Sunday 9th September

Malcolm sent the following through:
The Brents that Jim and I saw were a small part of a very early large
influx into Strangford Lough, the main arrival site in Northern Ireland
for this population. Apparently, there was a massive, unprecedented
influx of birds there (5,000+) sometime during 28th/30th August, and by
7th September, when we saw our birds, around 16,000 were present or
about 40% of the total population. Nothing has been discovered about the
weather further north (Iceland where they normally pause in September,
or north-east Canada where they breed) that would have stimulated such
an early arrival. It is usually at least mid-September before arrivals
begin, and October before they're all present.

Other sightings yesterday included, an Osprey mobbing a peregrine on Loch Gruinart, 4 white wagtails and 10 stonechats.