9th July


A couple of information/admin matters for Obs members: first, a reminder of our AGM that'll be taking place at 4pm this Saturday - all are welcome to attend the meeting, a short/optional guided walk to explain the Countryside Stewardship management regime and the refreshments/barbeque that'll follow (an agenda for the meeting can be viewed here); secondly, we've finally got round to posting out copies of our latest report to everyone who'd been a member during 2016-18 - if you believe you were a member during this period and haven't received a report do please let us know as there are a few names on out list for which we either didn't have a current address or for which there was some other administrative query.


The fine, settled spell continued and there was enough early autumn interest to make it well worth making the most of the lovely conditions. The Hawfinch lingered for another day at the Obs, whilst migrant interest included 10 Sand Martins through over the Bill, a Yellow-legged Gull lingering offshore there, a Cuckoo at Suckthumb Quarry and 14 Dunlin, 3 Redshank and a Little Ringed Plover at Ferrybridge.

Three Dark Green Fritillarys were again knocking about around the top of the Slopes at the Bill.

The Dark Green Fritillarys look to be well-settled at the Bill and it'll be interesting to see if they persist in future years at this spot - has a small population survived here undetected or are they strays from elsewhere? © Duncan Walbridge (upper) and Martin Cade (lower):



There'd been concerns that last year's long, hot summer mightn't have done some of the blue butterflies any favours but so far the signs aren't too bleak: Silver-studded Blues certainly aren't as numerous as they are some years but they are about in all the usual spots, whilst Chalkhill Blues are only just getting out on the wing but they too look to be around everywhere they ought to be - this pair at the north of the island today were already getting on with the business © Ken Dolbear