28th August

A crystal clear night and bright, sunny day was extremely welcome after such a soggy week but didn't do much for dropping migrants - but it was certainly a pleasure being out looking for what few there were. It was actually the sea the came up with the day's main interest, with a strong showing of Balearic Shearwaters off the Bill: a steady westward passage through the morning totalled 96, before a gathering of at least 50 lingerers appeared in the tide race; 2 each of Arctic Skua and Great Skua also passed through there. Although there was a limited visible passage overhead, including at least 40 Yellow Wagtails and 5 Grey Wagtails over the Bill, the land was the poor relation: a Green Sandpiper at Coombefield Quarry and a Nightingale still in the Obs Quarry were the best of the scarcer migrants, whilst none of the commoner migrants even managed a double figure total at the Bill.

The moth-traps were busier than in recent nights but immigrant numbers were still far from impressive, with singles of Delicate, Bordered Straw and Scarce Bordered Straw the pick of the Obs catch; at dusk at least 2 Convolvulus Hawk-moths were visiting Nicotiana flowers at the Obs.