28th March to 3rd April – First ringing session

28 March

Continued warm weather with a slight wind from the east.

A total of six Willow Warbler, eight Chiffchaff and two male and a female Blackcap were seen across the island, with most feeding in the flowering Blackthorn in Millcombe. A male Ring Ouzel was by Halfway Wall and four White Wagtails were recorded. A Kestrel and female Merlin were seen and a Stock Dove was in Barton’s Field.  .

Four Fieldfare, four Redwing and a Mistle Thrush were seen in Millcombe and along the Upper East Side. Finches recorded were 12 Chaffinch, five Brambling, 11 Goldfinch and 17 Linnets.

29 March

Clear and bright with a light easterly wind.

It was a lovely calm day for the first trip of the MS Oldenburg with day trippers and for the arrival of a few bird visitors. Two Sand Martin, a Swallow and a House Martin were recorded over the island and there were two female type Black Redstarts, one by the Battery and another on the wall by Quarters. Four Willow Warbler, six Chiffchaff and six Blackcaps were seen.

The Stock Dove was still feeding with Woodpigeon in Barton Field but a Collared Dove singing in Quarter Wall Copse was new in today. Also on the East Side, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling and seen along the Terrace. This is the first record for March, other than an overwintering bird in 2006. A male Ring Ouzel was seen flying east down St John’s Valley in the morning and another was above Jenny’s Cove in the afternoon. Other migrant thrushes include a Fieldfare, two Redwing and two Song Thrushes. Ten male and two female Wheatears were along the West Coast and three White Wagtails were recorded. Some Brambling are still hanging around the island with eight seen today, most were around the Lambing Shed. Other finches include eight Chaffinch, ten Goldfinch and 18 Linnets.

At least 20 Manx Shearwaters were counted coming to land whilst sitting at the top of the cliffs near Old Light during the evening.

Manx Shearwater © Stuart Cossey

30 March

Calm with fog in the morning. Sunshine and a light easterly in the afternoon.

Better views of the Great Spotted Woodpecker in Quarter Wall Copse allowed it to be identified as a female as it lacked any red feathers on the back of the head. A Sand Martin and a House Martin over Pondsbury and six Swallows in over the Southwest Point. A Cormorant was also seen heading north. The Stock Dove is still feeding in Barton Field with two White Wagtails also seen there.

One Willow Warbler and six Chiffchaff and two male and a female Blackcap were in Millcombe. Also seen today were a Fieldfare, seven Redwing and a Mistle Thrush. A single Brambling was seen around the Lambing Shed.

31 March

Clear and cold with a strong northeasterly wind.

Due to the strong headwinds and cold weather there were few migrant warblers today. Only one Willow Warbler, two Chiffchaff and a male Blackcap were recorded. It seemed the winds did not deter Linnets with 35 recorded in small flocks across the island. Other finches present include six Chaffinch, four Brambling and ten Goldfinch. Four White Wagtails were seen including three together above Benjamin’s Chair.

Two Redwing and a Mistle Thrush are still present along the Upper East Side and the female Great Spotted Woodpecker was in Quarter Wall Copse. A Stock Dove was in Barton Field and two Collared Dove were recorded. A total of 14 male and six female Wheatear were recorded from Benjamin’s Chair to Halfway Wall.

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker, Quarter Wall Copse © Stuart Cossey

1 April

Continued cold weather with strong winds from the northeast.

The cold and strong winds are still restricting migration with only one Willow Warbler and a House Martin moving north. Linnets were unaffected with a total of 48 recorded across the island. A total of 34 Meadow Pipits and five Song Thrush were seen.  A male Kestrel was above the Terrace and the Stock Dove was seen again in Barton Field. 

2 April

Moderate wind from the northeast.

Another quiet day on the island. A male Kestrel was seen hunting over the Airstrip and Ackland’s Moor and the Stock Dove was still in Barton Field. A few migrants included three Fieldfare, a Mistle Thrush, three Chiffchaff and five Blackcaps. Three Goldfinch, two Linnet and four Chaffinch were the only finches recorded.

Hovering male Kestrel, Ackland's Moor © Stuart Cossey

We also welcomed our first long-term volunteer, Zach Wait, who will be helping out monitoring the seabirds and helping visitors see Puffins.

3 April

Calm and sunny with a slight westerly building in the afternoon..

It was an excellent day of migration on the island with calm weather after northerly winds. The first Millcombe ringing session of the year was a success with 34 birds. Most of the catch was Blackcaps and Willow Warblers but more surprisingly was two female Bullfinch and a female Brambling. The Blackcaps were all heavy with fat, the majority being 10g over their normal breeding weight. During the session a female Sparrowhawk was seen circling over Millcombe before heading north.

Male Blackcap, ringed in Millcombe © Stuart Cossey

Total counts of migrants from today include 30 Willow Warbler, 11 Chiffchaff, 40 Blackcaps, a Firecrest and five Goldcrest. Hirundines were also on the move with 12 Sand Martin, nine Swallow and two House Martin seen heading north over the island. The first Common Redstart of the year was seen, a male feeding in the Gorse by the Ugly. Two female type Black Redstart were also recorded, one on the West Coast and another by the Camping Field. There was a strong finch passage with Six Chaffinch, four Brambling, 36 Goldfinches, one Siskin and 15 Linnet. A single White Wagtail was in Barton Field.

Also of note, the Great Northern Diver was still in the Landing Bay and two Cormorants headed north.

Non-avian news includes the first Emperor moths of the year including two males fighting over a female on below Old Light.

Male and female (right) Emperor Moth © Stuart Cossey

Contributors: S Cossey, N Trout, D Oakes, C Dee, R Ellis, Z Wait