Thursday 19th May 2011

A very pleasant sunny day with a gentle breeze. The day started off with a north-westerly wind becoming north-easterly and by mid-day had turned easterly. There was very little migration of note and very few grounded migrants. The highlights were a Spotted Flyactacher and a Reed Warbler. The Spotted Flycatcher turned up mid-day and was trapped and ringed within the Bird Observatory compound. The Reed Warbler was heard calling up on the butts early morning. Only 1 Northern Wheatear was found out on the reserve. 8 birds were ringed today; 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Robin, 2 Linnet and 1 Woodpigeon. Butterflies seen included Green Hairstreak, Small Copper and Common Blue. In the moth traps a cream wave, although common elsewhere, is the first of it's kind to be seen here for nine years. Also of note a Large Red Damselfly was seen by the heli pond as was a Grass Snake.