1st April

It was lovely day to be out looking but the current passage hiatus saw to it that migrants were still hard to get amongst. The season's first Whimbrel was an on cue arrival off the Bill but a Whinchat at Barleycrates Lane was well ahead of schedule; oddities were limited to a Marsh Harrier over the Bill, the Iceland Gull at Southwell and the Hume's Warbler still about at Thumb Lane. Numbers remained less than impressive at the Bill where Wheatear, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler all hovered around the 20 mark and there was precious little visible passage; the sea came up with variety if not numbers, including 8 Red-throated Divers, 2 Velvet Scoter and singles of Black-throated Diver and Red-breasted Merganser.

A single Painted Lady was at the Bill and a Brimstone was a good island record at Bottomcombe.

Butterflies on the wing around the centre of the island included Comma © Duncan Walbridge...


...and Speckled Wood © Ken Dolbear: