By Thomas Weston
Today was always going to be the calmest of the week. A chat at Wildlife Log last night was not just about the aurora, but also some predictions for the next day. There were species thrown around, and to be fair, most of them arrived, bar the winter thrushes.
Census started well, with Wren was being the first species seen on the route, and 15 seen in total. There was a hive of activity overhead, with the calm conditions favourable for migration. However, a band of light rain arriving from the west was obvious to the eye but distant enough not to affect the island, or the migrants, at least to begin with.
As a result, I wandered down to Millcombe and heard two Brambling in the trees at both ends of the valley. I bumped into Jimmy and Chris, both visiting birders, who had seen the Hawfinch again. The confusingly simialr 'tiks' from Robins were enough for them to lose it, and it was nice to refind the bird sat in the tops of the trees before attempting to migrate with some Chaffinches. The Hawfinch came back pretty soon after, circling the valley and dropping in again. A nice little rarity, only obscured by Water Rails calling, making it, at times, pretty difficult to hear where the Hawfinch dropped down. With an additional Water Rail at St Helens Copse, we now have at least five in the area.
On approach to the Ugly, Ravens cronked and called to each other and a flyby Woodpigeon was of note due to the species' current scarcity value. Out in the Landing Bay, 8 Shags, 6 Oystercatchers, and a Rock Pipit were the only species seen.
In the valley, 22 Robins (almost 50 logged today), 12 Dunnocks, 2 Goldcrest, 9 Chiffchaff, and 13 Blackcap were seen. I missed the reported Ring Ouzel but found 7 Blackbirds in the area. Overhead, vismig was very good. Most birds were migrating along the east sidelands, or heading up Castle Hill. In the time I was in Millcombe, I saw 17 Chaffinches (almost 100 logged today), 61 Swallows, single House Martin and Grey Wagtail, and 16 Siskin all heading south. There were 172 Meadow Pipits on census (400 logged for the day from all observers' records) heading south, with passage again all on the east coast. One flock of six pipits held a single Lapland Bunting. The bird called a few times and was seen in flight, headed on south, whilst the pipits turned back north, only to try again soon after.
It was amazing to see how narrow the flow of passage was. As soon as I walked anywhere beyond the Church, visible migration ceased and only a couple of feeding flocks of Meadow Pipits were noted. Overhead, vis mig was still good though, with 5 alba wagtails and 29 Linnets the first migrants seen. I was lucky to bump into the Snow Bunting at Rocket Pole Pond, and 3 Golden Plover overhead were very nice to see, before they flew off the south coast. Large gulls were moving too with 12 Great Black-backed Gulls, and 39 Herring Gulls (100 seen today) heading south. Over by Old Light, and heading cross the Airfield, 8 Skylark, another Lapland Bunting over Stoneycroft, 5 Reed Bunting, a single Snipe, a single Goldfinch and a couple of bush-hopping Stonechat were the best. By the time I got to Quarry Cottages, the light rain was just about to hit, so migration stopped pretty suddenly. The Jack Snipe photographed at Quarter Wall Pond was not there when I passed, but I did see a fly-by female Merlin. In the Village, 11 Mallards were spotted and a female Sparrowhawk was harassing the 20 House Sparrows and the 72 Starling.
An afternoon of admin, taking nets down in Millcombe, and then checking the Storm Petrel chicks with Eleanor. We now have only 6 chicks left, though the summer seabird season continues for sure, as our smallest Stormie chick is still nowhere near ready to go.