My arrival at Ferry Bridge at about 06-30 this morning coincided with a cloudburst, but undeterred I continued. Despite the hour, already there were anglers, windsurfers, bait diggers etc but in their own way they help with the count by herding the Waders onto one section of sand. There wasn't really many to count but my highest Turnstone tally entered the log at 24, along with 96 Ringed Plover, 42 Dunlin and 2 Sanderling. At Sweethill I met up with John Down and we continued together to cover the barns area and Helen's Fields noting, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler a few Wheatears which was about it. At the Bill there was quite a group of Gannet feeding, accompanied by a selection of Gull but none that I could discern as an intermedius Lesser Black-back, but I'm still looking. Also on the sea there were a couple of Arctic Skua, while in the Obs Quarry the 'dark' Little Owl was on show despite the 'fresh' west sou' west wind. Bird wise there was little to add at the Observatory except an exquisite Striped Hawk-moth always an excellent insect to behold. Surely it's time for things to hot up on the bird front, so let's hope tomorrow is the day.
Striped Hawk-moth
Little Owl
