By Thomas Weston
Today was always going to be a calm day, the high pressure was building and the signs of an amazing migration day were being shown.
I awoke at 5am, long before the generator had begun so sat with a phone torch eating breakfast whilst getting ready for the day ahead. The light was gaining and the sound of the resident Herring Gulls began to fill the air as they started to move to fields to feed. I started walking down to Millcombe around 6am, joined by our volunteer Anna who is helping with the team over the next couple of weeks.
The day was calm, tranquil and still. Unusual after the last few months but we were not complaining. We joined Greg at the bottom of Millcombe and opened the nets to undertake some ringing. It was calm, and the local Robins were first heard, plus a peep of a Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. Within the first five minutes we had already caught 12 birds consisting of Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap too. The next net round was the same again and the ringing remained steady until around 8:30am. The birds calmed down a little with a couple of new Wren and Linnet ringed, which provided some new variety. The next few rounds gained in speed and the 10 o'clock rush occured with more Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff adding to the totals. A migrant Robin was a nice different species, and a control Chiffchaff from elsewhere was very exciting. Offshore we heard a Curlew and a Common Sandpiper and around 11:30, our first Common Whitethroat of the year hopped out of the bushes. Migrants never seemed to ease much, so I sent the volunteers off for lunch and asked for a cheeky takeaway one too. We gained the 100 birds processed by midday. And by the time they returned, another 30 birds had been ringed and processed. I closed the nets around 14:45 for a much needed break and a short walk to the Landing Bay with a Goldfinch being the last species/bird ringed this session.
Admin called but an evening mist-net session called again; we shall see if there are any more birds around. The numbers of Willow Warbler will be in triple digits and the Chiffchaff not far behind with Blackcap too. Elsewhere, the first Grasshopper Warbler, Turnstone, Whimbrel were all seen this morning, as well as a few late Snipe.