A Trip Out

On Sunday, I took a trip up to Holy Island mainly to meet V&A+E.  The idea was as much to have a relaxing day while keeping an eye out for birds. In the event it was a pleasant, sunny day, as much late summer as autumn and, with no wind to blow in the migrants, there wasn't too much around of interest.

The unfortunate thing was that we didn't see the birds that were of some interest.

Apparently there were a few redwing in the The Lonnen but we just found sparrows and robins.  More promising was a report of snow buntings around near the track that leads to the East side of the island, but all we saw was a wren.  It wasn't until near the end of the track that we found a couple of nice stonechats - before they flew off.

Stonechat

Stonechat flying off

An investigation of the pool near the hide found nothing but coots, mallards and a prominent grey heron.

Grey Heron

Meanwhile V had gone on ahead and did managed to spot an eider duck just of the rocks, which I however couldn't find on trying.

There were plenty of curlew in the fields nearer to the Village Centre and, after some perseverance, I did manage to get a shot of a nice lapwing.

Lapwing

A bird I spotted on a roof near the coach car park proved however to be a domestic pigeon.

Never mind, it was first and foremost a family occasion so we repaired to a cafe for coffee and cake, the latter attracting the local sparrows.

Sparrows and Cake

We did a last visit to the Vicar's Garden, largely to show V&A where it was. Here there was a twitcher looking over the wall who of course reported that a rarity had been seen nearby - an olive-backed pipit - and that the redwing had been visiting the garden.  Not of course while we were there but I did manage to snap a song thrush.  The only other bird I saw in the garden was a dunnock.

Song Thrush

As we had already eaten there was no need to visit the village chip shop, which was offering takeaway gorilla.

Gorilla

Driving back over the causeway, A spotted a merlin on one of the marker posts, but I missed it.

Today, which is the 21st, I noticed a bumblebee inspecting the first shoots on the garden mahonia.  I have seen on TV that buff-tailed bumblebees can survive the winter in the South of England by nectaring on mahonia.  Could it possibly happen here?