30th April – Plenty of migrants and a Dunlin

Tim Jones and Tim Davis report a good day's birding, with plenty of migrants, especially in Millcombe.

The Red-necked Grebe was still present and there was a single Sparrowhawk and 2 Kestrel. A Dunlin was on Quarterwall Pond, four first-summer Black-headed Gulls were in the Landing Bay and a Cuckoo was on the Terraces. Hirundine passage comprised 40 Swallow, a House Martin and 9 Sand Martin. Elsewhere there was a Black Redstart, 4 Redstart, a Fieldfare, 3 Sedge Warbler, 20 Blackcap, 6 Garden Warbler (including a singing male in Millcombe), 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Whitethroat, a Wood Warbler, 10 Chiffchaff, 25 Willow Warbler, a Goldcrest and a Jackdaw. With weather retricting mist-netting to a couple of hours, Rob Duncan ringed a further 39 birds, including 4 Redstart and 5 Garden Warblers.