Thanks to our RSPB IT Crowd bods for sorting out my blog access after I somehow locked myself out of my account on Friday night (I'm sure they have got better things to be doing right now!) - #7 in this series was relegated to 'Twitter only' and included news of yet another red kite over the island (our 3rd record for March)

So over the weekend our number of confirmed chough nest sites increased to 9 pairs. In any other year that would be a high end figure but after 11 pairs last year we'll be keeping a close eye on the 2 new sites from last year and hopefully confirm at least another pair. These additional 2 were probably young first time breeders last year (they were late to get going) so I wouldn't be surprised if they are similarly tardy this year. I've more faith in the east coast site as they successfully fledged 3 young in their debut year whereas the other pair, not uncommonly for newbies, failed and so may look elsewhere, miss a year or seek new partners

Today's highlight was a hooded crow. Not a common site out here so yet another useful addition to the year list. Abundant in Ireland where they replace our carrion crow it is most likely a wanderer from the Emerald Isle which lies just 40 miles away as the (hooded) crow flies

My camera work clearly let me down over the weekend but given it was blowing a northerly gale for most of it I can perhaps be forgiven. I did manage to film the ever dwindling grey seal haul out (still numbering in the high 80's though) so, if you didn't see it on Twitter, here it is again

And if you haven't seen it, here is a link to a nice article in Wales Online featuring ourselves and our neighbouring islands of Skomer and Skokholm 

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/skokholm-skomer-ramsey-closed-coronavirus-18003186