When the predicted south easterlies failed to materialize (instead a straight northerly at dawn, that moved to the east through the morning), we gave up on our hopes of a mega in the Crown Field. With the temperature rapidly climbing, it was unsurprising that there was very little evidence of any movement (in fact of the four
Willow Warblers trapped in the garden, two were recent re-traps and a third has been moulting here since the 14th July). Two new
Skylarks, one shabby adult and a pristine juvenile, brought the summer trapping total to 14, but the nets were otherwise unperturbed by their avian quarry. The sea added little to the days excitement with a virtually impenetrable heat haze developing by around 9o'clock; highlights included two
Balearic Shearwaters and a lone
Bonxie. Elsewhere, Ferrybridge saw just one addition to the usual small wader flocks of a
Wheatear and a lonesome
Shelduck.
The day's highlight was without doubt Debby Saunders' overnight catch at Sweethill of Britain's first Eupithecia breviculata - more to follow on this before long © Martin Cade/Debby Saunders:
Wednesday night's Pale Shoulder from Weston, the fifth for the island © Duncan Walbridge:
Despite the Shelduck seeming to be alone, its encouraging to see one get to this size. It seems everyone has stories of watching the poor black and white balls of fluff being picked off by every predator under the sun, but very few recollections of families of larger juveniles © Pete Saunders:
