Thursday 7th July 2011

Blowing a gale this morning. 5 Curlew & an Oyk went south with little else of note noted. To compensate for the lack of avian activity a Spurge Hawk-moth was a cracker in the otherwise largely barren moth traps.

Wednesday 6th July 2011

First Golden Plover south of the autumn seems early to me. Also going south a handful of Curlew, a couple of Whimbrel & a Barwit. 67 Swifts south also on the move. In the moth trap another Langmaids Yellow Underwing & a Bordered Straw.

Tuesday 5th July 2011

6 Avocets and 2 Sandwich Terns south plus 2 Gannets north offshore. Lesser throats might finally have some young out judging by the alarm calls in one group of brambles on the reserve. Yesterdays prediction about Hummingbird Hawk-moths might be coming true as there are 2 by the observation point this am and maybe more elsewhere if you go and look.

Monday 4th July 2011

A Treecreeper was only our 15th ever (following on from the 14th record a fortnight ago). Yellow Wag flying over is probably a wandering juv. A Lapwing was on the reserve early morning with 8 Curlew noted going south. Plenty of baby birds around with the Robins by the obs churning out a second brood & yet more dispersing juvenile Chiffchaffs turning up. A Hummingbird Hawk-moth along the Butts following on from a couple of other records recently will hopefully be an indication of more to come - hopefully !

Sunday 3rd July 2011

Grey Heron south this am but apart from this its the usual birds in the usual places. Pyla fusca in the moth trap put in its first appearance since 1997.

Saturday 2nd July 2011

Three Little Owl babes out with mum & dad this morning to the delight off all those who came to the "Moth Morning". Bordered Straw was the highlight for me with an Eyed Hawk-moth the highlight for the punters.

Friday 1st July 2011

Redshank south was the first of the autumn. Otherwise migrants are basically dispersing juvs. Baby Wheatear still on the reserve - it looks to young to be away from its parents already ! plus several new Chiffchaffs in the bushes today. Another Langmaid's Yellow Underwing this morning plus a Bordered Straw & the first Phlyctaenia perlucidalis to put in an appearance for several years. Also worth a mention are Roesel's Bush Crickets on the Butts (although they live here we don't always get round to looking for this nationally rare species only found in coastal meadow areas).