St. Mary's 09/10/21

Light rain early on ceased by mid-morning becoming warm and sunny later on.  Insect activity became more noticeable once the rain stopped and consequently birds also began to appear.

The entire morning / early afternoon was spent on the Garrison. The first notable bird of the day was a Pied Flycatcher near the Cadet Hut. In the same spot a Lesser Whitethroat was also briefly seen.

Following the coastal path south of Steval a party of Shag were on offshore rocks, plus a few finches on the grassy headland. These included a single Redpoll, which appeared somewhat pale but was not seen well enough to confidently identify as Mealy.

Back to the area by the football pitch a Willow Warbler showed well in Pittosporum and even sang quietly on a couple of occasions. Near the playground was a Whinchat and Black Redstart, with a Common Whitethroat in the hedge behind. To complete the sightings a Spotted Flycatcher was seen nearby.

In grass alongside the football pitch we spent some time identifying an aromatic plant with daisy-like flowers, coming to the conclusion it was Chamomile.

Chamomile

Pied Flycatcher

Shags

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Whinchat

Black Redstart


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