26th May

Although a brief Golden Oriole at the Bill stole the show from the rarity point of view it was Spotted Flycatcher that was again the day's feature bird, including a good 70 through or lingering at the Bill. Two brief Tree Sparrows also passed though at the Bill, whilst additional commoner migrants there included 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Whinchats, 3 Wheatears, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Willow Warblers and a Hobby; Swifts and hirundines dribbled through but in numbers well short of those logged on most recent days. Manx Shearwaters remained offshore in small numbers but an Arctic Skua was the only other noteworthy sea sighting at the Bill.

Overnight immigrant moth numbers at the Obs dwindled to just 2 Diamond-back Moths and a single Rusty-dot Pearl.

The Golden Oriole did one of their usual tricks of being watched dropping into one clump of trees before eventually slipping away fast and high - and only noticed in the nick of time - from a completely different spot © Ted Pressey: 

Spotted Flycatcher has very much bucked the trend and staged a strong showing this spring: 87 have been trapped and ringed to date at the Obs - a total more than double the average catch in the last few springs; 2013, with a total of 101 ringed, was our best spring ever but that year did include the remarkable events of 1st June when 1000 birds passed through at the Bill © Ted Pressey: