Tim Davis, Tim Jones and Tony Taylor report excellent views of an
Osprey arriving low below Castle Hill before climbing as it moved north along the East Side, mobbed by gulls and corvids (record shot below).
 |
| Osprey mobbed by crow over East Side 27 March ©Tim Jones |
An influx of thrushes included 2 male
Ring Ouzels on the Terrace, up to 15
Song Thrushes and a noticeable increase in
Blackbirds. Auk numbers totalled 99
Puffins in Jenny's Cove, with 900
Guillemots on the ledges and a further 200 on the water and 400
Razorbills. Puffins were later seen on land for the first time this season, exploring nesting burrows. There was a
Golden Plover calling in flight over the Airfield and the
Jackdaw count increased to four, all of which were seen apparently leaving the island to the NNE over the Terrace during the morning. A female
Bullfinch feeding on blackthorn buds at the head of St Helen's Combe was unusual for the island, though most recent records are for March and April. Hirundine passage comprised 75
Sand Martins and 4
Swallows. There was a count of 20
Willow Warblers and the first
Blackcaps of the year were recorded; a female and two males – the female feeding on rocky slopes at North Light! Two
Siskins were present on feeders in the Village, there were several
White Wagtails alongside migrant
Pieds and the
Red-necked Grebe was still in the Landing Bay. Finally an extremely dark-mantled adult
Lesser Black-backed Gull – as dark as the adult Great Black-back standing next to it and therefore presumed to be of the continental breeding race
L. f. intermedius – was at Pondsbury in the afternoon.
 |
| Male Ring Ouzel, VC Quarry 27 March © Tim Jones |
 |
| White Wagtail at Quarter Wall 27 March © Tim Jones |
Seven
Manx Shearwaters were caught at the Old Light study colony between 9.30pm & 11.00pm, comprising four new birds and three retraps.
The lighter winds and warm sunshine made it a good day for invertebrates:
 |
| Common Carder Bee, Terrace willows © Tim Jones |
 |
| Common Plume moth, Upper East Side Path © Tim Jones |
 |
| Minotaur Beetle, Upper East Side Path © Tim Jones |
No comments:
Post a Comment