Pink-footed Goose at Porth Hellick

Adult pink-footed Goose at Porth Hellick

  First thing this morning, I got out of me wagon and started walking up the steps to the entrance to Star Castle and could hear my first Grasshopper Warbler of the year nearby. It carried on reeling on and off for the next hour and at the same time, Ritchie and Tony who are working, if you can call it that, at the castle, heard and saw another bird near the gardens rooms. I also managed to hear this one.

Dunnock at Star Castle

  Early afternoon and Robin called to tell me that there was a Pink-footed Goose in front of the Sussex Hide at Porth Hellick. It was preening when I arrived and then fell asleep. There was also my first Sedge Warbler of the year singing and 10+House Martin and 30+Swallow were hawking over the pool. Smoothy had a single Sedge and grasshopper Warbler at Lower Moors with one of the latter species at Porth Hellick. Nearby he also got over 50 Willow Warbler at Carn Friars. Robin saw the 2  Rook and Jackdaw at Porthloo, that have been seen at the golf course for the last few days. Otherwise we are still waiting for a lot of our common migrants to arrive. The first Reed Warbler was at Porth Hellick, 22nd, and Garden Warbler of the year at Kittidown, 20th, and single Pied Flycatcher and Redstart were recorded a few days before.

A very tired Pink-footed Goose at Porth Helick. However, when others came to look at it, it had disappeared.

Small numbers of Whimbrel are being seen around the islands

Up to 80 Swallow were at Porth Hellick with another 20 at Old Town, where these were all taken

Looking from Porthloo towards Samson this evening

It was a sad day in the music world with the death of Levon Helm on the 19th April. He was the drummer, backing and lead singer of The Band. He started off with the great Ronnie Hawkin's in 'The Hawks' and later they gathered up some of the best musicians around. Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson. They split from The Hawk and went onto to be the backing band for Dylan, later renaming themselves as The Band. In the last 10 years Levon stuck around at home at Woodstock and the started The Midnight Ramble at The barn. Here live performances were played by the best in town. He also carried on touring and recording albums. I love this live footage of them singing King Harvest in their Woodstock studio.This is followed by a live performance of Marijohn Wilkin's, 'Long Black Veil' at the Festival Exspress.