The last two days have proved a classic 'Spring false dawn' with clear blue skies and near-calm conditions feeling ideal for migrants to arrive, but in the event, little to be seen. Whilst I was working yesterday a good look around the northern sites today proved quiet with the highlight being a flock of 7 Snow Buntings on Norwick beach. Hopefully the switch to a more southeasterly airflow combined with a splash or two of rain might yet deliver me a March Wheatear... we'll see...
Norwick: 3 Great Northern Diver, 'singing' Woodpigeon, 18 Skylark, singing Meadow Pipit, Scandinavian Rock Pipit, 2 Robins, 2 Redwing, 16 Blackbirds, 3 Chiffchaffs, Chaffinch & 7 Snow Buntings.
Haroldswick: 2 Pied Wagtails, Stonechat & Chaffinch.
Snow Buntings at Norwick
Skylark at Norwick
Scandinavian Rock Pipit at Norwick
Sporting such a prominent supercilium, greyish head and a pinkish flush to its upper breast I think there's enough here to know where this one's heading... that brings me nicely to Alan Curry very kindly recently sending me his 'ringing recovery' of a colour-ringed Rock Pipit present on Norwick beach on 10th April 2021 that Alan has seen at St Marys Island, Whitley Bay, Northumberland on the 14th March 2023 clearly migrating north along the east coast of the UK again. By coincidence, the last time I chatted to Alan was within a few meters of Norwick beach last Autumn!
It was ringed at Lista Bird Observatory, south Norway as a first-winter male on the 24th September 2018 and subsequently seen at Wimereux, Pas-de-Calais, France on 11th March 2019. Kjell Mork Soot added some additional thoughts ''I think this bird is colour marked on migration in Southern Norway. The bird has been wintering in France (they often return to the same locality every winter), and this spring it has gone to south-east England (from France) and has flown along the east coast of UK to Shetland. From there it will go to breeding ground further north in Norway.
