In ridiculous warmth and sunshine a fall of migrants was never going to be on the cards today but through constant attention to the sky (...it needed it because a lot of the movement was pretty high up) a decent enough tally of overhead movers was accrued. The totals from the Bill included 320
Linnets, 280
Pied Wagtails, 230
Meadow Pipits, 100
Goldfinches, 86
Siskins, 54
Skylarks, 30
Chaffinches and 10
Reed Buntings, with the first
Woodlark of the autumn amongst the tag-alongs. On the ground, the
Grey Phalarope remained at Ferrybridge and a subliminal
Coal Tit passed through at the Bill, but with the exception of nearly 50
Stonechats at the Bill there was almost nothing else worth a mention. The sea was worth a watch, with 80
Kittiwakes, 22
Balearic Shearwaters and 2
Arctic Skuas through off the Bill.
As they have done rather a lot just lately, the moths stole the show with second island records of Oleander Hawkmoth (at Southwell © Mark Sterling) and Sword-grass (at the Obs © Martin Cade) the best of the night's migrants; back-up scarcities included 2 Porter's Rustics, a Golden Twin-spot and a Maize Moth Spoladea recurvalis
