2nd October

The ultimate day of two halves: a miserable, washed-out morning (after a far damper than expected night) gave way to the most glorious afternoon of clear blue skies and unseasonable warmth. Sadly, the wet morning put paid to the majority of fieldwork and it was the only the efforts of a few stalwarts later in the day that gave the tally any respectability. Hirundines were initially displaced/disorientated by the rain when good-sized flocks milled around overhead before the clearance brought forth a strong southbound passage when totals included 400 south over the Grove area in an hour. Grounded migrants were again very patchily distributed, with relatively few at the Bill but much larger congregations of Blackcaps and Chiffchaff in the better cover up-island; there were no surprise discoveries but the likes of singles of Merlin, Redstart and Reed Warbler provided interest at the Bill, whilst late-ish singles of Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher popped up elsewhere. 

Immigrant moth numbers increased a little with another Sombre Brocade - the third trapped on the island in recent nights (all most likely of relatively local rather than distant origin) - the best of the catch at the Obs.

It was a perfect balmy afternoon for migrant hunting although the rewards didn't extend beyond the routine © Martin Cade: