Unfortunately today turned out to be a bit of an anticlimax after the excitement of yesterday. The morning dawned heavily overcast and breezy from the SW, with spots of drizzle in the wind, although the south side of Millcombe was quite sheltered, meaning that the Green Warbler should have been findable had it still been present. Though the continued presence of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests gave rise to early hopes, there had been no sign of the bird – Tim Davis and Tim Jones had been out searching since dawn – by the time the first of three small boats arrived bringing a total of 34 birders/twitchers to the island. In spite of further scouring of the valley, it became increasingly clear that the bird appeared to have done a disappearing act and sadly everyone departed empty handed.
Thanks to all those who came over for good naturedly following the guidelines on sticking to footpaths and respecting the privacy of others.
The few notable birds recorded during the day (which saw minimal visible migration) included the Great Northern Diver in the Landing Bay, single late Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher in Millcombe (presumed the same as yesterday), two Greenfinches, a Grey Wagtail and a handful of Swallows. Matt Ridley, a member of the National Trust Working Party that arrived yesterday to undertake voluntary conservation work, saw a Short-eared Owl north of Threequarter Wall at around 10.00 am.
No comments:
Post a Comment