17th September

No day with Wryneck and Hoopoe topping the listings ought to be dismissed but there was a feeling that, these to long-stayers aside, today could have been better, what with a north-easterly having sprung up overnight and the strength of Meadow Pipit and hirundine passage suggesting there was a lot on the move. An almost subliminal Ortolan Bunting was reported from Top Fields but this didn't linger for wider appreciation and there was precious little else of any note bar 2 early doors only Little Stints at Ferrybridge. On the common migrant front all the numbers were overhead, with probably well in excess of 1500 Meadow Pipits and 2500 mixed hirundines through at the Bill; the spread on the ground was hardly impressive although there were signs of, for example, Goldcrest numbers beginning to creep up.

Red Admiral butterflies were impressively numerous everywhere, with a sample count of 150 at Barleycrates Lane alone; a constant succession also looked to be purposefully on the move into the brisk north-easterly.

Immigrant moth totsls were only reported from the Obs, where 3 Pearly Underwings, 2 each of Rusty-dot Pearl and Rush Veneer and singles of Dark Sword Grass and Delicate were trapped overnight.

Yesterdays Little Stints were back at Ferrybridge for a while early in the morning © Pete Saunders (upper) and Debby Saunders (lower): 

This Sparrowhawk was trapped and ringed at the Obs © John Martin: 

You can never get enough of a Wryneck and the Obs Quarry bird has been putting on a particularly good show this weekend © Simon Colenutt  the deskboundbirder: 

Although nocturnal immigrant moths have been rather few and far between just lately, by day Hummingbird Hawkmoths continue to be frequently seen © Dave Foot: 

The Weymouth/Portland area has been treated to a fantastic arrival of North American waders in the last week, with the latest being a Baird's Sandpiper discovered on the Fleet this afternoon © Martin Cade: