Ramsey - March and April 09

Highlights were an Iceland gull (14/3), 2 red kite (17/3) with a single on 18/4, black redstart on 21/3, hen harrier on 31/3 and a hooded crow heading towards Ireland on 20/4.

First dates for migrants were as follows: Wheatear (10/3), goldcrest and sand martin (15/3), chiffchaff (17/3), house martin (30/3), swallow (29/3), yellow wagtail (18/3), blackcap (1/4), willow warbler (1/4), sedge warbler (6/4) and whitethroat (18/4).

9 pairs of territorial chough, with 8 building nests, was the highest number for three years. All incubating by end of April with two even having young in the nest (about 10 days earlier than normal on Ramsey and probably helped by the settled weather in March which allowed nest building to start earlier).

Five pairs of lapwing were all sitting by mid April with the first brood seen on April 30th.

A pair of Short-eared owls have been present for most of April, behaving territorially at times. We will watch carefully as the last (recorded) confirmed breeding was in the 1970’s.

7 puffins were offshore on 21st March and Manx shearwaters were first heard on 3rd April but probably back before this. Purple sandpipers (max 12) were still on the roost up to 5th April. A female merlin was present most of April.

A seal pup was born out of season in April on Colomenod (a regular event in recent years)