18th July

Another searingly hot day made bearable by the light south-easterly wind. Hirundine passage carried on today with 37 Sand Martin and 17 Swift. On the land highlights were 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Yellow Wagtail. Slightly more interest in the sea with 4 Yellow-legged Gull, 20 Common Scoter, 3 Shelduck, 2 "Commic" Terns, a Redshank and a Curlew. Elsewhere 2 Yellow-legged Gull at Blacknor and 15 Mediterranean Gulls, a Sanderling and 4 Little Egrets at Ferrybridge.

Moth interest came in the form of numbers rather than quality, with fresh immigrants still poorly represented. What are likely now to be home-bred Diamond-back Moths continued to increase (including 151 at the Obs) but totals at the Obs of just 6 Silver Y and singles of European Corn-borer, Rusty-dot Pearl and Dark Sword Grass were typical of immigrant numbers/variety at all the regular trap sites.

Mediterranean Gull and Yellow-legged Gulls - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, 18th July 2016 © Pete Saunders (Med Gull), Keith Pritchard (YLGull upper) and Martin Cade (YLGull lower)

...the Yellow-legged Gulls - both of which headed north past the Obs - were two of a minimum of six about the island during the course of the morning.