11th July

A fine, calm day produced its highlights early on with the FRANKLIN’S GULL flying NW past the lighthouse with a Black-headed Gull at 06:00 and a BEE-EATER circling high over the lighthouse for a few minutes at 08:30.   The sea was very quiet first thing (not that it really mattered!) with 7 Herons, 3 Whimbrel and a Grey Wagtail heading NW the pick with a Green Sandpiper on Vågsvollvåien.

                A walk inland then produced three separate broods of Whinchat fledglings, the pair of Wrynecks extremely agitated, 3 separate Red-backed Shrikes, 5 Crossbills (including three juveniles, one of which was a distinctive ‘wing-barred’ individual), a calling Green Woodpecker in Lebeltet Nord, 3 Spotted Flycatchers and a selection of Siskin, Redpoll, Linnet and Greenfinch family parties.   A little look in Verevågen also produced a few waders including 6 Green Sandpipers and 3 Greenshank.

                After some light rain in the afternoon a few bits and pieces had dropped into Vågsvollvåien / Vågsvollvika including 3 Ruff, a Greenshank, 4 Dunlin, 5 Whimbrel, 51 Curlew, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Wood Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpipers and the first juvenile Black-headed Gull of the year.   Other things of note late afternoon consisted of 7 more Herons which went north, a male Blue-headed Wagtail and 75+ Swifts feeding out over the fields in the evening.

 

More blurry record shots of the Franklin's Gull as it flew past the lighthouse this morning

I know its not their usual habitat but juvenile Crossbills should definitely think about hanging around on lichen covered rocks more often - until they moved they were almost invisible!

The flock included this unusual 'wing-barred' bird - it made me look many times at it before deciding it was just a Common Crossbill (the angle of the photo makes it look at bit slimmer and slighter than a Common but I'm 99.5% sure its not a Two-barred Crossbill!)

Juvenile Whinchat

Wryneck

Snake in the grass