A touch of Spring (25th March)

I finished my deadline today with the rest of the day spare so decided on heading down to patch (surprise surprise).  I waited a while for the rain to head over before walking straight to the Cemetery with the aim of relocating the Firecrest.  Sure enough, a pleasant walk around the churchyard soon rewarded me with a Firecrest signing heartily from the shrubby area next to the chapel.  It was an ideal sun trap and the habitat looks ideal although I didn't manage to set eyes on it.  An area definitely warranting further scrutiny later in the month for summer migrants.

Heading down to the coast, I was recollecting the time my brother and dad came down to visit me earlier in the year.  despite patching regularly then too I had never connected with the sum. plum. BTD which had been lingering around.  My brother, on the other hand, had managed to see it in a single visit!  As a result I was just grumbling to myself that I wanted to see it too (in the childish manor that one does).  I plonked my scope down at the usual seat at Swanpool Point, looked at the first thing that came into focus and sure enough... there one was!!!  A stunning summer plumage Black-throated Diver!!!  Brilliant!  I found a further 12+ Black-throated Divers (all winter plum. ones) scattered throughout the bay during the course of the afternoon along with an accompanying 5 Great Northern Divers, 1 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Slavonian Grebe and 3 Sandwich Terns.

Slavonian Grebe (left) and Red-necked Grebe (right) lingering offshore together