6th May

With more clear blue skies and even less breeze than yesterday it was no surprise that numbers took a dip today. However, it was not all doom and gloom with the Hooded Crow making a return - albeit brief - visit to the Bill; a Melodious Warbler discovered in song at the Admiralty Hedge would have been an even more exciting highlight for most but it chose to shut up and go to ground the moment the first of the summoned admirers rolled up. Migrant-wise, there were few surprises amongst the smattering of late season arrivals, with 4 Pied Flycatchers scattered around the centre and north of the island the best of the passerines on offer; a welcome flurry of waders at Ferrybridge included 98 Dunlin, 11 Whimbrel (plus another 34 fly-throughs), 9 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Sanderling and 2 Knot. A little passage at sea included 164 Common Scoter and a Great Northern Diver through off the Bill.

With the exception of Bar-tailed Godwits, common waders have been woefully under-represented just lately - hopefully today's little surge in numbers is a sign of things to come; these Whimbrel were a couple of the 45 logged at Ferrybridge today © Debby Saunders: 

We've still got a bit of catching up to do from the last few days: spring migrants don't come a lot better then this male Whinchat at the Bill yesterday © Martin Cade:

And finally, we probably should have ended the day with a late flog round the middle of the island but took the easy option and nipped in to Radipole for a look at the Black-winged Stilt that had dropped in there this morning - hardly the most challenging of scarcities to either see or identify but always a characterfully incongruous sight in this country © Martin Cade: