9th April

 A 60mph westerly gale really isn't what's needed in mid-April and for the most part Storm Pierrick was an ill wind bird-wise. A Hooded Crow at Reforne was a surprise new arrival but interest otherwise consisted of just a Merlin and a handful of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs on the ground at the Bill, an Arctic Skua through on the sea there and 170 Mediterranean Gulls, 81 Sandwich Terns, a Common Tern and a Little Tern through at Portland Harbour/Ferrybridge.

Amazingly, the Hooded Crow that pitched up in private gardens at Reforne is now the third scarcity this year that's only been witnessed by interested members of the public who've taken some mobile phone record-shots © Lisa Cousins (top two photos) and Jill Bramley (bottom photo):

Portland's first Little Tern of the spring © Pete Saunders:

The year's first Vestal - which is also the island's earliest-ever record - was secured in peculiar circumstances: with a raging gale blowing overnight next to nothing was trapped in the couple of moth-traps left on at the Obs; however, later in the day the Vestal was discovered floating (still alive) in a pond close to one of the traps - presumably it had ditched in the pond after being attracted to the light and then couldn't escape © Martin Cade: