Some of the day's sea passage, including Red-throated Divers and Shelduck. The weather proved no deterrent to the male Wheatear's fervent attempts to attract a female © Pete Saunders
3rd April
The first influences of Storm Dave could be felt on the island today, with a fresh southwesterly concentrating most of the day's efforts out to sea. A significant uptick in Common Scoter numbers saw 90 logged past the Bill, with a varied selection of 19 Red-throated Divers, 7 Shelduck, 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and singles of Curlew, Great Northern Diver and Sooty Shearwater also past. The large numbers of Manx Shearwater currently being seen off the Bill reached its peak today, with a minimum of 1000 logged, with many feeding distantly offshore this evening when a strong eastbound movement also developed. The shelter of the Obs garden revealed a small arrival of grounded migrants, with double figures of both Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff as well as 4 Blackcaps and the lingering Goldcrest also logged. Overhead, birds also continued to trickle through, with 56 Meadow Pipits, 15 Linnets, 2 Sand Martins and 2 Swallows heading northwards.
