By Greg Lee
We were treated to a bit of a rarity in recent times as we headed back from an evening Storm Petrel session in the northern reaches of the island, thick fog! This descended on us just as we left the site and headed our way back to the Village. As the wind was set to be very still, it was perhaps no surprise in the morning that I lifted the blinds to see that the fog had resumed, although it slowly dissipated throughout the morning.
Census today was fairly steady, with predictably, little dropping in on the island overnight. A total of 13 Willow Warblers was fairly low for recent weeks, having enjoyed a steady daily passage so far this autumn. Two Sedge Warblers in lower Millcombe were carefully picked out of the vegetation, standing still and waiting for movement often yields some good results at this time of year. A single Spotted Flycatcher up near Old Light was a nice sight in the Stoneycroft garden, which rarely fails to deliver some migrants. Although the Buzzard wasn’t a feature of census, the fog had clearly kept the bird from moving over the Bristol Channel as it was seen loitering towards the end of the day. Likewise, the young Grey Heron was investigating Rocket Pole pond, seemingly not too bothered by my presence nearby.
Grey Heron by G.Lee
After census, there was a healthy pile of recycling to sift through which kept me occupied for the afternoon, it is a never-ending job, but there is definitely a satisfying element to it!