Three of the five Eider that maintained this spring's great run of records © Debby Saunders:
27th May
It's been a long time coming but it finally begun to feel warm today and there was certainly expectation in the air as the breeze dropped away and slowly edged towards the south. The quality of the birding in this first taste of summer was nothing to shout about but there was just enough on land and sea for a fair little day-list to be accumulated. Five Eider, singles of Red-throated and Great Northern Divers, a lone Pomarine Skua and a surprise package in the form of 167 Common Scoter (...a higher total than on many days when they should have been on the move earlier in the spring) was a reasonable return from seemingly unsuitable conditions on the sea. Swallows were still trickling in off the sea all day, whilst 9 Spotted Flycatchers scattered about Southwell hinted at there also having been a small arrival of grounded migrants even if Bill fieldwork didn't pick up much more than 2 each of Reed Warbler and Blackcap, and singles of Turnstone, Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail.
