23rd October

We've been fortunate that during what's proving to be a pretty barren spell for birds the mothing has been fantastic, with the continuing favourable overnight conditions for immigration delivering yet another addition to the island moth tally: the pyralid Cornifrons ulceratalis trapped at the Obs constituted the first British record of this species since the remarkable mid-winter immigration during December 2015 when all 17 previous records were logged; additionally, the island's fourth Dark Mottled Willow was trapped there, whilst by day another Crimson Speckled was discovered.

With it pitifully quiet for migrants on the ground it was left to overhead passage to again provide the day's bird numbers, with the Bill returning totals that included 635 Linnets, 582 Meadow Pipits and 285 Skylarks; 2 Merlins and a Woodlark were amongst the day's lower totals. The Wryneck lingered on at the Bill, where 2 Black Redstarts, 2 Dartford Warblers and a Cetti's Warbler were amongst the extremely low totals of most grounded commoner migrants. Three Arctic Skuas, 2 Velvet Scoters and singles of Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver and Great Skua passed by on the sea.