13th May

Brisk westerlies don't usually do us many favours so it was quite a surprise when the shout went up this morning for a Bee-eater at the Obs - fortunately it obliged by quickly dropping onto nearby wires for a few minutes but thereafter proved trickier and was seen just briefly twice more before vanishing in the vicinity of Southwell; almost as surprising was the reappearance - for the third day on the trot - of the Sooty Shearwater off the Bill but it too couldn't be found later. Despite the unpromising conditions migrant interest perked up a little, with 20 each of Wheatear and Spotted Flycatcher scattered about the Bill/Southwell, where 3 Redstarts and a Blue-headed Wagtail provided further interest on the ground and a steady throughput of Swallows and House Martins was evident all day; waders included 20 Sanderling at Ferrybridge. The Sooty Shearwater aside, sea interest was limited to 3 Great Northern Divers and an Arctic Skua through off the Bill.

The Blue-headed Wagtail at the Bill © Martin Cade: