1st October

A new month but the same old weather and not too much change in the birding (...or the mothing). Clear skies and a brisk easterly remained the order of the day but the volume of visible passage took quite a dive, with a mere trickle overhead at the Bill where yesterday there'd been so much; a Marsh Harrier leaving to the south was easily the pick of the passage there. On the ground 3 ater Coal Tits at Wakeham seemed almost overdue with so many showing up elsewhere, whilst Firecrests increased to at least 8 at the Bill. The day's tally otherwise included most species that would be expected, albeit with nothing in quantity or particularly worth a mention.

Singles of Bordered Straw and Scarce Bordered Straw at the Obs and White-speck at West Grove Terrace were the best of the few immigrant moths caught overnight.

Marsh Harrier and Lesser Whitethroat - Portland Bill, 1st October 2105 © Keith Pritchard (Marsh Harrier) and Martin Cade (LWT)

 

...blythi seems to have become the default ID of late September onwards LWTs but we wouldn't venture to suggest which this might be without recourse to more instructive photographs or, preferably, catching it.

 

 We mentioned Nick Hopper's most recent visit - on 28th/29th September - a couple of days ago, and Nick's now gone through the rest of that night's recordings. Although we've had hardly a sniff of thrush passage by day the recordings clearly show they've got going at night, with totals of 18 Song Thrushes, 3 Redwings, 3 Blackbirds and a Ring Ouzel logged on 28th/29th; amongst the other captures that night this Water Rail was of note: