The shag chicks continue to grow well and at five weeks old, the nest is getting a little crowded! The chicks, which are already starting to stretch their wings, will remain on the nest for around another two and a bit weeks but will continue to be fed by the parents for several weeks more.
The kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots are starting to settle down and several eggs have been spotted. The fulmars, which have been nesting more towards the Gallie Craig have been seen with chicks and great black-backed and herring gulls can often be seen on the look out for an easy meal of an unattended egg or chick.
Black guillemots continue to be seen regularly on the water and puffins have been seen on several occasions albeit in small numbers.
Gannet, oystercatcher, sandwich tern and Manx shearwater have all been seen flying past the headland and grey seal have frequently been witnessed either bobbing up through or hauled out the water and sitting basking on a rock.
Goldfinch by Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
Goldfinch and linnet have been seen feeding on the many marsh thistle plants that are growing around the reserve and meadow pipit, stonechat, whitethroat, pied wagtail, wren and twite have all been seen either with young fledglings or carrying food back to nest sites.
House martin, swallow and swift continue to glide acrobatically through the air in search of insects and rock pipits and meadow pipits continue to display by soaring high in to the air and parachuting down to the ground as they call loudly.
Osprey by Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
Carrion crow and kestrel have also been reported on a number of occasions but by far the most exciting sighting of the week was that of an osprey that flew over the reserve whilst being harassed by gulls earlier in the week.
The ever increasing list of wildflowers that grow around the reserve continue to attract a range of insects with hoverflies and burnet moths being reported this week along with the usual bumble bees and butterflies.
This week’s moth trapping results included marbled minor, marbled coronet, white ermine, buff ermine, flame shoulder, small square spot, clouded-bordered brindle, pod lover, bright-line brown eye, map-winged swift, and cinnabar.
And last but by no means least, an inquisitive little field vole decided to pop in to the office for a bit of a look around when the door had briefly been left open, thankfully it was easily caught in a net and released back outside!