A fantastic trip out to Grassholm and The Smalls with Sash, Lucy
and Alice yesterday. Quiet on the way to Grassholm but there were at least
three Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff on Grassholm itself plus a Wheatear on
the tideline. Between Grassholm and The Smalls there were two pods of Common
Dolphin consisting of around 10 and 20 individuals and there were five commic terns.
The Smalls proved to be more exciting than we were expecting. Totals included
50+ Turnstone, 2+ Dunlin, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Whimbrel and 45 Purple Sandpipers (just a few less
than the record count in Pembrokeshire it seems) on the rocks surrounding
The Smalls. Other birds included a Wood Pigeon and Collared Dove, plus Rock
Pipit and a Greenland Wheatear but
the star bird of the day was a Grasshopper
Warbler sat out in the open (where else was it going to hide) just below
the lighthouse. There were also good numbers of Porpoise seen with multiple
small pods adding up to at least a dozen individuals. Thanks to Sash, Lucy and
Alice for a cracking trip!
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Grasshopper Warbler |
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Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers (Excuse the quality) |