A quiet start to the month with the first report recieved on the 7th when the Gyr was seen again on Tresco. The first Wheatear of the year was also seen on Tresco the same day. A Spoonbill was on Bryher on the 8th and St Agnes held up to ten Firecrests. The islands then remained quiet until the first sign of spring arrived on the 20th in the shape of single Swallows on St Mary’s and Bryher. Two Sand Martins and a Hooded Crow were also on Bryher and two Sandwich Terns were in The Roads. The Black Duck was still on Abbey Pool on the 21st and a Bullfinch was at the entrance to Abbey gardens. Two Short-eared Owls were at Pentle Bay Banks and Swallow numbers had increased to twenty birds at Great Pool, Tresco. Elsewhere, a Hoopoe was near the Old Town Inn and a Black Redstart was at Porthloo.
A pair of Pintail were on Porth Hellick Pool on the 22nd and a flock of sixteen Bar-tailed Godwits were on St Martin’s on the 24th. The 25th saw more spring ‘firsts’ with a Willow Warbler at Porth Hellick, a Cuckoo on St Martin’s and a Puffin at sea two miles east of St Mary’s. A House Martin was at Porth Hellick on the 27th and both Black-throated and Great-northern Divers were south of Tresco. A superb adult Purple Heron flew over Porth Hellick pool on the 28th and the bird took up residence on Lower Moors on the 29th and remained at the months end. The first Manx Shearwaters of the year were noted on the 29th when four flew past Porth Hellick.
Paul Freestone (c) ISBG 2010
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