4th July

The birds seem to be forgetting that this is a time of year with a rich rarity heritage, with today chipping in absolutely nothing on that front. The only reports from the Bill were from the seawatchers who logged a rather measly 38 Common Scoter, 12 Manx Shearwaters, 6 Black-headed Gulls and 4 Sandwich Terns. Elsewhere, the Ferrybridge Mediterranean Gull tally leapt to 51.

Overnight conditions had looked very promising indeed for immigrant moth activity, with thunderstorms tracking quickly across the Channel soon after dusk. However, there was only a modest increase in numbers and a Scarce Light Plume Crombruggia laetus at the Grove was the sole notable rarity; the Obs tally of immigrants/dispersers consisted of just 14 Diamond-back Moth, 3 Cream-bordered Green Pea, 2 each of Cock's-head Bell Zeiraphera isertana and Small Mottled Willow and singles of European Corn-borer, Rusty-dot Pearl, Rush Veneer, Warted Knot-horn Arcobasis repandana and Buff Footman.


Scarce Light Plume - The Grove, 4th July 2015 © Martin Cade

With autumn passage beginning to get going we're looking forward to Nick Hopper being in residence as often as possible to carry on with his nocturnal sound recording project. Nick did give it a try early this last week and although 'proper' migrants were conspicuously absent he did log yet another Moorhen - we hesitate to deem this as unseasonable since Nick's work seems to be showing that any season's Moorhen season!
 


...and, from the same night, one for the Hazards and hindrances of the sound-recordist category - in this instance it was Bessie the Obs cat wandering up to say hello to the recording gear during the early hours: