29th June

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: