1st September

The first day of meteorological autumn it might have been but from the bird point of view it felt a lot like we were suddenly in mid-autumn, with the likes of White Wagtail, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 'crests and Siskin appearing on the list. The Bill got the bulk of the day's coverage, as much because of the continuing presence of the Wryneck at the Pulpit Bushes, but it had been far too clear and moonlit a night to have expected much in the way of a fall; double figure totals on the ground and overhead included 50 Wheatears, 40 Yellow Wagtails, 25 Willow Warblers, 13 Siskins, 12 Tree Pipits and 10 each of Blackcap and Spotted Flycatcher, whilst singles of White Wagtail, Nightingale, Chiffchaff (the first presumed migrant as opposed to lingering summerer) and Firecrest were all of particular note. Noteworthy additions to the tally from elsewhere included an Osprey over Portland Harbour, singles of Knot and Greenshank at Ferrybridge and a Great Spotted Woodpecker and the autumn's first Goldcrest at Southwell.

By far and away the most exceptional report of the day related to a Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo dragonfly seen but sadly not photographed at the Pulpit Bushes; this appears to the first report for the island although there are a couple of records of its congener, Banded Demoiselle C. splendens, which would seem on the face of it to be an equally unlikely vagrant.

Moth interest at the Obs was considerably greater than might have been expected given the apparently unsuitable overnight conditions, with several immigrants recorded in higher numbers than yesterday, including 68 Rush Veneer and 29 each of Dark Sword Grass and Silver Y; scarcer immigrants included 3 Vestal, 3 Small Mottled Willow, 2 each of Bordered Straw and Scarce Bordered Straw, a Diamond-spot Pearl Loxostege sticticalis and a Convolvulus Hawk-moth.