Early May

The Skua passage made a return to form after a poor year in 2008 with plenty of passage. I thought the details would make more sense in a table, see below. After the 9/5 the wind turned East and things dried up so no birds passing.


Other than Skuas I found a summer plumage Great Northern diver, always a scarce bird on the solway, on the seawatch on the 8/5/09 and a Little Gull on the 5/5, then 2 little gulls on the 9/5.

With the change in the wind attention turned to my Longtown patch which turned up a lovely drake Garganey on the 13/5/09 with 3 Little Gulls present on the 11/5 and 5 Little Gulls on the 15/5/09.

Yellow Wagtails continued to be seen, with at least 2 pairs present and the nesting Dipper was seen with food in its beak. Several White Wagtails were also to be found most visits, up to 10 Whimbrel were present and a count of 25 Goosander on the 13/5/ was good.



A little Egret was at Campfield Marsh RSPB on the 6/5 and both Redstart and Pied Flycatcher in Miltonrigg woods on the 10/5.