12th August

A slightly improved migrant showing today saw totals of 30 Willow Warblers, 15 Sedge Warblers, 4 Whitethroats, 3 Grey Herons, 3 Wheatears, 2 Tree Pipits and singles of Ringed Plover, Redshank and Yellow Wagtail logged at the Bill; elsewhere, 5 Wheatears and 2 Whimbrel were of note at Ferrybridge. Sea interest included 13 Manx Shearwaters, 9 Common Scoter, 5 commic terns, 2 Great Skuas and a Yellow-legged Gull through off the Bill.

Moth interest was in the form of variety rather than numbers, with immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden traps that included 5 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 each of Dark Sword Grass and Silver Y, and singles of Diamond-back Moth, Marbled Piercer, Cyclamen Tortrix, Rush Veneer, Flame Carpet and Red Admiral butterfly.



Wheatear and Wasp Spider - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, 12th August 2016 © Debby Saunders (Wheatear) and Ken Dolbear (Wasp Spider)

Also thanks to Ted Pressey for sending us through a couple of results from his trying his hand last night at photographing the Perseids meteor shower - the second photograph is of the glowing vapour trail left by one of the meteorites: