A very welcome improvement in the weather - an improvement in terms of at least not getting a soaking rather than any improvement that might be beneficial migrant-wise - saw just one passing shower during the morning. Sadly, there wasn't any increase in common migrant numbers but a few island scarcities were of interest: a Hooded Crow arrived in off the sea at the Bill, a Yellowhammer dropped in briefly there, the Corn Bunting remained in the Upper Strips and a second individual showed up briefly at at Ferrybridge. The grounded migrant situation was again woeful but overhead Swallows were arriving in fair quantity throughout the morning at least. A few reports from the sea included 2 Arctic Skuas and a Great Northern Diver through off the Bill.
Not that we're after a repeat of last summer's drought but it'd be nice to think this was the last dose of rain we saw for a few days just so that the footpaths could dry out a little - having to keep wearing winter footwear at this time of year is getting pretty tiresome! © Martin Cade:
Scarcity of the day was the Hooded Crow that likely came in off the sea at the Bill - from our seawatching viewpoint behind the shelter of Pulpit Rock it was high and already past us and heading away north off West Cliffs when we spotted it so the views were rubbish but the photos do afford a clear view of the upperwing that shows it was a different individual to the rather ropey-looking bird that was around in the late winter/early spring © Martin Cade:
With a lingering singing male already present at the Bill it was a real novelty to have a second Corn Bunting show up on the island when this individual dropped in at Ferrybridge; we can't imagine that many Corn Buntings - if any at all - ever used to visit Ferrybridge when the species was a common breeding bird around the island © Joe Stockwell:
In this day and age beggars can't be choosers when it comes to getting a record-shot of a Portland Puffin - one of these years it/they won't return to the auk colony and Puffin will suddenly become a really high value bird in this neck of the woods © Martin Cade:
