Skies were overcast early on with sunny intervals later; winds were light and from a southerly direction, while temperatures reached 14 degrees C. A drake Garganey flew south during a morning seawatch that also featured five Shelduck, two Gadwall, a Whimbrel, 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 40 Sandwich Terns, a Common Tern, four Red-throated Divers, three Manx Shearwaters and a Little Egret.
Single Great Northern Diver and Great Crested Grebe were off the South Cliffs. Wader interest on the headland itself included three Bar-tailed Godwits, two Ruff, a Grey Plover, one Whimbrel, a Greenshank and two Common Sandpipers. A Marsh Harrier flew south, while a Short-eared Owl toured the outer head throughout. The Ring-necked Parakeet re-appeared near the Lighthouse. A Hooded Crow near North Marsh was the first for the year, as was a Turtle Dove ‘purring’ along Lighthouse Road in the evening; other passerine migrants included a Grasshopper Warbler alongside the Golf Course, two Garden Warblers, a Redwing, two Common Redstarts, five Wheatears, two Tree Pipits and 20 Yellow Wagtails.
A ‘vis mig’ session was rewarded with 346 Swallows moving south, along with 15 House Martins, 26 Sand Martins and four Corn Buntings; a single of the latter was also seen at Thornwick Pools.
Elsewhere, Buckton Pond attracted a Common Sandpiper.
