Impressive Stonechat passage continues

The light SW wind continues. Heavy rain in the morning eased by late morning.

South shore.

I had a walk from Red Nab to saltmarsh and back again starting at 09:30 (MD). It was misty and raining hard

Wheatear 5 all male

A sodden male Wheatear 

Stonechat 5 - 7. I think I must have been the first person to walk along Ocean Edge foreshore this morning, as there was a succession of individual Stonechats resting behind the rock edges. As I approached each they flew off to NNW. My optics were stashed from the rain, and I couldn't even wear my glasses, but I got close enough to three of the birds to confirm Stonechat, before they flew off. Two others looked to be and behaved the same but were just out of positive identification range. So all the birds had moved on and I didn't see any around the saltmarsh, but on my return I did locate a male and female near the slipway, and they didn't fly off. No others were seen.

This sorry looking male was one of the slipway birds

Rock Pipit 3  - 1 on Red Nab, 2 moving along foreshore 

Raven 1

Raven - just seemed to be blogging

Janet had a walk from Ocean Edge to Harbour and back later in the morning when the rain had eased. Even so, she did well getting these shots as she was dog walking too.

Wheatear 1

Stonechat 8. 4 on Ocean Edge and two fly throughs of two birds seen near the lighthouse.

If you open this shot you can see the fine rain at this time

Three of the Ocean Edge birds

Stonechats near the lighthouse 

Rock Pipit 2 - Red Nab and the lighthouse. This is the lighthouse bird sat directly above last year's nest hole.

Rock Pipit above last year's nest site

Greenfinch 

Wigeon

I couldn't resist another check of Ocean Edge  mid afternoon when the rain had cleared (MD)

Wheatear 4 - 5 so some must have arrived after Janet checked

Stonechat 4 - there was a male and female near the slipway plus an individual female and male which both moved on. So the very minimum tally today was 11, almost certainly 13 and most probably more. This really is an exceptional passage.

Female Stonechat and a Wheatear on Ocean Edge grass (plus another Wheatear zips past)

This Wren was unhappy that a female Stonechat was on its patch!

The male passing through this afternoon was particularly striking with a prominent white rump.

Male Stonechat displaying white rump

This is him, heading off to the NNW

Pete checked the Heliport - no migrants seen. I checked the Horse paddocks, also no migrants.