31st July

A warm day at the Bill with a turn in weather to come hopefully might shake things up a little and drop some more birds in. On the sea today was 200 Manx Shearwater, 2 Balearic Shearwater, 65 Common Scoter, 4 Shelduck, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Teal, 14 Mediterranean Gull  and a Great Skua. On the land at the Bill there was an increase of Willow Warbler's with 70 around, also 5 Sedge Warbler, 4 Rook, 2 Grey Heron, 8 Sand Martin and singles of Wheatear, Garden Warbler, Yellow Wagtail and Stock Dove. At Ferrybridge there was 170 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Sandwich Tern, 150 Dunlin, 23 Oystercatcher, 3 Sanderling and singles of Little Ringed Plover and Whimbrel.

On the moth front at the Bill the highlight was a Devonshire Wainscot. Other immigrants included 32 Silver Y, 12 Diamond-back Moth, 6 Dark Sword-grass, 2 Rusty Dot-pearl, 2 Buff Footman and singles of Oak Hook-tip and Jersey Tiger.

Whimbrel and Oystercatchers - Ferrybridge, 31st July 2016 © Pete Saunders

And thanks to Ken Dolbear for a photo from earlier in the week of mating Chalkhill Blues: