10th May

An unexpectedly birdable warm and clear morning allowed for a fair bit of coverage before the wind freshened to gale force and the temperature dipped as a weather front arrived from the north. The only new species for the year-list was a timely Redpoll over Blacknor, with the island's meagre contribution to a substantial passage of Red Kites along the south coast being a single over Southwell. Routine migrants included 2 more passing Hobbys and a Merlin amongst a spread of ones and twos of typical late spring fare, whilst the sea remained largely uneventful bar 4 Arctic Skuas, a Balearic Shearwater and a Great Skua.

Even an arch villain like a Raven looks great amongst the sea of thrift at Ferrybridge (...in case you were wondering we're not wildly keen on Ravens at the moment having just started receiving reports that the egg-thieving individual is back in action at the Guillemot colony!) © Dave Foot: