Such was the frequency of outbreaks of the day's mainly drizzly rain that coverage was again less than comprehensive. The
Common Rosefinch remained at Southwell, whilst there were new singles of
Grey Heron and
Curlew over the Bill and
Whimbrel at Ferrybridge. The sea was better covered than the land, with another 55
Common Scoter through off the Bill where up to 30
Manx Shearwaters and a
Balearic Shearwater lingered offshore with a feeding flock of
Gannets,
gulls and
Common Terns. What we thought had been the first
Common Sandpiper of the autumn was heard calling over the Obs last night, but we've subsequently received a message from Nick Hopper with the results of his first overnight sound recording session of the season; Nick's list from overnight Monday into Tuesday (26th/27th) included 4 loggings of
Common Sandpipers, a party of
Knot, a
Shelduck and
Common Tern twice.
Persistent and at times quite heavy rain overnight led to a reduction in moth numbers in the traps but immigrants still featured quite strongly, with the chief prize being the island's first
Orange-rayed Pearl Nascia cilialis at the Obs; further totals from there included 121
Diamond-back Moth, 30
Silver Y, 10
Rusty-dot Pearl, 9
Dark Sword Grass, 5
Bird-cherry Ermine and 2 each of
Dark Pine Knot-horn and
Rush Veneer.
As a rather localised inhabitant of fenland and marshes - mainly in East Anglia and southeast England - and evidently rarely exhibiting wanderlust, cilialis wasn't high up our list of likely additions to the moth list © Martin Cade:
