A shocker weather-wise, with a blasting easterly freshening still further as the day went on and scuppering any real chances on the passerine front. What toil there was on the land revealed it to be single figures quiet for passerines on the ground, with only singles of Redstart and Grasshopper Warbler of note at the Bill; a little bit more overhead included three figure totals of Swallow and Sand Martin through over Ferrybridge and a fair numbers of Yellow Wagtails bombing about all over the place. Waders were a little better, notably including a high total of 7 Greenshanks overhead at Ferrybridge, whilst grounded gulls included an autumn peak count of 10 Yellow-legged Gulls at the Bill and a Common Gull at Ferrybridge. Sea movement included 196 Kittiwakes and 76 Balearic Shearwaters through off the Bill.
Seven Greenshanks is a really high total for the modern era - in fact we're struggling to remember that many since the 1970s/early 80s when there used to be a fair-sized wintering flock visible from within our recording area a little way up the Fleet towards the Bridging Camp © Pete Saunders:
A few juvenile Knot are beginning to take the place of the adults that have been quite regular at Ferrybridge for a while © Pete Saunders:
In a relatively indifferent late summer/early autumn for Yellow-legged Gulls today's 10 represented their peak total to date; although the majority have been the expected juveniles there's been a much higher than usual turn over of birds of other age classes - hitherto, second calendar year birds like this one below Culverwell this evening have been really rare visitors at this time of year ©
Martin Cade:
Scarcer than Yellow-legged Gulls at this time of year, the odd Common Gulls like this adult at Ferrybridge this evening continue to show up © Martin Cade:
