2nd August

Still not a sniff of suitable conditions for dropping passerine migrants but, maybe not surprisingly, wader variety was a feature. Ferrybridge produced the best of the latter, with 45 Sanderling, 20 Dunlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Redshanks and singles of Lapwing and Whimbrel at times during the morning; another 20 Sanderling also passed through off the Bill. The dire passerine situation saw just 2 Wheatears and 2 Willow Warbler logged at the Bill. A little movement offshore included 23 Common Scoter, 18 Manx Shearwaters, 7 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Balearic Shearwaters and 2 Mediterranean Gulls through off the Bill.

An overall small increase in immigrant moth numbers included 2 Small Mottled Willow at West Grove Terrace and singles of Marbled Yellow Pearl Evergestis extimalis and Four-spotted Footman at both the Obs and St Peter's Church, and a Bordered Straw at Reap Lane.



Black-tailed Godwits and Dunlin - Ferrybridge, 2nd August 2015 © Pete Saunders (Black-tailed Godwits) and Mike Trew (Dunlin)
 
And a poser from the dim and distant past: who are these two likely lads scheming over a cuppa in the Obs lounge back in the early 1970s?