by Greg Lee
Census today and technically the final patrol of the spring season, as we are expected to only do coverage until the end of May. However, since early June can provide some interesting records some years, we will be continuing to do a bit more until the middle of the next month. Census itself was pretty quiet, with little of major note and the general quietening down that can be expected of migrants at this time of year with a solitary Spotted Flycatcher at Millcombe being most obvious. The Golden Oriole remained in the same trees above the Casbah continuing my hot streak of familiarity with this particular bird.
A Spotted Flycatcher at Old Light was a nice record in the always attractive garden at Stoneycroft. Over the spring I’ve had various Warblers, Redstart etc. in this small area, I’m interested to see what may turn up in autumn in the bushes.
Spotted Flycatcher by G.Lee
This week, my parents are visiting the island so later on, I connected with them for a walk up northward to North Light. Naturally, birding wasn’t the aim of the trip, but it would’ve been most remiss of me to not bring my camera and binoculars. Passing Quarter Wall, an Emperor Dragonfly cruised by, whilst Small Heath butterflies dance and skipped over the short turf. As we passed Quarter Wall Pond on the main path, I saw something small and brown run into the grass on my left-hand side. Perplexed, I walked towards the clump of where I flushed a small, compact and streaked bird up from the ground, giving a short, sharp “meep” call as it flew. It was a Quail! The first I’d ever flushed and actually seen in the UK (having come across a few singing from deep cover in various locations), the bird didn’t fly very far but it did go quick and low over the ground with whirring wings before diving into the rushes near Quarter Wall. Not a bad start. An impressive Orchid in flower opposite Pondsbury also caught my eye though I wasn’t entirely sure on the species. The rest of the walk north was less high-octane but the Thrift display at North Light was excellent, with Puffins also performing nicely on the waters off the Lighthouse and the Guillemots piling together on the cliffs.
The final act of the day was a cutthroat game of Snakes and Ladders with my parents in the Tavern before doing battle with a game of Wingspan against my fellow Lodge mates. Having taught them how to play, it was only right that I came out on top with a respectable haul of 86 points. The others have much to learn...