St Justinian and Ramsey Sound area this morning

A watch of Ramsey Sound was fairly quiet. A red-throated diver, several sandwich terns, small numbers of whimbrel (largest flock being 17 at lunch-time) probably being the high-lights. c. 30-40 common scoter were noted heading north between Ramsey and North Bishop. A loan redshank rested on a rock near our regular watch-point for at least 5 hours before being disturbed from its perch by a local herring gull.

There was also a fairly constant northerly movement of swallows, house martins and a few sand martins heading through the Sound.

A female merlin flew across to St Justinian from Ramsey, being harassed by a herring gull all the way.

At St Justinian and along the walk passed Pen Carnan there were at least 7 different grasshopper warblers. Three at St Justinian were feeding with a few blackcaps on numerous hoverflies near the coast path. A small flock of white wagtails fed in a recently ploughed field before moving on. Several whitethroats were also in evidence.

The local male kestrel preened and stretched constantly on a favourite perch for about 20 minutes, the female was presumed to be incubating.