3rd June

The first day of rain in just under a month was a welcome change and granted some much needed moisture to the parched ground. Despite the altered weather, the birding didn't differ much: another small Reed Warbler influx saw three new birds ringed and a further five logged in the field; other land-based migration was limited to 3 Willow Warblers and singles of Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart and Wheatear. The sea, however, was a little more eventful than of late with the second day-time Storm Petrel past the Bill, a total of four Balearic Shearwaters feeding amongst the gulls; as well as an Arctic Skua and a steady passage of 28 Mediterranean Gulls.

Mallard used to be tolerably regular visitors to the island - in fact they even bred from time to time - but in recent years have become very infrequent and hardly ever get to feature with a photo on the blog - this drake was one of a pair on the saltmarsh at Ferrybridge this evening © Martin Cade: 


The busiest moth night of the year saw a few signs of dispersal, with a Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis the best of the catch at the Obs - their island total's not long reached double figures so it's still a good value moth here © Martin Cade: