By Thomas Weston
Census started well with no rain, but omminous skies. Eleanor and I walked down to Millcombe firstly spotting our friendly Jackdaw feeding with the House Sparrows, Starlings and Chickens. Walking through the top of Millcombe, we have seemingly missed all the recent rarities and scarcities hanging out here! Today, there was a couple of Blackbirds totalling 14 across the whole route. Overhead a flock of 6 Ravens were annoying 3 Peregrines. Other corvids about included 21 Carrion Crows across the route, but no Jays having one sighted and photographed on Monday. The Monday record was the first since 2003, a 23 yr gap which we hope does not mean we have to wait another 23yrs for the next one!! Gliding down the valley, a single Kestrel and 2 Sparrowhawks were the best as well as 2 nervous Goldfinches. In Millcombe the first of 29 Redwings were spotted, as well as a single Firecrest and Goldcrest in the pines. Offshore, the east winds were strong and 3 Shags battled the winds, a Gannet flew by, 6 Great Black-backed Gulls passed overhead with a Herring Gull, and 23 Oystercatchers were on Millers Cake. Back to the bushes and 3 Wrens will almost certainly be the lowest count this year for this species. There was a flock of 5 Long tailed Tits in St Johns with another 2 seen at the Quarries meaning we still have at least 7 on island. Semi-resident species, with some being big migrants last month, were low with 6 Robins, 6 Dunnocks, 8 Chaffinches, 3 Song Thrushes, and 6 Woodpigeons the best. A single singing Water Rail was heard on the way out of Millcombe, with the totals on the Plautaeu being quiet for sure. There was a noticeable flock of 16 Fieldfare with Redwing in Lower Lighthouse Field, whislt a female Merlin flew by. Nothing to note on the second half until the Village where we spotted 55 Starlings, 12 Mallards, the male Wigeon, a female Teal, and 26 House Sparrows.