16th–31st May
If the beginning of May can be forgiven, with the ending the unloved northerlies finally came, of course, and gave plenty of opportunities to watch the sea, looking for loons, skuas and jaegers.
The period gave 233 Barnacle Geese, 25 Brant Geese, two Velvet Scoters, five Common Mergansers, 89 Red-throated Loons, two Yellow-billed Loons, five Pomarine Skuas, up to 14 Parasitic Jaegers in a day and one Great Skua, mostly seen migrating past either the north or east part of the island.
Of landbased birds during these days there were few, but a Short-eared Owl was seen on 20th, a Eurasian Collared Dove was fresh in on 22nd, the same day as a Grasshopper Warbler sang and six Common House Martins were noted.
The days from 26th to 28th gave a change of weather, the northerlies taking a break and giving way to southerlies and even a touch of easterlies and some warm air.
Changes among the birds came instantly: several Red-backed Shrikes, Common Swift, several Common Rosefinches, Black Redstart, several Icterine Warblers, European Goldfinch, a rasping Corn Crake and last but not least the ´new rare´ Twite.
In the same period, Eurasian Wigeon appeared for the first time this year, coming late though not unprecedented. Four Grasshopper Warblers were logged on 29th and six Icterine Warblers on 30th.
A new or the same Corn Crake was heard in the southeast of the island at midnight on 29th/30th where it also was trapped for ringing.
The month´s penultimate day gave a Short-toed Lark (Sveinung Larsen et al.) in the south. The Little Egret was standby until 30th.
