9th November

With the dry beginning and end of the day punctuated by a spell of heavy rain birding opportunities were limited today. New arrivals weren't in evidence in any numbers, with a Siberian Chiffchaff at Pennsylvania Castle the only out of the ordinary report on the land and a fly-by Spotted Redshank at Ferrybridge the best overhead; the Black Brant was also again at Ferrybridge.

Mixed race courtships have been observed several times in the past at Ferrybridge and it looks like one of these has resulted in successful breeding; the youngsters certainly have the look of something of a half-way house between Pale-bellied and Dark-bellied Brent and goose aficionados may well have some inkling from behaviour and the like as to which sex each parent is. It'd be interesting to discover whether they bred in Canada or Russia - either way, one of the parents found itself a long way away from where it itself had been raised © Pete Saunders: