23rd September

Disappointingly quiet today, with no sign of overnight cloud leading to an upturn in migrant numbers. A new Wryneck did show up at the Bill but few of the more routine species managed even double figure totals on the ground at the Bill, where visible passage was also something of a non-event; elsewhere there were 3 Shelducks, 2 Knot, a Sanderling and a Yellow-legged Gull at Ferrybridge. The only seawatch reports were of 2 Great Skuas and singles of Manx Shearwater and Balearic Shearwater off the Bill.

The party of 15 or more Bottle-nosed Dolphins were again off the Bill all day.

Six Delicates and a White-speck were the best of the overnight immigrant moth catch at the Bill.

The Ferrybridge Yellow-legged Gull © Pete Saunders:



Whilst wandering around a rather birdless Broadcroft Quarry this afternoon we were surprised to flush up a Meadow Brown - a butterfly that we don't recollect seeing at the Bill for several weeks. We're not sure of the last date situation elsewhere but in a quick check of the Portland records for recent years we couldn't find a previous record for later than 20th September © Martin Cade: