Early May..
Things continue to be quite hard work but some nice moments on the patch at Ferry Hills with a locally uncommon Lesser Whitethroat setting up territory from the 1st and then joined by a singing Grasshopper Warbler on 2nd. Visible migration has been mostly lacking (FH is a far better site in autumn than in spring) but 28 Black-tailed Godwit passing through on their way to Iceland was  a fine sight on the 1st.

Then down to the Isle of Wight for a fleeting visit to the Bro on May 6th-7th. We had particularly high hopes for the 7th as the wind was due to turn SE, the magic direction for seabird passage through the English Channel in spring and at a perfect time of year for Pom Skuas. So down to St Catherines Point at the southern tip of the Island. It turned out not to be a big day for Poms or passage in general really, but we certainly couldn't complain with a very close pale Pom in the morning followed by a  dark bird in the afternoon. Add to that single Black Tern, 4 Little Gull, 3 Arctic and 1 Great Skua and a Hobby in off the sea as further highlights.
A visit to Brading Marshes RSPB Reserve on the 6th produced excellent variety including Hobby, Marsh Harrier, booming Bittern, Great White Egret and Common Sandpiper.

Two breeding pairs of Stonechats at St Catherine's Point showed characters of the continental race rubicola. This stunning male shows a wide neck collar, orange brightest on breast with a white belly and pale flanks. The occurrence of rubicola on the south coast of England has been previously documented. Birding Frontiers is a good source of information https://birdingfrontiers.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/continental-stonechats/

In comparison to a female hibernans Stonechat, this female had paler underparts, a more prominent supercillium  and fairly obvious neck collar. 

One of the Stonechat pairs had three fledged young (with the female already building a new nest) while the second pair were feeding young in a nest. 

Bottle-nosed Dolphins were seen on both dates at St Catherines Point, at least 7 animals including a calf.