4th May – Winter makes a late comeback

A strong, bitingly cold NE wind, leaden skies and a squally early-morning shower made it feel decidedly more like mid-winter than late spring for a time. The underlying temperature remained unseasonably low all day, but the cloud gave way to blue skies and almost unbroken sunshine from late-morning onwards, and it felt pleasantly warm in any shelter, notably on the west sidelands. Given the Arctic origins of the air, migration had slowed to little more than a trickle of hirundines (100 Swallows, 15 House Martins and 2 Sand Martins logged), and single-digit counts of warblers, including Willow Warbler (4), Chiffchaff (2), Blackcap (4) and Whitethroat (1). The Continental Coal Tit continued to sing in Millcombe, the Turtle Dove was still around the Village and upper Millcombe and a Tree Pipit in Millcombe was also thought to be an individual lingering from previous days. A Spotted Flycatcher was feeding well in shelter on the northern side of upper Millcombe. Other sightings included 1 Whimbrel, 5 Pied Wagtails and a Lesser Redpoll. There was no ringing due to the direction and strength of the wind, which made the mist-net sites in lower Millcombe and St John's Valley unuseable. On the non-avian front, there were 13 Green-veined Whites (flying in sheltered sunny corners here and there), 2 Red Admirals, a male Emperor Moth and a Green Tiger-beetle.

Turtle Dove, farmyard, May 2019 © Richard Campey

Compiled from observations by Richard Campey, Tim Davis, Rob Duncan, Dean Jones, Tim Jones and David Kightley.