The four Redshanks at Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders:
16th August
Migration-wise, today was a bit of a curiosity, with just two species - Wheatear and Willow Warbler - well-represented on the ground at the Bill but rather little by way of back-ups there; overhead passage was also short and sharp with both Swallow and Sand Martin giving every indication that they'd get going in quantity before completely fizzling out; waders were also unusually prolific there - more than 70 in total - but the majority were frustratingly distant and defied firm identification. The grounded Wheatear and Willow Warbler totals at the Bill reached 120 and 70 respectively, with 2 White Wagtails and singles of Whinchat, Garden Warbler, Pied Flycatcher and Spotted Flycatcher all of additional note there; 190 Sand Martins, 150 Swallows and 75 Swifts dominated the numbers overhead, with 11 Cormorants, 7 Ringed Plovers, 6 Tree Pipits, 2 Grey Herons and singles of Little Egret, Little Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Snipe and Redshank among the other movers overhead. The Ferrybridge wader tally was also varied and included 4 Redshank, 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Knot, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Greenshank. In a gentle northeasterly and increasingly hot conditions the sea was unsurprisingly quiet, with 5 more Arctic Skuas the best on offer off the Bill.
