By Simon Parker
A new week dawns and this morning started with the promise of fairer winds and some sunshine, I was up quite early to get a run in before work. My new plan is to run in the morning to get the feel good flow all day, I heard from a Bear Grylls show that this was a good thing to do. In general, I always like to be awake fairly early and start moving but I'm not afraid to squeeze in a siesta if energy levels run low. I'm also open to changing my mind given that some of Bears other advice involves ingesting questionable substance to survive.
Census this morning was pretty active, a fair amount of noise around Millcombe and large numbers of House Martin and Swallow were already moving. I met Thomas and Greg down by the nets, already setting up for a short morning session. I was joined on census by Anna who's travelled from Germany to spend a few weeks here, we both took a while scanning the landing bay and enjoying the calm after the past weekends rough seas.
Shag, Great Black-backed Gull, Oystercatcher, Guillemot and Gannet were all present, it was one of those days when you could just happily sit and watch the landing bay but we had to move on. As we passed along the South near Benjamins chair, I heard a Jackdaw heading out to sea followed by a Curlew calling from somewhere overhead but I didn't spot it. A Peregrine was wrestling with two Raven over by the castle and a fair size group of Razorbill rafted off the South coast.
Large numbers of Linnet were spotted around the gorse bushes and the Black-headed Gull is still here, wandering alone around the village. Over by Old Light, we spotted a first for the year. A lone Cuckoo being mobbed by Meadow Pipits.
Cuckoo perfectly disguised as a Pipit
Emma had also been down to Jennys Cove to undertake her Puffin survey, over a hundred sighted and some "billing" action was underway. "Billing" is a term used to describe the action of two puffin rubbing their bills against each other and is a good sign that they will be nesting.
As the day wore on, it soon became clear that migration was well and truly underway, over 1000 Swallow were recorded by Thomas and Eleanor moving through the Island. Another first for the year, Ring Ouzel spotted by a visiting birder rounded off a pretty spectacular day considering our slow season.