The blasting southeasterly wind meant that there wasn't much shelter at Skaw at dawn, and worse, there weren't many migrants in evidence either. The next couple of sites visited failed to deliver a single migrant but at least the wind was dropping in strength. A male Common Redstart at Norwick perhaps hinted at what might be to come but I decided to walk a few moorland transects enjoying finding Golden Plovers back on territory and watching the synchronised display flights of Arctic Skuas. Cloud rolled-in at around midday and there was the lightest of showers of rain, and bingo, suddenly there were tired grounded migrants just about everywhere that I looked. I covered Skaw, Lamba Ness, Norwick, Burrafirth and Haroldswick before sadly running out of time. Highlights comprised 4 male Common Redstarts, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler all being my first records of those species for this year. Totals of other migrants seen today were a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, 3 Long-eared Owls, 3 Woodpigeons, a White Wagtail, 25 Wheatears, 18 Robins, a Dunnock, 6 Song Thrushes, a Redwing, a Fieldfare, 12 Blackcaps, 18 Chiffchaffs, 16 Willow Warblers, 3 Goldcrests, the female Yellowhammer, the 2 Hawfinches, 2 Siskins, 10 Bramblings and 2 Chaffinches.
Golden Plover
Arctic Skuas
Lesser Whitethroat at Norwick
Male Common Redstarts at NorthDale
Sedge Warbler at Haroldswick
