The murky skies of dawn that preceded an otherwise gloriously warm and sunny day had an air of promise about them but certainly didn't deliver. Apart from a fair-sized gathering of off-passage hirundines over the fields only
Yellow Wagtail,
Wheatear,
Sedge Warbler and
Whitethroat managed double-figure totals at the Bill, where a
Grasshopper Warbler and the autumn's first passage
Grey Wagtail provided the best of what little else could be uncovered; elsewhere, 3
Pied Flycatchers at Southwell wouldn't have attracted much comment in a routine late August but merited 'birds of the day' status this year. Ferrybridge continued to draw in the numbers, with 3
Sanderling, 2
Common Sandpipers and a
Whimbrel providing a bit of minor interest.
One of the three Pied Flycatchers at Southwell today © Debby Saunders:
Clouded Yellows haven't exactly been numerous this year and we can't remember a mention of a helice individual until this one showed up near Culverwell today © James Phillips:
Rather unexpectedly there looked to be a mass clear out of Painted Lady butterflies today; Hummingbird Hawkmoths though were still popping up pretty widely - this one was at Thumb Lane © Ted Pressey:
