After yesterday's disappointing washout, this morning's dreary skies after a night of further occasional drizzly rain were altogether more fruitful, dropping a nicely varied and numerous selection of later season arrivals. Everything expected was well-represented on the ground, including notable totals of 300 Willow Warblers, 150 Wheatears, 35 Garden Warblers and 20 Whinchats at the Bill, whilst amongst the less regulars 2 Ring Ouzels and singles of Cuckoo, Black Redstart and Pied Flycatcher dotted about the island were of interest. As might have been expected, wader numbers also picked up with 83 Dunlin, 40 Bar-tailed Godwits and 11 Whimbrel among the mix at Ferrybridge. The sea remained the poor relation with plenty of watching coming up with just 3 Red-throated Divers, 3 Arctic Skuas and singles of Gadwall, Great Skua and Pomarine Skua though off the Bill.
Some of today's migrant activity: Garden Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher © Debby Saunders...
...Common Scoters © Peter Moore petermooreblog...
...Whinchat © Paul Hopwood...
...and Turnstone, Greenland/Iceland Wheatear and Continental Song Thrush © Martin Cade:
An Arctic Skua this evening doing what Arctic Skuas do - being nasty pieces of work...
...and the Turnstone not doing Turnstones do but looking great all the same © Martin Cade