2008 - LATEST SIGHTINGS

2006 Report now out
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7^th May: Another glorious day with a light south easterly wind and bright sunshine perfect for raptors and today they actually came with an Osprey through north but this was shadowed by a cracking Black Kite that spent all day flying around the island (another first for the Isle!). Migration is still slow but new additions included 3 Dotterel on Ward Hill, Greenshank, male Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Redstarts and a Black Redstart, Arctic Terns increased to 15 and the Lesser Redpoll is now present with 2 Mealy Redpolls.

	Black Kite Photographs by Deryk Shaw

6^th May: A very quiet day with dense fog all morning that lingered till mid afternoon. No new birds for the year but new arrivals noted were Short-eared Owl, 2 Common Sandpipers, 12 Purple Sandpipers, Arctic Skuas increased to 8 again and a Grasshopper Warbler was in the plantation. Still remaining are the Lesser and Mealy Redpoll, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.

5th May: A glorious day weather wise with no clouds and only a very light wind. There were certainly some birds around with several new in. A Quail flushed from Utra, a Cuckoo during the afternoon and a Lesser Redpoll controlled in the evening were all year ticks. Still lingering from previous days were the Wood Sandpiper on the scrape, the Dotterel at Setter and the Kumliens Gull in Furse. Other new arrivals included 4 Cormorant, an adult Iceland Gull, 2 Arctic Terns and 2 Sedge Warblers. Summer migrants included 7 Whimbrel, 1 Common Sandpiper, 34 Swallow, 4 Sand Martin, 1 House Martin, 3 Tree Pipit, 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap and 17 Willow Warbler and 1 Pied Flycatcher.

4th May: A very overcast day with fewer birds around in general. There were a couple of new arrivals though in the form of a Wood Sandpiper first at Golden Water and later at Da Water, a Moorhen in Schoolton Ditch and a second-summer Glaucous Gull in South Harbour. Numbers were made up by 7 Whimbrel, 11 Swallow, 1 House Martin, 8 Tree Pipit,1 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, 8 Willow Warbler and a male Pied Flycatcher. The Kumliens Gull is still present but the Iceland Gull seems to have disappeared.

Dotterel	Grey-headed wagtail Photographs by Mark Breaks	Wryneck

3rd May: A couple of new arrivals today. First was a male Dotterel near Kennaby and later on Rippack. A Shelduck also did a small tour of the island during the morning. The male Grey-headed Wagtail was present at the base of Malcolms Head and the Wryneck at Kennaby and later Quoy. Other migrants present today included 8 Whimbrel, 8 Swallow, 1 Sand Martin, 3 Tree Pipit, 1 Common Redstart, 4 Ring Ouzel, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Common Whitethroat, 6 Blackcap and 13 Willow Warbler. The Iceland Gull and Kumliens Gull are still present.

2nd May: The Caspian Plover turned up again today for 45 minutes in the morning, before being lost in flight. Unfortunately it went missing before the two-plane loads of twitchers arrived. A male Grey-headed Wagtail was at Pund most of the day. The Wryneck also remained. There was a noticeable increase in ‘hirundines’ today with 54 Barn Swallow, 6 Sand Martin and 5 House Martin being logged on census. Warblers included 3 Grasshopper Warblers, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Whitethroat, 6 Blackcap, 8 Chiffchaff, 15 Willow Warbler and the first Garden Warbler of the year. Still present were the Whinchat, Pied Flycatcher, 2 Ring Ouzel, Black Redstart, Iceland Gull and Kumlien’s Gull.

	Caspian Plover Photographs (above) by Mark Breaks

Caspian Plover Photographs (left & right) by Paul Baxter.

1st May: Big excitement today as a female CASPIAN PLOVER was found at Upper Stoneybreck late morning. Panic ensued as it flew towards Setter but it was not long before it was relocated. Just after breakfast an Osprey flew North over the observatory. Other raptors seen include a Kestrel, Merlin, Sparrowhawk and Peregrine. A Wryneck was found at Hjukni Geo. Other year ticks included a Pied Flycatcher, 2 Redstarts and a Sedge Warbler. Other migrants include 24 Golden Plover, 7 Tree Pipit, ‘Flava’ Wagtail, 2 Black Redstart, Whinchat, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat, Blackcap, 13 Chiffchaff, 14 Willow Warbler and 8 Reed Bunting. Also still present are 2 Ring Ouzel, Iceland Gull and Kumlien’s Gull.