Thanks to our local bird-expert I am happy to share with you a retrospective look at the months gone by on the reserve. Here is April's 'birding' summary in the words of Ken Croft:
"The first Swallow arrived on the 2nd along with at least 60 Chiffchaffs and 6 Blackcaps. A late Redwing was in the cafe fields the next day, these fields also produced a Hooded Crow on the 6th and a Snipe the next day. Skylarks were singing on the 9th and passage birds included 14 Wheatear, 10 Willow Warbler and 38 Lesser Redpoll. A male Black Redstart was in the hut circles on the 10th, a Golden Plover on the mountain, Redpoll had increased to 83 and 5 pairs of Stonechat were on territories.
The first Manx Shearwaters of the year off the Range and a breeding plumaged Great Northern Diver was just offshore on the 11th and the first Whitethroat also arrived this day. Two Ring Ouzels were seen on the 17th and the Hooded Crow again made a brief appearance. A male Redstart arrived for a five-day stay on the 18th along with the first Grasshopper Warbler and 14 White Wagtails, a Raven's nest on the Range contained 3 young. More passage was observed the next day with 30 Wheatears, 13 Collared Doves, 2 Tree Pipits, a Yellow Wagtail and a Ring Ouzel. The 20th saw the first Sedge Warbler and there were now 3 Ring Ouzels on the mountain.
Stonechat and Mistlethrush were feeding young on the 21st and at least 10 Grasshopper Warblers were "reeling" in the hut circles area. An arrival of over 100 Meadow Pipits and 50+ Linnets were on the Range on the 22nd, with 4 Skylarks singing high over thier territories. The Range also featured on the 25th with 5 Whimbrel and a pair of Shelduck looking for a Rabbit burrow to nest in..? 3 Red-throated Divers and 3 Common Scoter flew north offshore. A new arrival on the 28th was a Lesser Whitethroat and a Golden Plover dropped-in onto the Range. The year's first Cuckoo announced it's arrival on the 29th and 4 Common Sandpiper made a very brief stop."
Here is a list of arrival dates for our summer migrants:
March 14. Wheatear
23. Sand Martin
24. Chiffchaff. House Martin. Puffin.
29. Willow Warbler
April 2. Swallow. Blackcap.
9. Sandwich Tern. Common Sandpiper.
10. Black Redstart.
11. Manx Shearwater. Whitethroat.
17. Ring Ouzel.
18. Redstart. Grasshopper Warbler.
19. Tree Pipit. Yellow Wagtail.
20. Sedge Warbler.
25. Whimbrel.
28. Lesser Whitethroat.
29. Cuckoo.
May 3. Whinchat. Hobby.
5. Swift.
6. Spotted Flycatcher.
8. Garden Warbler.