y'day 5 wheatears at red cliff, 2 sand martins at the canoe lake, 1 sandwich tern in the bay

now it's spring

a brent goose dropped into the canoe lake but was soon seen off by the cob

blackcap singing in yaverland, don't know if it's a wintering site.

mullet enjoying the sunshine in bembridge harbour on sunday

seemed like fall conditions but culver was useless, the day was saved last minute by a firecrest at yaverland. earlier i was walking along sandown prom when i noticed a bunch of gulls circling and alarm calling. whenever i've seen this there's always been a marine mammal beneath them, and sure enough up popped a head. it was well close in and i followed it as it drifted towards shanklin, lingering for a while around the pier.

last night whilst watching the owls a stoat came slinking down the path and only realised i was there when it was about 5ft away. one of those moments when you wish you had a camera in your hand. sometimes wild animals with all their super senses can be so unaware. i attracted it back briefly using pishing but didnt show well enough to get a video before it was off. apparently 3 owls were on show, i only saw the 2.

on a glorious day spring has sprung proper with 4 chiffchaffs at culver and another 6 at foreland where there were 7 little egrets on the shore. a blackcap near love lane was presumably an overwinterer. at bembridge harbour c.320 brent pitched down at high tide and with them was this

not the best looking brant i've seen but good enough. also with the flock was a 1w pale-bellied

at the end of the day the 2 short-eared owls showed well, both coming over the sea wall to the brading side. 7 little egrets out on the marsh.