Friday 21 April 2017

Grassholm and The Smalls

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! 

Grasshopper Warbler 

Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers (Excuse the quality)