5th May

A lovely clear, sunny day to get out birding but much too nice to expect much in the way of an arrival of migrants. Although variety remained on a par with recent days numbers took a tumble, with 50 Willow Warblers, 40 Wheatears, 15 Blackcaps, 8 Whinchats and 6 Reed Warbler making up the bulk of the grounded tally at the Bill; odds pockets of birds elsewhere saw 10 or more Spotted Flycatchers logged around the centre of the island, where singles of Grasshopper Warbler at Wakeham and Pied Flycatcher at Reap Lane where species that didn't make the list at the Bill. Waders at Ferrybridge included 22 Bar-tailed Godwits and 9 Sanderling. Overhead passage was again rather light but did include a Serin over Blacknor. Singles of Great Northern Diver and Great Skua passed by off the Bill.

The off-passage Whimbrel showed nicely in the morning sun at Ferrybridge © Debby Saunders:

The summer gull flock that's been such a feature of the last few years at the Bill gathered even earlier this year and has already been well established for several weeks. Although in its present incarnation a relatively recent feature it does hark back to events in the 1960s and 70s when there was usually a large feeding flock of Gannets and gulls offshore during the summer months. The current flock is certainly quite a spectacle and with a favourable gentle onshore breeze is audible throughout the island! © Martin Cade: