Recent Skomer sightings

Notable sightings from Skomer over the last few days have included Jack Snipe flushed with 12 Common Snipe from South Pond on 6th, Grey Wagtail and a pair of Shoveler on 7th and an influx of at least 14 Stonechats on 8th (including a smart white rumped bird which looks good for continental S. t. rubicola, though we would have needed to trap it to confirm! Clutching at straws comes to mind... see pictures!). The 8th also produced our first two Merlins, Sparrowhawk and Short-eared Owl of the spring (with two of the latter on 10th) and a Redwing and Buff-tailed Bee. A grim day on 9th still produced our first pollen-encrusted Chiffchaff of the year, while the 10th saw the arrival of a Woodcock (no spring record in 2014), our first spring Sand Martin, three Water Rails, a fly-over Red Kite, two Shelduck and our first Peacock butterfly of the spring.