With easterly winds forecast for the coming week there is a sense of anticipation of what might be ahead, but for now it remains fairly quiet. It was rather chilly this morning, 4 Celsius when I left home and 6 C when I arrived on site; there will be mornings in December when it won't be as cool as that!
My morning walk around the plantations and fields was predictably quiet although there was a clear increase in Willow Warblers (seven in total) and a scattering of doubtless mostly local Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Blackcaps. Nick found a Stonechat near the seawatch hut early on and it had relocated to the cover crop by the time I saw it. A juvenile, it probably hadn't come very far, but nevertheless it was another welcome PWC year tick for me. A Whinchat in the hut field eluded me, but I imagine there will be a few more once the easterlies forecast for the coming week kick in. There has been precious little visible migration of passerines recently, but today a flurry of House Martins totalled 56, whilst smaller numbers of Swallows and Sand Martins were also apparent. A couple of Meadow Pipits moved south and it will not be long before they are moving in earnest. One suspects the next SW wind will stimulate a significant movement of hirundines, pipits and wagtails. The sea was quiet, just a few Manx Shearwaters and an Arctic Skua, but a trickle of waders included Whimbrel, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover and Oystercatcher, whilst small numbers of Teal and Common Scoter were also moving and the first Shelduck since June cruised north.
All in all a quiet, although very pleasant morning and now hoping the the forecast easterlies materialise and that they deliver a few more moments of excitement!
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Juvenile Stonechat |
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| Early morning view from Long Nab on Saturday |
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