Sunday 23rd April comments: Well it's all go. It feels like the floodgates have opened as we have had a flurry of activity across the seabird colonies as the season has well and truly started.
On the cliffs, the first European Shag chicks have hatched (yes where is time going!) The first eggs were being incubated by 20th March and on Friday, confirmation arrived that chicks had hatched. However as with any Shag colony, it is often a protracted breeding season as some pairs are still only nest building! Elsewhere on the cliffs the first Guillemot egg was discovered yesterday (the same date as last years egg laying date) and over the next few weeks plenty more will be seen. Razorbills will be the next to nest in the next week whilst Kittiwakes have yet to start nest building.
On the island top, some of the Puffins are now on eggs whilst more female Eiders have been noted nest building and incubating; every day now we will see more and more as good numbers have started to build up. The large Gulls are taking their time as usual although the first clutches of Great Black-backed Gull eggs have been found. The terns have yet to return whilst there is some other exciting breeding bird news but we will bring that in a blog post in the forthcoming week. So there you have it, the season is underway and have you booked a place on a boat to visit because if you haven't, you are missing out!!
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