the year) Ringed Plover that flew high south over Tillage/Brick Field towards Pondsbury but did not seem to stop, the first 13 Sand Martin and 2 House Martins of the year, an increase to 6 Chiffchaff, 4 Wheatears, 8 Linnet, a potentially new Red-throated Diver off of North Light this afternoon and a migrant flock of 3 Cormorant flew North this morning.
Moreover, the reappearance of the American Green-winged Teal was very welcome, and it was seen associating with a female (presumed) Eurasian Teal this evening on Pondsbury. The only other waterfowl seen today were 9 Mallards spotted on suitable ponds/waterbodies from the south up to Pondsbury. The first of the year for us here. Meanwhile, a total of 7 Oystercatchers were seen today (8 yesterday) and a nice daytime count of 26 Snipe were made – this is a species we see a lot at night but never know where they all go in the daytime. Seabirds were having a slow day with 15 Kittiwake, 14 Gannet, 22 Shag, 30+ Fulmar, 207 Herring Gulls, 11 Great Black-backed Gulls, 34 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 13 Razorbill, a single Guillemot, and a small flock of 6 Puffins seen. Along the coast at least 5 Rock Pipits were seen. Birds of prey were showing well again today with a female Kestrel, female Merlin and 8 Peregrines seen. In the fields, 34 Carrion Crows, 8 Ravens, 28 Skylarks, 107 Starlings, and 6 Stonechats were spotted. Counts from Millcombe including 5 Woodpigeons, a singing Goldfinch, singing Song Thrush, 9 Blackbird, a single Goldcrest, 6 Robins, 7 Dunnocks, 57 Meadow Pipits.
We also found a dead Glaucous Gull adult on the island today. The bird has been swabbed for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, and appropriately bagged/disposed of in line with current guidelines.