The unseasonal F8 south-westerly gale roared in during the morning providing some much needed rain for the relatively parched island. An attempt was made to look at the sea when visibility moderately improved yielding a moderate passage of 571 Manx Shearwaters, 47 Gannets, 43 Kittiwakes, eight Fulmars and an assortment of gulls during an hour period. 

Solfach proved to hold some activity with two Ringed Plovers, a single Common Sandpiper, a Black-headed Gull, eight Magpies, two Choughs and a few large gulls. 

Once the wind had passed through, the afternoon was a complete juxtaposition to the morning with fine sunshine and blue skies. A few passerines had made it through the rain with 18 Willow Warblers, a Sedge Warbler and a Whitethroat seen along the track from the Observatory towards Nant. A Goldcrest was recorded in the Plantation.

Butterflies were unsurprisingly suppressed by the strong winds in the morning but as things calmed there was an improvement in numbers with 21 Red Admirals, eight Large Whites, four Green-veined Whites and singles of Common Blue, Small Copper and Painted Lady logged during the day. There was even some moth action with a Magpie Moth flushed in the garden and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth nectaring on some Honeysuckle at Nant. 

Sedge Warbler (C) Greg Lee