What was I saying about it being an early season - Razorbill and Guillemot chicks two weeks early - show gardeners at Chelsea finding their blooms are two weeks early, all the moths in the garden flying two weeks early and now we have the first Kittiwake chick of the year, yes you've guessed it....two weeks early and one of the earliest we can remember in 20 years of monitoring. Born into the teeth of a gale too, lucky the wind is westerly.
Over the weekend two Cuckoo's paid a brief visit to the reserve, the first a singing bird heard near to the RAF station and a second seen coming in off the sea and continuing on inland, and still the small flocks of Swallows keep battling north. Someone managed to hear the Grasshopper Warbler above the sound of the wind and Sedge Warblers are still singing, albeit with slightly less enthusiasm than a few weeks ago.
Corn Buntings caused something of a stir today. Three together around the small pond was nice enough, but a flock of sixteen flying low over the small ploughed area was a real shock. Thanks to everyone who's worked so hard on the headland to create the opportunities for these fabulously understated birds; here's hoping that all sixteen settle down and start nesting, don't they know everything else is two weeks early!
Worth a look at the above mentioned ploughed area, Tree Sparrow broods taking full advantage, plenty of Linnets and lovely views of a male Yellowhammer, as long as they all realise the seeds are supposed to be there to germinate into plants to provide them with seeds for the winter. An ideal place to dust bath too, fingers crossed on the germination then.
Puffins whizzing everwhere today and a bird laden with sandeels spent a long time pondering its next move, much to the delight of CCTV viewers (well it was a little calmer inside the centre).