With their frequent skulking followed by explosive bursts into the sky, juvenile Skylarks are often underappreciated, but we think their spangled camouflage is pretty impressive ©Erin Taylor:
30th July
With a hint of east entering the wind over night, it was with great hope that we opened all of the nets, following on from yesterdays success. However, in our experience, birds are about as predictable as the weather (you can have a go, but you can't always spot the hurricane) and the trickle of migrants yesterday was slowed to just single figures today. Amongst the migrants present were 10 Willow Warbler, two Grasshopper Warblers and singles of Reed and Sedge Warbler as well as two apiece of Yellow Wagtail and Tree Pipit. The sea was almost entirely devoid of migrants with singles only of Manx Shearwater, Yellow-legged Gull, Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Ferrybridge showed a little extra variety with the first returning Red-breasted Merganser, three Sanderlings, two Curlews, four Turnstones and the usual mix of small waders.
