Sunday 10 January 2016

The day began with decent sea passage of mostly Guillemots amounting to 725 all heading south within about an hours watch. In smaller numbers 13 Razorbills, two Fulmars, one Gannet and four Common Scoters passed by.

A walk along the west side of the island heading south was fairly quiet, odd pairs of Choughs and Oystercatchers dotted the coast along with the regular flock of Mallards which seem to favour some of the higher rock pools, especially in rough conditions.

The wind battered narrows were slightly more lively on the bird front. Just out from the narrows amongst the tide race a first winter Little Gull joined a small group of Kittiwakes skimming the waters surface in search of food. Around the mounds of seaweed 17 Choughs feed alongside a Hooded Crow, Raven, five Starlings and numerous Rock Pipits. Elsewhere on the narrows 61 Curlews fed in the short grasses, a Stonechat and Pied Wagtail were seen near the boathouse and the usual waders including 107 Oystercatchers, nine Redshank and four Turnstones littered the rocks until a low flying adult Peregrine spooked them into a cloud of frenzied alarm calls before settling back down.

Although the rest of the island was fairly quiet, a Woodcock in the gorse on the side of the mountain was a nice surprise whilst helping the farmers round up the sheep.

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