By Thomas Weston
The day started very wet and windy, a much needed sigh of relief from the island as we have been in drought for so long!
Census:
Waterproofs on and I was off on census. The sun came out and it was breezy but nice, not too strong, and seemed calmer than the night. Reaching Millcombe it was quite quiet with a few Goldfinches and Linnets heading around the top of the Valley. In the pines a single Goldcrest peeped, my first for a month or so. Walking to the Ugly, it was nice to see passing Manx Shearwaters, Gannets, and even a Whimbrel too! Very lovely as we thought most of our Manxies have headed off. Walking down through Millcombe, the wind direction meant that everything was hunkered low and there were some signs of migration. Flocks of Blackcap, Willow Warblers, a few Chiffchaff, Spotted Flycatchers and even a Whitethroat were all seen in the bushes. Our now resident Water Rail in Smelly Gully was calling, like a juvenile Peregrine!!! An odd call compared to the normal squeels and pips. There was a Seal pup on the Landing Bay, and it remains closed to let the mum come and visit.
Walking up through the woods and out St Johns Valley, a few Swallows were seen flying around, and a couple of Stonechats were seen in the bushes. Near the Casbah, more Spotted Flycatchers were in the bushes, and a few Dunnocks were noted. Walking to Benjamin's Chair, a flock of Ravens circled over something that smelt dead, and a couple of Wheatears bounced along the walls. There was a squall about to burst, and so the waterproof coat hood came on. A flock of 5 nominate Yellow Wagtails were on the main track, and a juvenile Ringed Plover was walking around Rocket Pole Pond in the rain. A small group of Meadow Pipits flew around SW field, and a couple of Linnets were flocking too. Two of the three Whinchats were here and hopping from Bracken to Bracken.
In the Old Light and Airfield area, a small flock of grounded Lesser Black Backed Gulls were of note. The rain cleared and a small flock of Wheatears emerged on the fence posts. There were no waders on Quarter Wall Pond, however a White Wagtail, Kestrel, Peregrine, and a relatively large flock of Meadow Pipits were seen. Walking back to the Village, there was a Dunlin on Bartons Pond, and flocks of House Sparrows and Starlings in the Village itself.
Pondsbury Adventure
After a break and some toast, Tara, Roger, Emma, and I set off on a Pondsbury adventure to help make some of the island a bit more wader friendly. Equipped with a paddleboard, some loppers, some sterdy gloves, and a rake, and most importantly some bailing twine and a climbing rope, we set out to get to the lake, before making our way onto the islands. On the main track a pair of Ringed Plover alighted before heading off SE. A reminder of why we were on this adventure. The islands are not far, but the depth of the water is deep. Not ideal when trying to cross. However, once across, we chose the sheltered N side of the island to cut back some of the rushes. It may not have seemed much after an hour or so of work, but we managed to clear roughly a 10m section. The area opened up some nice boggy, muddy fringes, and even a slightly raised section for roosting birds. Our idea was that it would be ready for Snipe, Jack Snipe, and maybe some other fun waders and waterfowl to drop in and rest. Watch this space and keep posted on the blog. We did not touch the islands themselves, as there maybe some more unusual species up here and it was rather bouncy too. Only I got a welly full of mud, cow maure, and cold water - all for the cause tough! On the way back, we saw the Channel Wagtail female in the Bracken, a flock of over 200 Linnets and passing through the gates saw a Dotterel flying high south.
Elsewhere
After a lunch break, I searched SW Field for the Dotterel, with no luck. I then walked round to the Castle to see if the Ortolan Bunting was there, also with no luch and then went down through Millcombe to St Helens Copse to see the Wryneck that Greg had found earlier in the day. Also, with no luck. Having not found those, the 2 Dotterel further North found by a visitor were too far for today's bird day and so admin called!