30th June

The long-term presence of the Great Spotted Cuckoo earlier in the month perhaps deflected attention from something of a mid-summer quality deficiency this year, with no more than a one day Greenish Warbler to fulfil rarity aspirations - the current westerly dominated conditions also don't give a lot of hope that things are going to change any time soon. Returning/dispersing migrants today included 3 Whimbrel, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and singles of Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank at Ferrybridge, and singles of Little Egret, Redshank and Grey Wagtail at the Bill. The only other reports were from the sea at the Bill, where 75 Manx Shearwaters, 20 Common Scoter and a Great Skua passed by.

Odds and ends of immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps included 21 Rusty-dot Pearl, 5 Rush Veneer and a single Diamond-back Moth.

Redshank, Mediterranean Gull, Meadow Brown and Silver-studded Blue - Ferrybridge, Southwell and Broadcroft, 30th June 2016 © Pete Saunders (Redshank), Debby Saunders (Med Gull and Meadow Brown) and Ken Dolbear (Silver-studded Blue)

And thanks to Andy Mitchell for sending us through this photo from a few days ago of a Kestrel family at Cheyne: