30th July

A near calm wind overnight and light shower in the early hours of the morning had some potential for a small fall of birds today and we weren't let down. At the Bill there was 50 Willow Warbler, 10 Sedge Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 5 Rook, 15 Oystercatcher, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin and singles of Grasshopper Warbler, Siskin, Snipe and Stock Dove. In the afternoon Hirundines started to trickle through with 164 Swallow, 21 Sand Martin and 4 House Martin. Interest in the sea came in the form of 4 Balearic Shearwater, 2 Great Skua, 4 Yellow-legged Gulls, 400 Manx Shearwater, 60 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Black-headed Gull and 34 Common Scoter. At Ferrybridge there was 211 Mediterranean Gulls, 42 Common Tern, 42 Ringed Plover, 134 Dunlin, 4 Sanderling and singles of Yellow-legged Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Turnstone and Sandwich Tern.

Immigrant moths at the Obs consisted of 6 Silver Y, 4 Rusty-dot Pearl, 5 Dark Sword Grass, 6 Diamond-back Moth and singles of  Jersey Tiger, Four-spotted Footman and  Buff Footman




Rook and Willow Warbler, Portland Bill, 30th July 2016 © Anthony Bentley

And thanks to Pete and Debby Saunders for a selection of photos of some of the action at Ferrybridge over the last couple of days; three from Pete:




...and two from Debby: