RXwildlife Sightings

With the wind falling light overnight and with heavy, overcast conditions for most of the day there was a remarkable arrival of migrants on the land and a large movement of birds offshore.

Land migrants were actually pretty scarce but this was more than made up for by the quality. The obvious highlights were a male Subalpine Warbler which spent most of the day feeding in low broom and gorse near the Old Lighthouse, a male Melodious Warbler initially found in front of the power station before finally ending up in the Old Lighthouse Garden (where it frequently sang), a male Icterine Warbler which turned up in the afternoon in the garden of Southview Cottage and a Nightjar which spent a few minutes sat on the road in front of the power station in the morning. Other notable grounded migrants included a Hobby, a Turtle Dove, a male Redstart, a Grasshopper Warbler, four Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler and our first three Spotted Flycatchers of the spring. 

Seawatching was also very productive with seven Pomarine Skuas and ten Arctic Skuas of note along with a large movement of terns including 2500 Common Terns, 55 Little Terns and 81 Black Terns. A Common Sandpiper, a Great Skua and five Mediterranean Gulls were also seen.

David Walker from DBO website

A good range of species today on Harbour Farm included several Bar-tailed Godwit and Knot in full breding plumage, small numbers of Whimbrel, Corn Bunting. Yellow Wagtail, Little Ringed Plover and Grey Partridge, with the best of the bunch being a Wood Sandpiper and a Little Stint on the new pits. On the Beach Reserve, at least one Hobby was present hunting over the shingle, up to four Little Tern were over the shore and a male Garganey and two Knot were present on Ternery Pool mid-morning. The highlight, and rather a surprise, was a Spotted Flycatcher foraging along the fence line!