A bit of a damp squib on several levels today: rain that set in just as dawn broke washed out the first couple of hours of the day, whilst migrant numbers were far from what might have been expected given the conditions; additionally, the hoped-for arrival of quantities of immigrant moths came to nothing. The grounded arrivals list was a little more varied than of late and included the likes of 2
Spotted Flycatchers, a
Whinchat and a
Curlew Sandpiper, whilst waders also featured quite strongly both overhead and passing on the sea, including at the Bill 6 each of
Dunlin and
Turnstone, 3
Ringed Plovers, 2
Sanderlings and singles of
Golden Plover and
Greenshank; also overhead, 75
Swifts and 14
Tree Pipits were of note at the Bill. The sea was always worth attention, with 15
Balearic Shearwaters lingering off Chesil and 13
Shelducks, 12 more
Balearics, 6
Arctic Terns, 2
Arctic Skuas and a
Yellow-legged Gull through off the Bill.
We forgot to mention yesterday the season's first Bluefin Tuna close inshore off the Bill; today there were at least 3 offshore there.
After several pretty duff autumns for Curlew Sandpipers it'd be nice to think that today's quite early arrival at Ferrybridge might be the vanguard of a better passage of them but we won't hold our breath! © Pete Saunders:
