Many thanks to Nick Watmough who gives us his take on the selection of excellent images submitted to our sightings team. We love seeing them!
 
”The week started well with a nicely proportioned flight shot of a Little Egret from Martin Webb whilst John St Ledger reminded us that the Stithians Great White Egret was still in residence.  Martin bookended his week with an equally impressive flight shot of a Grey Heron.
 
In the intervening period there was a nice selection of images from those who could get out and about as the better weather took hold.  Gerry Gillard took a day trip to Land’s End and shared a lovely sharp image of a posturing Shag that showed off its iridescent feathers and a panoramic shot of Guillemots back on their nesting rocks.

Pipits were on the minds of Caroline Taylor and Gill Fisher.  Caroline submitted a nicely understated image of a Rock Pipit nicely offset by the grey rock it was clinging to.  Whilst Gill found the long staying Water Pipit at Hayle on a sunny day an captured the muted grey and pink of its emergent summer plumage.  Also colouring up nicely were the Red-necked- and Slavonian Grebes that John St Ledger found off Portscatho.

From Wednesday the warmer weather brought a few more summer migrants in the form of Wheatears at Davidstow (Shaun Grose), St Gothian Sands (Martin Webb), Kenidjack (Robin Chiffers) and Perranporth Dunes (Tony Wilson).  But the Wheatear of the week award must go to Phil Taylor for his pin sharp capture of a colourful male in flight at Porthgwarra.  I also enjoyed Tom Arscott’s authentic shot; his unexpected back garden Hoopoe at Bude and Martin Webb’s Sand Martin.

Resident passerines and waders continued to feature – Martin Webb’s Redshank and Greenshank from the Hayle are both technically excellent and Caroline Taylor’s Coal Tit amongst spring blossom and Vic Booth’s bright male Siskin are worthy of note.

There were two other images that made my POTW shortlist for distinctly different reasons – the first was Martin Webb’s Mute Swan which combines the dramatic pose of a bird swimming towards the camera with perfect exposure of both the white feathers and black knob on the beak – no mean feat.  The second is Steve Gustcott’s pin sharp and beautifully caught shot of a Kestrel hovering at Compass Point Bude.

As ever I am in awe of the quality of the submissions and in making my choice it is fine margins but by POTW is Steve Guscott’s Kestrel.  But honourable mentions for Gerry Gillard’s Shag, Phil Taylor’s Wheatear and Martin Webb’s Mute Swan and a big thank you to everybody else who submitted images and contributes to the Sightings Page.”