Nice day and great night

Spent today doing a count of the birds in Pagham Harbour and doing a bit round the lodge. There was a strong northeast wind blowing, gusting to gale force, so passerines were doubling down what with adults moulting now, being largely silent and the strong wind. I made it 72 species of about 2500 individuals HERE but once again didn't cover Halseys, the Lagoon or the Spit (I ran out of time). Haven't recorded Cetti's for the last two weeks so they must have really gone to ground and basically hardly any passerines visible at all in the bushes. 

Bird highlights today were an adult Yellow-legged Gull, 2 moulting adult Spotted Redshanks, 4 Common Sandpipers, 1 adult summer Sanderling, 5 Knot, 17 Bar-tailed Godwit and good numbers of Grey Plover and Dunlin.

There were more juvenile Med Gulls around the colony so they obviously fledge later than the other birds and Ferry is largely clearing out of young birds now. There were 8 Little Ringed Plovers but only 9 Avocet. 

So overall, what with the first YLG of the autumn and an increase in waders it was a nice little day in the field.   

However the moth traps this morning were once again more exciting than the birding (often the case this time of year) . It's not often I get three moth lifers in one night in the garden so last night was pretty exceptional. 

I thought that the heatwave was only due to last another day or two so I spent some more time recording the inverts in the garden. Had a nice selection of butterflies again including the year's first Small Tortoiseshell. However by the looks of the recent forecast the heat wave is set to continue which is a bit concerning as everything is beginning to look very dry locally (apart from the oasis in the garden I'm trying to create). 

Adult Spotted Redshank with Blackwits 

The wader roost on East Side is growing. Dunlin, Knot, Sanderling, Turnstone, Barwit and Grey Plover in this photo. 

The gull and tern colony at Norton is still going strong- birds everywhere still

Adult Yellow-legged Gull and Greater Black Back. Presumably the regular returning bird marking another milestone in the progress of autumn. 

Another sign of autumn is the hirunndines on the wires in the lane. Also a few Sand Martins around and moving through 

Green Arches (above and below). Lifer. 

Orange-rayed Pearl, Nascia cilialis- Lifer

Wood Marble, Lobesia reliquana- Lifer. Now on 686 for the garden and 443 for the year

Birch Mocha- a first for garden

Lettuce Tortrix, Eucosma conterminana

Small Tortoiseshell- the first this year. Apparantely a species in trouble this year

Painted Lady on the lavender - once again the lavender was buzzing - Commas, Essex Skippers, Red Admirals, Painted Ladies, Gatekeepers, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White and Hummingbird Hawkmoth (below) were feeding on them today

Once again the garden was alive with insects, mainly on the wild carrot, lovage and lavender. Latest inverts observations HERE