Wednesday 8th March comments: Well we did see this one coming! As usual the month of March always has a bite in its tail as it reminds us that winter has not gone just yet.
The month of February was generally mild and as a result some seabirds were starting to respond as the Shags were on the cliff ledges bringing the first nesting material to the island. The Auks were also on the cliffs whilst Fulmars were cackling away, enjoying the sunny late winter days. However that has now all been forgotten as a cold northerly weather-front has arrived, bringing northerly winds, a drop in temperature and now snow!
It rare to see snow on the island as the coastal environment usually sees it burn off but it does settle on some occasions. The last known occurrence was in February 2021 which brought a lot of Woodcock to the island as birds escaped the frozen mainland. Previous to that, the most famous snow event occurred in March 2018 as heavy snow settled on the island as part of the ‘Beast from the East’ and will be remembered for a long time to come.
So just as we were talking about the signs of spring, we shouldn’t forget that winter is still here and still here to bite. Thanks to Iain English for these great photos.
Isle of May National Nature Reserve 