After a clear night it dawned calm. Meadow Pipits were making landfall soon after dawn and there was a light easterly passage of Skylarks. Willow Warbler and Blackcap at Edwin's house showed some passerine migrants had surprisingly remained in situ. Walked the loop round the eastern isle but little in evidence at the northeastern tip and nothing in the geos apart from the Great Spotted Woodpecker tapping on the cliffs. A walk around the pool area produced a Grasshopper Warbler that proved incredibly difficult to see apart from in flight although it finally very briefly obliged. One of the Little Buntings remained at Rocklea as did the Common Rosefinch and 2 Yellow-browed Warblers were flycatching in the garden along with a Lesser Whitethroat. Another Lesser Whitethroat with a brown hindcrown and sullied underparts - so presumably a Blyth's - was then found hopping around on the walls behind Rocklea. A walk down to the Post Office area produced a flyover Redpoll and considering the northwesterly airlow it was no surprise that Mike had seen it briefly feeding nearby and it had proved a Greenland Redpoll. Late afternoon around the iris beds proved productive with the Red-breasted Flycatcher covering a large circuit, the third Little Bunting for the trip being found near the top house, two more Yellow-browed Warblers and the Red Snipe being flushed again. However, the best was saved until last as Mike very kindly called after us to tell us he had just found a Bluethroat on Magnus's beach that I returned with him to see. As the light was fading a flock of 12 Grey Herons flew over heading west. With a freshening westerly wind and the first spots of rain falling at dusk unfortunately westerlies look set to dominate the foreseeable days...
Teal 1
Eider 20
Grey Heron 12 at dusk
Kestrel 1
Ringed Plover 7
Snipe 4 (including the Red Snipe again)
Redshank 10
Turnstone 2
Bonxie 5
Rock Dove c.40
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Hooded Crow 6
Goldcrest 2
Skylark 22 E
Yellow-browed Warbler 4
Willow Warbler 3
Blackcap 12
Lesser Whitethroat 2 (including a presumed blythi)
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Blackbird 5
Song Thrush 12
Robin 3
Bluethroat 1
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1
Redstart 5
Whinchat 5
Wheatear 1
Dunnock 5
Tree Pipit 3
Meadow Pipit 50
Rock Pipit 15
Chaffinch 5
Twite 50
Redpoll 1 fvo
Common Rosefinch 1+
Little Bunting 2
Dawn on Out Skerries
Great Spotted Woodpecker on Out Skerries
Out Skerries
Twite on Out Skerries
Out Skerries pool
Grasshopper Warbler on Out Skerries
Rock Dove on Out Skerries
Red Admiral at Rocklea
Yellow-browed Warblers at Rocklea
Goldcrest at Rocklea
Common Rosefinch at Rocklea
presumed Blyth's Lesser Whitethroat at Rocklea
Ferry arriving on Out Skerries
Ferry leaving Out Skerries - next sailing Wednesday
Out Skerries
Red-breasted Flycatcher on Out Skerries
