12th June

A change in the weather saw a thundery downpour pass through overnight and brought largely overcast skies by day but the quality - or lack of it - of the birding was unchanged. A Redpoll was a surprise new arrival at the Bill, where a Wheatear and a Chiffchaff were also new in on the land and 16 Common Scoter, 14 commic terns (by their behaviour most likely local breeders rather than late migrants), 13 Manx Shearwaters, 9 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Arctic Skuas and 2 Sandwich Terns passed through on the sea. An arrival of Mediterranean Gulls was also in evidence at Ferrybridge where the total jumped to 15; 4 Dunlin were also there.





Herring Gulls, Clouded Yellow, Large Skipper and Meadow Brown - Blacknor and Broadcroft Quarry BC Reserve, 11th June 2015 © Nick Hopper (Herring Gulls) and Ken Dolbear (the butterflies)