We have been seeing on facebook and manx.net that the Isle of Man has had a visit from a most impressive Viking ship. Here on Landsort we have also had a Viking visit, albeit on a smaller scale. A ten-man (well 8 and 2 women!) boat put into the cove at the back of our house this week on their way to Gotland. Sheltering out a rough sea, they happended to lie-up in an historically used refuge where an ancient compass-rose is carved into the rocks.

Although a quieter week in some ways as we have caught fewer birds, it has been a good week. A trip out with Tore in his boat to the Inner and Ytrre Karvasen isles to the South-east of Landsort produced some good birds; two sea-eagles on Inner and a number of waders on Ytrre (Outer), including Spotted and Common Redhsank, Dunlin, Sanderling, Common Sandpiper and Turnstone, all busy feeding on the rocks or in the shallows. More of a surprise, given the total lack of any trees or vegetation on the island were a Wood Warbler, busy catching flies among the rocks and a male Red-backed Shrike sitting on the rocks looking a bit lost! Thanks Tore for a great afternoon out and for the pics of some of the birds, which are shown below.

Also, this weekend several of the Observatories members came out to visit and very kindly invited us to join them for a crayfish party, which included Schnapps!! A great evening of good food and lovely company - thanks folks!!! We were able to partially repay their kindness by offering round some sloe-gin, made by ourselves last winter from sloes picked on Landsort. Looks like a good crop this year as well!!

Fewer birds caught this week, just 133, but some good species, including a couple of Marsh Warbler, a nice adult Nuthatch, 14 Red-backed Shrike and three Wood Warbler. Today it feels like the weather has at last changed, a bit cooler and less humid. It is likely that migration will now start for most species and today a few raptors were seen passing though, including two Common Buzzard. Tomorrow we may get a couple of hours work in before rain arrives at 7am, then it is off to 'the mainland' for Kay while Chris does some work on Manx birds.

Kay took delivery of her new Macro lens this week and has been busy trying it out on moths, butterflies and birds. Check out some of the pics below.