April is the month when spring migration gets underway with arrivals and departures of birds, all seeking their best breeding territories.  April had a few dry spells, but overall the month had more rain than March. With the wind mainly from the south, summer migrants arrived generally a few days earlier than last year.  

The April “firsts” for summer visitors were: White Wagtail on 1^st on Kildonan shore, Swallow on 2^nd over High Kildonan, Sandwich Tern on 3^rd at Blackwaterfoot, House Martin on 4^th by Port-na-Lochan,  Willow Warbler on 8^th in Kilmory,  Common Sandpiper on 11^th  on Kilpatrick shore,  Cuckoo on 16^th in Corriegills, Arctic Tern on 16^th off Kildonan, Manx Shearwater on 18^th from Brodick ferry,  Garden Warbler also on 18^th in Lochranza, Sedge Warbler on 19^th in Kildonan,  Tree Pipit on 22^nd in Glen Rosa,  Whitethroat on 24^th in High Kildonan, Wood Warbler on 25^th at Merkland point, Grasshopper Warbler on 29^th in Corriecravie and also on 29^th a Whinchat on Machrie Moor.

Other birds passing through to breeding grounds further north included: one Waxwing in Brodick Country Park on 15^th, five Whooper Swans at Clauchlands on 17^th, one Purple Sandpiper with thirty Turnstones at Blackwaterfoot on 20^th, seventeen Whimbrel on 25^th at Auchenhew and sixteen Dunlin at King’s Cave on 29^th.  As well as these sightings, the reports of a Great Skua from the Brodick ferry on 20^th and a Arctic Skua off Pirnmill on 27^th may indicate the start of the passage of skuas which may feature in the sea-watching during the Arran Wildlife Festival Week.

Other sightings included: the long staying solitary Magpie at Brodick Golf Course on 1^st, ten Canada Geese at Sliddery on 2^nd, one Rook at Kildonan also on 2^nd, three Twite at Clauchlands on 3^rd, the over-wintering Greenshank still at Clauchlands on 8^th, a Long-eared Owl in Glen Shant on 10^th, a Short-eared Owl on Corriecravie Moor on 19^th, and a male Yellowhammer in a Dippen garden on 23^rd.  The last breeding record for this species on Arran was ten years ago.

Finally, here are two other highlights from the many highlights that have been shared with me in April.  On 3^rd a male Shoveler was on the pond just west of Shiskine red church by the String Road.  This is the first Arran record since August 1996.  On 27^th an adult White-tailed Eagle flew low from the north west over Auchencar. The observer got spectacular close views of this majestic bird for over five minutes.  This species was re-introduced to Scotland when eighty two young birds from Norwegian nests were released on Rhum between 1975 and 1985.  The first re-introduced White-tailed eagles bred in Scotland in 1983. This is the first report of White-tailed Eagle on Arran since one was seen fishing in Lochranza on 13 May 2008.

My thanks to the many people, who have been in touch to share their sightings.

May should be an equally interesting month with the arrival of more summer visitors including Spotted Flycatcher, Swift, and, hopefully, even Corncrake and Nightjar.