2nd May,2008.

A rather belated entry due to telephone line problems? over the past 24hrs ( the 3rd ) followed by an atrocious day today (4th ) with rain and mist!!

MIGRATION.
Three Pink-footed Geese locally were clearly on the move. A sea watch mid-morning, after completing some survey work, had several parties of Red- throated Divers moving north, a few Manx Shearwaters north and small numbers of Whimbrel. Later a party of the latter were seen to arrive at the head of Loch Indaal and commence feeding voraciously along the incoming tide.
Two resting Sandwich Tern in the late afternoon were new.

GENERAL.
A male Whinchat singing from the same posts and telephone wires as last year must surely have been the same individual announcing its arrival. A sole Purple Sandpiper had either elected to remain at a regular haunt or was on the move. At Gruinart several House Martins were new, six Black-tailed Godwits raised renewed hopes, as last year , of the possibility of them remaining to breed and a single Barnacle Goose feeding alone quite vigorously suggested a migrant.
A count of Grey-lag Geese at various locations suggested yet a further increase in our island breeding stock, which counts of broods later in the year will doubtless confirm.