Another lovely warm, sunny day but rather too lovely to have expected much of an arrival of grounded migrants. In the event, it really wasn't too bad with Chiffchaff and Blackcap reaching totals of 100 and 50 respectively at the Bill alone, overhead passage chipped with a fair bit of variety and the sea was much improved after yesterday's poor showing; the first 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese of the autumn also showed up off Hamm Beach. Variety on the ground was distinctly limited, with 2 Curlew Sandpipers at Ferrybridge easily the pick of the day's new arrivals; 2 Firecrests at Church Ope Cove were the best of the rest. Hirundines were surprisingly poorly represented overhead, but the 400 or so Meadow Pipits over the Bill had the likes of 115 alba wagtails, 42 Chaffinches and a Hobby tagging along, whilst a Great White Egret looked like it was minded to leave out to sea before chickening out. Given the benign conditions, the sea was the day's surprise package, with 2000 auks, 275 Mediterranean Gulls, 180 Kittiwakes, 26 Common Scoter, 23 Balearic Shearwaters, 4 Arctic Skuas and singles of Sooty Shearwater and Great Skua amongst others through off the Bill.
The Great White Egret - with its Little cousin trailing on behind - looked rather majestic as it trundled through the dawn sky; they're still an exciting bird to see on the island - this one was only the second of the year for us © Martin Cade:
