The wind was stuck in the north-east all day and a fairly brisk breeze at that. As a consequence there were hardly any birds on the land and the main interest proved to be at the lighthouse where in the space of an hour we had 3 parties of herons arrive. First in was a Purple Heron that tried to land on the rocks by the lighthouse but got blown back out to sea and then fought its way back to land further up the headland. Next were 2 Grey Herons that after an unsuccessful attempt made it in to land briefly on the rocks at the tip of the cape than took flight again and headed up the east side. Finally there was a gang of 4 Night Herons, picked up a long way out that after a long struggle managed to hold course offshore and continued up the sat side though they were finding it hard going.
Also at the lighthouse this morning was a single adult Audouin's Gull that gave great views as it flew by close inshore.
On the land it was a pretty dismal showing of the main migrants of the moment there were just 14 Nightingales, 7 Subalpine Warblers, 3 Willow Warblers and 3 Blackcaps. No less than 17 species were recorded as a solitary single today !
Raptors - 2 Kestrel, 2 Harrier sp.
Weather - Wind NE 5-6 pretty much all day, cloudy Neil about 1.00pm then sunny. Visibility poor to start improving to moderate later.
Purple Heron struggling in the wind
A Grey Heron passes east in front of the top of the Cape
Night Herons passing up the east side
The Isabelline Wheatear on pipit plateau
A view of 'Beehive Pass' fro Koureli, a great location for gauging the number of migrants present in the early morning
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