40 Purple Sandpipers were spotted on the 4th April

A Woodchat Shrike was seen on 18th April

What's been spotted on Skomer last month?

Two Red Kites came over the island on the 21^st. At least one Hen Harrier remained until the 15^th. A Sparrowhawk was present on three dates.

Water Rails were present throughout and started singing towards the end of the month.

Oystercatcher numbers peaked at 141 on the 4^th. There were two Golden Plover on the 2^nd and five Ringed Plover on the 29^th. Whimbrels began passing through from the 13^th with a high count of 35 on the 22^nd. A Black-tailed Godwit was on North pond on the 18^th. Turnstone numbers dwindled towards the end of the month with a high count of 13 on the 4^th.

There were two great counts of Purple Sandpipers in the month with 40 on the 4^th and 27 on the 6^th. The first Common Sandpiper arrived on the 11^th and there was just one further record in North Haven on the 23^rd. Snipe were present throughout most of the month with counts of up to four.

Another record was set with our spring count of Puffins when 30,895 individuals were counted on the 8^th. Three Black-headed Gulls in Jack Sound on the 19^th were the only records of the month.

A Collared Dove at the Farm on the 6^th was the only record of the month. The first Swift was seen on the 28^th over the Farm. A female Kestrel was present on several dates at the start of the month and a male was seen on the 30^th. Merlins were present throughout with two on the 14^th.

A Woodchat Shrike arrived in North Valley on the 18^th and remained until the 21^st. Goldcrests passed through in small numbers with a peak of six on the 9^th. There were single Blue Tits on the 5^th and 7^th and Great Tits on the 1^st (one), 3^rd (two) and 4^th (one).

There were nine Sand Martins on the 3^rd, 33 on the 20^th and smaller numbers throughout. Swallow numbers peaked at 97 on the 22^nd. The first House Martin was seen on the 6^th and there were 15 on the 19^th.

Warbler numbers peaked with 28 Chiffchaff on the 3^rd, 47 Willow Warbler on the 21^st, 27 Blackcap on the 8^th, four Common Whitethroat on the 29^th and ten Sedge Warbler on the 29th. There was also a Lesser Whitethroat present in North Haven on the 22^nd and 23^rd and Reed Warblers on four dates.

A Ring Ouzel was present near the Garland Stone between the 14^th and 16^th and there was a second bird on the 16^th. A Fieldfare with a broken wing remained from ‘the beast from the east’. There were single records of Song Thrush on the 4^th and 29^th and Redwing on the 4^th and 5^th.

The first Spotted Flycatchers (two) were seen at South Stream on the 30^th. There were odd records of Robins with two on the 4^th, 8^th and 12^th. A male Pied Flycatcher was seen in North Haven on the morning of the 13^th and, what was probably the same individual, was seen later at the Farm. Single Black Restarts were seen on the 3^rd and 4^th and there were two on the 5^th and 6^th.

Small numbers of Stonechats continued to pass through at the start of the month with five on the 5^th but by the 20^th only one breeding pair remained. Wheatears passed through in small numbers with 28 (including six Greenland birds) on the 29^th and 32 (including nine Greenland birds) on the 30^th.

A single White Wagtail was seen on the 7^th.

Chaffinches were seen on the 9^th and 14^th. Numbers of Linnets and Goldfinches passing through peaked at 91 (on the 21^st) and 59 (on the 26^th) respectively. Lesser Redpolls were seen on the 21^st and 23^rd and single Siskins were recorded on the 14^th and 21^st.

If you'd like to visit Skomer or Skokholm Island for an overnight stay please contact our booking team via 01656 724100. For day visits to Skomer all information can be found here.