On the 1st four Black Redststarts and a White Wagtail were at Porthloo and the Hen Harrier was still on St Martins. The Avocet was still on Bryher and showing well. A late Fieldfare, four Wheatears and two Willow Warblers were also on the island. A Short-eared Owl was by the church at St Martin’s and a Ruff was on St Agnes. A probable Stone Curlew was heard over Hugh Town. The elusive Bittern was seen in flight over Porthloo lane on the 2nd and the two Cattle Egret were still on Tresco. There were a flock of 30 Common Terns in the Tresco Channel during the afternoon. The following day a Ring Ouzel was at Longstone. On the 4th the Rough-legged Buzzard was again reported from St Martin’s and a Night Heron was flushed from Porth Hellick. The bird remained the following day and was heard late evening at Longstone. A Marsh Harrier was at Porth hellick on the 6th and the Cetti’s Warbler was also present there. A female Merlin and a Common Gull were at Bar Point on the 7th and a Common Redstart was on St Agnes at Warna’s Cove. There was also a report of a Red-backed Shrike at Deep Point.
Five Purple Sandpipers were on Hanjague on the 9th and a late Redwing was at Lower Moors. A Great White Egret was reported flying east over Treneers Rocks. An Osprey was seen being mobbed by Ravens over Normandy on the 10th and another male Common Redstart was on St Martin’s. A Ring Ouzel was on the golf course. A Short-eared Owl was by the woodpile on Tresco on the 11th and a female Marsh Harrier was on St Martin’s on the 13th. The following day an Arctic Skua flew west between St Mary’s and Sampson and a Yellow-legged Gull was on The Garrison. A female Brambling was in a private garden at High Lanes and a Blue-headed Wagtail was on St Agnes. A Jack Snipe was reported from Porth Hellick on the 15th and two Tree Pipits were at Salakee. Twenty-four Whimbrel flew over the same area. A Common Whitethroat was at Mount Flagon Lane on the 16th and a Grasshopper warbler reeled briefly from the Standing Stones field. Another was at Higher Moors and a Wood Sandpiper was on the heliport on Tresco. An Eastern Yellow Wagtail was found at Lower Moors and if accepted would constitute the first British spring record! A male Night Heron was in the Standing Stones Field before flying towards Tolmans Point and a Hoopoe flew from the airfield towards Giants Castle. The Night Heron was located back in the Standing Stones Field the following day and showed well in bushes in the south east corner. A Subalpine Warbler was unfortunately found dead on St Agnes.
Two Rooks seen flying over Lower Moors on the 17th were later located on the golf course. A Golden Oriole was heard briefly in the pines at Porth Hellick and the first Common Swift of the year was over Normandy. The Night Heron was seen from the boat yard at Nowhere and an Osprey was over Shipman Head, Bryher. The island also held seven Tree Pipits, two Common Sandpipers and four Snipe. On the 18th a Marsh Harrier was over Peninnis and an Osprey was on Tresco. A Pied Flycatcher was in pines on the golf course and a Turtle Dove was on wires a Longstone Terrace. A Lesser Whitethroat and a Garden warbler were in the Carreg Dhu area and a female Subalpine Warbler was in private fields behind Carreg Dhu. A Wryneck and a Bee-eater were reported form St Martin’s. A Woodchat Shrike was on Bryher on the 19th and a Nightingale was singing north of Bryher Pool. The male Subalpine Warbler was also seen I that area as was what appeared to be a stunning male Eastern Yellow Wagtail. On the 20th a Golden Oriole and three Turtle Doves were on Bryher and a Woodchat Shrike was behind the skatepark on St Mary’s. A Hawfinch was on Tresco and there was a belated report of a Hoopoe on Bryher.
There were no new birds of note until the 23rd when a male Ortolan was on Gugh. A probable Golden Oriole was on Tresco the following day. A superb Wood Warbler showed well in Carreg Dhu gardens on the 25th with two Pied Flycatchers and a Garden Warbler and a Hoopoe was still on St Martin’s. Another Golden Oriole, this time a stunning male, was seen at Trenoweth Farm. A Short-toed Lark was on the golf course on the 27th and more than thirty Golden Plover werev on the airfield. A mass panic ensued on the 28th when a Rock Bunting was seen briefly and photographed in long grass. However, elation soon turned to disappointment when further photographs showed a red ring on the birds leg and it was re-identified as an escaped Godlewski’s Bunting! A Purple Heron flew over Porth Hellick Bay on the 29th and the following day a ring-tailed Montagu’s Harrier was on Tresco before later relocating to St Mary’s. A female Marsh Harrier was also seen from different sites on St Mary’s and a Night Heron was flushed form the Porth Hellick Loop Trail.