CIRL BUNTING

Not something you hear everyday, emberiza cirlus, especially on the Island. While sea watching (alone) I suddenly heard one singing behind me (unseen) for a few minutes in the lighthouse grounds (SCP) - I just managed to get a recording before it fell silent.

jonspar · Cirl Bunting20260420_064458bb

Lesser throat for comparison

Migrants Luccombe area

Nice morning and walk around Luccombe: including (East side) downs, Village, farm, and Haddon's Pits. Aside from an obvious fall of willow warblers (50+): a single Redstart, three Groppers (Luccombe Down and Haddon's Pits), and a Whinchat...Plus, back on territory Lesser and common whitethroats, chiffchaffs, blcakcaps, and a Swallow over the farm. Numerous Firecrest singing too...

Nightingale Luccombe Down

This morning, a common Nightingale briefly singing and calling atop the downs (before melting away). Blackcaps and whitethroats aplenty. And a late-ish Redwing heard. Little moving overhead tho...

SERIN

St Cath's Sea watch (light SE and bright conditions) this morning with George, Steve, Mark, Naomi, and Andrew, produced a few bits moving eastwards: common scoters, sarnies, and an Arctic Skua etc. But yet to get really going in that respect. The highlight was a calling Serin just after 7am: came in from the west and landed next to us in the tamarisk - for a time perched calling away and just visible - before (typical of most our spring serin encounters) departing eastwards....