26th April

Enjoyable birding today with a steady arrival of migrants amongst which variety was a notable feature. Rarities are not figuring at all at the moment but at a local level a Treecreeper that showed up behind the former Weston Craft Centre was a quality oddity and the first reported from the island this year. Migrant-wise, the day's numbers at the Bill included 100 Willow Warblers, 60 Blackcaps, 30 Garden Warblers and 15 Sedge Warblers, whilst amongst the very full back-up list 2 Grasshopper Warblers and singles of Cuckoo, Turtle Dove, Fieldfare, Pied Flycatcher and the long-staying Bullfinch were nice bonuses; uncommon migrants reported elsewhere included 3 Pied Flycatchers and a Wood Warbler at the Craft Centre and a White Wagtail at Ferrybridge. Waders also continued to increase, with 140 Dunlin, 65 passing Whimbrel and a Knot at Ferrybridge. For the most part the sea was still quiet, with single Arctic and Great Skuas the best off the Bill; 15 migrant Little Terns over Ferrybridge were also noteworthy.

Immigrant lepidoptera featured again, with single figure totals of Diamond-back Moth, Dark Sword Grass and Silver Y caught overnight in moth-traps throughout the island and, despite the mainly dreary conditions, Painted Ladys on the wing at several sites during the day.







Little Tern, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Redstart, Sedge Warbler and Painted Lady - Ferrybridge, Southwell and Portland Bill, 26th April 2015 © Pete Saunders (Little Tern), Joe Stockwell (Common Tern and Sandwich Tern), Debby Saunders (Redstart and Sedge Warbler) and Mark Eggleton (Painted Lady)