Martin's Haven & Deer Park

Any time the wind drops, or you find a bit of shelter, there are birds singing. Lots of Whitethroats, up to 3 Sedge Warblers in the valley, good numbers of Stonechats, Linnets, a Chiffchaff and Wheatears. As well as Swallows, good numbers of House Martins, especially around Wooltack Point, 2 Swifts and a Sand Martin. Several groups of Whimbrel over during the morning, the largest of 9 birds.

A wonderful sea watch on Wooltack Point this morning from 0830-1000: dozens of Gannet diving furiously, roving parties of Kittiwakes amongst the larger gulls and auks, and small groups of Manx Shearwaters, generally with the Kittiwakes, so presumably feeding on the same-sized food.

Frustrations: a petrel of some sort that was just too far off to identify, and which we could not get the scope onto in time. Later my brother watched what looked like a small-ish skua chasing a gull (this time no binoculars to hand). And a visiting birder from Suffolk said he had heard a Dartford warbler. I went back just after lunch and heard what could have been a bird calling just below the Coastguard hut, but nothing visible.

Elsewhere, a pair of Kestrels nesting on St Anne's Head below the Lighthouse, and a Bar-tailed Godwit on St Bride's beach