11th September

After yesterday's rain it was a pleasure to be out on a lovely still, bright day with a fair spread of migrants to get amongst. Whilst the numbers on the ground didn't approach anything like fall proportions most of the commoner September species had reasonable showings, including the likes of 70 Wheatears and 20 each of Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler at the Bill. It was busier overhead, with hirundines streaming through the Ferrybridge area and 35 Grey Wagtails and 20 each of Yellow Wagtail and Tree Pipit through over the Bill. The only report from the sea was of a lone Balearic Shearwater through off the Bill.

Immigrant moth totals crept back up, with 12 Silver Y, 10 Rush Veneer, 4 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 Dark Sword Grass, a Convolvulus Hawk-moth, a Pearly Underwing and, best of all, a Death's Head Hawk-moth at the Obs.

Although we've been lucky enough to catch/see several Death's Head Hawks at the Bill over the years this was only the second one that's actually made it into a moth-trap as opposed to being found settled on the grass near a trap or just randomly discovered somewhere else (we can remember one many years ago that, quite bizarrely, was first spotted settled on a beach hut a good 100 metres away by a chap 'scoping a bird from the Obs patio - surely the furthest distance that a moth has been ever been spotted and correctly ID'ed at Portland!) © Martin Cade:

And a couple of other photos from the Bill today - Little Owl and Grey Seal © Tony Hovell: