This morning felt like a true autumnal morning with plenty of birds flicking around the garden at first light. This apparent passage passed very quickly with the warming weather and clearing skies. However, the numbers early on amassed to: 60+ Willow Warblers, 4 Pied Flycatchers, 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff, 6 Wheatears, 4 Sedge Warblers and 1 Whinchat. The highlight of the morning came from a Crossbill, originally seen flying over Culverwell, that then pitched briefly in the Holm Oak before flying well over the net and away. Sea totals were much the same as usual with: 4 Yellow-legged Gulls, 7 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Black-headed Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Scoter, 85 Manx Shearwater, 3 Balearic Shearwater, 1 Guillemot and 1 Whimbrel.
Ferrybridge had an impressive number of Ringed Plovers with 50 recorded at the high tide. Other species included: 4 Sanderling, 5 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel, 36 Dunlin, 6 Little Tern, 9 Sandwich Terns, 1 Willow Warbler and 2 Wheatears.
Moth numbers were slightly down on recent nights with: 19 Silver Y, 58 Diamond-back Moths, 6 Dark Sword Grass and 5 Rusty-dot Pearl.
Wheatears are becoming increasingly conspicuous with double figures looming on the horizon © Debby Saunders:
