17th September

                                    

A reminder that there's an InFocus field day at the Obs between 10am and 4pm tomorrow, Sunday 18th September.

'Catastrophically clear' was the assessment of the conditions from the early net-openers at the Obs and it was certainly the coolest dawn since late spring. As expected, migrants weren't plentiful either on the ground or overhead. 

Portland Bill
Migrants Meadow Pipit 250 over + 100 grounded, Wheatear 30, Blackcap 25, Chiffchaff 25, Willow Warbler 10, Tree Pipit 8, Yellow Wagtail 5, Chaffinch 5, with lower totals including singles of Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, Redstart, Lesser Whitethroat, Goldcrest and Siskin.
Sea passage Common Scoter 15e 10w, Sandwich Tern 7w, Great Northern Diver 1e.

Moths
Selected immigrants Obs: Rush Veneer 31, Pearly Underwing 9, Turnip 6, Rusty-dot Pearl 2, Convolvulus Hawkmoth 1, Delicate 1.

One of yesterday's Spotted Flycatchers © Geoff Orton:


Once the morning warmed up we were surprised to encounter what we presume is a female Black-tailed Skimmer beside one of the paths in the Crown Estate Field. Former breeding populations at the Obs and at Yeolands Quarry fizzled out many years ago and latterly this species has only been a less than annual stray to the island; although the logged records from the breeding era are rather imperfect we can't find any reference to them having been recorded as late in the year as September © Martin Cade: