24th to 26th May – Migration coming to an end?

A further update from Tony reports that in spite of the cool NW wind Swallow and Sand Martin passage continued on Sunday 24th & Monday 25th, though numbers were considerably reduced, with c.60 Swallows and just a handful of martins. A Dunlin and a Stonechat were seen on 25th and a Turtle Dove was still present. Clearer nights with a waxing moon meant that it was too bright for many shearwaters to risk coming ashore. A lot of Wheatear nests are still at the egg stage, meaning that adults are relatively inactive, so opportunities to add to the number of colour-ringed adults (see post of 28th April), or to observe already marked birds and track them down to specific nest sites, have been limited. There should be a big increase in activity once the young have hatched and need to be fed...