First Whinchat of the year always perks one up with a pleasant supporting cast of typical early May fare including 17 Wheatear, 10 Lesser Whitethroat, 8 Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, Sand Martin & Sedge Warbler. Heading south were 22 Swallow & a Chaffinch. Offshore southbound 8 Barnacle Geese, 7 Dunlin, 7 Kittiwake & 2 Oyk with northbound 18 Arctic Tern & 6 Barnacles. 7 Sanderling were on the beach early on plus 2 Turnstone on the jetty. 2 Black Redstart are still with us & it looks like our only pair of Blue Tit have started feeding young so let's hope they can find enough quality morsels to provision their young following the cold temperatures & drought throughout April & early May.
A Painted Lady may have hatched locally or may be indicative of the welcome change in the weather to a warmer (or less cold !) wind direction bringing us migratory insects as may a Diamond-back Moth sitting on one of the steps in the afternoon.
Male Common Swift have started to appear, although still very few moths noted as it often takes a couple of warmer nights before numbers pick up.
Ringing: 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, Wood Pigeon.