Storm troopers

Stormy seas over Staple Sound (Will Scott)

Crashing times (Andy Denton)

You can't blame them, Eiders sheltering

Amongst the chaos Shags still on eggs

Monitoring stones being sorted ready for marking nests

Coloured monitoring stones (the right colours - red and white!)

Wednesday 4th April comments: We were closed for a second day (no surprise considering the storm of yesterday) but gradually things began to settle. The sleet and snow showers had disappeared as the sun was shining but it didn't disguise the fact it was cold - the wind chill remained low as the strong wind continued from the east.

Despite the weather, the rangers got on with business as usual, as work continues to sort the islands. Everything from new fence posts to boardwalk clearance was the order of the day, but the main job was sorting monitoring stones ready to mark the nests of Terns, Eiders and Puffins which will breed on the islands. Bird highlights were few and far between, with no sign of yesterday's Great Grey Shrike and only a handful of Thrushes present whilst a Robin is making the Chapel its home for the time being. Hopefully we will be open again tomorrow, but the wind may have its say.