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Sunday 14th August 2022

 Another hot one with grounded migrants again in very low numbers including 2 Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Pied Flycatcher, Reed Warbler, Swallow, Wheatear & Willow Warbler. A Grey Plover flew north & 9 Common & a Sandwich Tern were loitering. The turnover of individuals means that a Pied Fly per day will be equal to five different individuals since last Wednesday.

Ancylosis oblitella is a nationally scarce species that we do well for at this time of the year.

Ringing:1 Blue Tit, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Robin.

Saturday 13th August 2022

Today's migrants on another hot day included single Garden Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Swallow & Willow Warbler plus a visiting Great Spotted Woodpecker. 22 Cormorant came south then in as groups are now arriving for the winter.

The first site record of Duponcuella fovealis has probably escaped from a pot plant via a Garden Centre so we ain't going to get to excited about it. The larvae can be a serious pest to horticulturalists but they will keep bringing these adventive species into the country and with the climate changing it may colonise the great outdoors.

Ringing: 1 Blue Tit, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Wood Pigeon.

Friday 12th August 2022

A cloudless morning meant that despite the promising wind conditions, we had a similar day to yesterday in terms of migration. Highlights were another pied flycatcher in the compound, the first green woodpecker we've had in several days and 2 first year whitethroats. 

Dragonflies were very noticeable today, with almost double figures of migrant hawker, a southern hawker and an emperor working the net lanes.

Despite being common elsewhere, the Blood-Vein moth is scarce here. 

Ringed Birds: House Sparrow 2, Whitethroat 2. 

Thursday 11th August 2022

A very quiet day today, despite promising conditions. One pied flycatcher and a willow warbler were the only migrants of note. We still have some breeding birds, with woodpigeons taking up residence under one of our sets of steps in the compound. There are plenty of juvenile woodpigeons present around the water features. 

On the mammal front, we had our second ever record of house mouse in the observatories 40 year history. Our usual species are yellow-necked or wood mouse. During the days of military occupation they were surely more common.

                                      

Very few hawthorn moths have been noted this year.

Birds Ringed: Willow Warbler

Wednesday 10th August 2022

A couple of flocks of Cormorants have been coming in off & inland the last couple of days but difficult to know their origin.

With the winds moving around to the north-east the predicted first Pied Fly of the autumn duly arrived on cue. Another autumnal first was a Whinchat at the north end with 2 Wheatear at the southern end of the reserve the only other grounded migrants new in on, what was otherwise, a largely migrant free day.

Moth traps much quieter, despite the heat, as many of the commoner species for this time of the year are largely done & dusted. Orange Swift is an autumnal species as the days start to shorten significantly.

Ringing: 3 Starling, 1 Greenfinch, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Pied Flycatcher.
 

Tuesday 9th August 2022

Another hot and quiet day today. A few willow warblers were passing through, and yet more linnet juveniles appeared. Terns have started to feed in the river behind the observatory, quite a lot later than in previous years, it seems to be have been a late year for the three local breeding species. 

A few dragonflies were hunting the net lanes, including the first emperor in a while. 

On the moth front, Neocochylis molliculana, also known as Ox-tongue Conch, has colonised here after first being reported only a few years ago.

Birds Ringed: Linnet 2, Willow Warbler 3