Conditions were harsh yet again as gale force winds coupled with rain showers and even hail stones battered the island. High tide on The Narrows proved most productive again as the year’s highest count of 174 Oystercatchers were hiding out of the wind, along with 23 Purple Sandpipers, one Whimbrel, 11 Turnstones, and 38 Rock Pipits. An increase to 23 Chiffchaffs was surprising but shows how diligent census work even in high winds can reveal migrants hiding. An assortment of migrants include one Merlin, one Water Rail, three Snipes, one Skylark, two Wheatears, one Song Thrush, one Blackcap, six Goldcrests, one Starling, and 22 Manx Shearwaters out at sea.

The island's breeding Choughs have been busy gathering nesting material over the last week or two, and some are already taking beak-fulls of wool back to line the inside of their nests

After several Dogfish washed up dead overwinter, their remaining skulls are still present on the beaches along the strandline