You do wonder just how much more would have been found over the last fortnight or so had there have been anything even approaching adequate coverage of the island as a whole; as it is, the mist-nets at the Bill and cursory attention given to odd hotspots like Ferrybridge have been tapping into one of the best starts to autumn passage for many years and continued to do so today. The only passerine reports came from the Bill/Sweethill, where the season's first
Spotted Flycatcher and second
Crossbill were the best of the bunch amongst an arrival that also included 60
Willow Warblers, 30
Sedge Warblers and 2
Pied Flycatchers. The sea didn't provide rewards appropriate for the lengthy attention given to it, with 4
Balearic Shearwaters, a
Teal and a
Sanderling easily the highlights amongst an otherwise very mundane selection from the Bill.
Young have successfully fledged from one Barn Owl breeding site on the island in the last week and we're hoping this adult at another site might also have young about to emerge © Verity Hill:
Couldn't resist this Sanderling in the early morning light at Ferrybridge
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— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) August 1, 2025 at 5:02 PM
It was distant and through a window but this is the 1st Spotted Flycatcher that we've seen in the garden this year
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— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) August 1, 2025 at 4:58 PM
