A first for Sussex - Samphire Straw, Aethes Bilbaensis

An exciting result from the latest batch of dissections by Mike Bailey with a Samphire Straw, Aethes bilbaensis, confirmed by Peter Hall and confirmed as a first for Sussex by Colin Pratt. 

Very pleased indeed. 

I was feeling a bit left out because the other two main moth trappers on the Peninsula had both hit the jackpot this year with Mike having a Druid and a couple of Eastern Bordered Straws and Derek had the Maize Wainscot so now I'm in the club- although I did need the local gurus to identify it for me!  Thanks guys! 

The moth was caught on 13th August, a very busy night for migrants and dispersives during the fifth heat wave HERE. 

This is the first for Sussex (both West and East) and a new addition to the Little Oak Lodge hall of fame which includes the 2nd Echium Stilt for West Sussex HERE and the first Pretty white-barred for West Sussex HERE. Good to be making a little bit of local history. 

The species is also a national rarity. Sean Clancy has kindly informed me that there were five UK records prior to 2026 but there have been around three records this year including our record so this is the 6th,7th or 8th record for the UK so a national mega.   

Samphire Straw, Aethes bilbaensis (above and below) 

Isles of Scilly 2026, Day Five, Final Day

Sadly today (14th) was my last day on Scilly. This autumn has been a great nostalgic autumn following a visit to Devon and Cornwall in September and this visit to Scilly. It's been great to reminisce. 

I decided to go rarity hunting onn my last day after a week of social birding and twitching so I set off to the north of the island and then over to Watermill before coming down Holy Vale and then back to Porthloo via Rocky Hill HERE. Highlights included 2 Yellow-browed Warbler, 2-3 Firecrest and a few common migrants including Yellow Wagtail, Siskin, Blackaps, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. So no rarity for me but an Isabelline-type Shrike was found at Porth Hellick and there was a new White-rumped Sandpiper, a Richard's and a Red-throated Pipit across the archipelago today so new birds were in. 

I got the Scillonian back - it was good to bump into Adam Wilson, another blast from the past. The Scillonian crossing was pretty quiet with just a few European Stormies and Puffins and a single Sooty Shearwater. 

The moth trap at the Porthloo holiday flat was interesting again. Over the three days trapping there we caught a couple of Scilly scarcities/rarities so the back up/insurance rarity finding plan kicked in again. In fact there was some massive news from back home in the dissection results that I dropped off with Mike a couple of weeks ago- more to come on that later. 

6 bird year ticks on this mini-trip taking my year list to 937 HERE. 

Firecrest 

Yellow-browed Warblers (above and below), two different birds in Holy Vale

Willow Warbler (above) and Chiffchaff (below) 

Lesser Whitethroat- not as richly marked as the St.Martin's bird but presumably most of these this time of year are Eastern birds 

Puffin from the Scillonian- the first time one has appeared (photo) on this blog

Echium Stilt, Dialectica scalariella- this tiny fella produced a small twitch in the Atlantic pub. A Scilly scarcity/rarity

Grass Webworm, Herpetogramma licarsisalis- another good one 

Madder Pearl, Mecyna asinalis- a lifer but regular on Scilly 

Marbled Fern, Musotima nitidalis- new for Cornwall in 2024 from a Scilly record, this species as gone from zero to hero with now being established on Scilly 

Blair's Mocha- not that regular on Scilly 

Whitespeck- up to 25 a night. 

Radford's Flame Shoulder (with another Opogona omoscopa) - up to three of these. Also on the migrant front had Four-spotted Footman and Pearly Underwing nd up to 3 Silver-Y, 2 Rusty-dot and 4 Rush Veneer a night 

St.Mary's. Great to re-visit. Thanks to Ian, Andrew, Paul and Rob for letting me crash at theirs at St.Mary's and to Jaffa and Helen on St. Martin's. 

Isles of Scilly 2026, Days Three and Four, St.Martin's

After a morning's birding yesterday with the Selsey crew around St Mary's HERE (highlights included terrible views of both Wryneck and Jack Snipe)  I headed off to St.Martin's in the afternoon to meet up with Jaffa. 

We spent the afternoon birding around Middle Town HEREand then today we explored more of the island HERE. Highlights included Yellow-browed Warbler, 3 Pied Flycatchers, Tree Pipit and a Blythi-type Lesser Whitethroat. 

It was great to see Jaffa and Helen and recount the rarity finding stories from Jaffa's ten year 'project'. Now in his ninth year, he has spent three weeks every autumn on St.Martin's rarity hunting and collected a nice bag of cracking finds including Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-eyed Vireo, Pallid Harrier, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Rustic Bunting, Radde's Warblers and more. It was great to visit all the spots the magic happened.

Sadly it's my last full day on Scillies and tomorrow afternoon it's back on the Scillonian. A Red-eyed Vireo was found today on St.Agnes and a Surf Scoter on Tresco, meanwhile on Corvo, Hooded Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Dicksissel, Grey-cheeked Thrush and more REVs have been discovered and there's also a Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Ireland, so plenty of yanks this side of the Atlantic, so fingers crossed for something new tomorrow.

First-winter Pied Flycatcher

Yellow-browed Warbler

Tree Pipit

Blythi-type Lesser Whitethroat- a striking bird with rufous upperparts with a bit of imagination almost the colours of a mini Red-backed Shrike

Another shot of the cracking Pied Fly 

Isles of Scilly 2026, Day Two- Rain Day

Unfortunately today was a bit of a wash out in the morning and a blow out by the afternoon. However we perservered and did 3.5 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon around St. Marys with 56 species logged HERE. Sadly no real highlights but a few migrants including Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Wheatear, 3 Redwing and a Yellow-browed Warbler calling from Lower Moors.

The moth trap provided a bit of additional interest with a few migrants including 12 White-speck, Silver Y, Rusty-dot, Rush Veneer with Swallow-tail Moth and a few Feathered Ranunculus the best of the rest. There was also what I presume is an Eastern Detritus moth, Opogona omoscopa which is a recent colonist on Scillies HERE. 

The magical Scilly views saved the day, Looking over Porthloo beach towards Hugh Town (above) and things getting rather wild at Peninnis by the afternoon (below) 

Sedge Warbler

Presumed Eastern Detritus moth, Opogona omoscopa- a lifer if confirmed 

Feathered Ranunculus 

Isles of Scilly 2026 Day One

I started the day off at Sullivan's Cafe (the greasy spoons portakabin in the Scillonian car park) which I couldn't believe was still there. The Scillonian crossing was pretty lively HERE with highlights including 2 Puffin, 1 Grey Phalarope, 26 European Storm Petrel, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 6 Manx Shearwater, 1000+ Razorbills, a few Guillemot, hundreds of Gannets and a Wilson's Storm Petrel candidate.  

After arriving on St. Mary's we stocked up at the Co-op and then checked into our rental house in Porthloo. Then Ian marched us all out and we did a circuit from Lower Moors to Porth Hellick back up Holy Vale and then past Rocky Hills back to the house HERE A nice haul on the first day with the first-winter Sora and Wilson's Snipe bagged and also a juv Pectoral Sandpiper and a Yellow-browed Warbler. 

Really nice to be back to Scilly and surprisingly unlike so many other places over the last 20 years, nothing has really changed. Magic. 

First-winter Sora (above and below) at Porth Hellick 

Wilson's Snipe (above) at Lower Moors 

Juv Pec at Porth Hellick- sadly got taken by a Sparrowhawk this evening. RIP. 

European Storm Petrels 

Looks like a Wilson's Storm Petrel. There's also been a suggestion for Leach's although I thought it looked roughly similar size to the European Storm Petrels- a comparison photo HERE

Razorbills and Guillemots

Wilson's Snipe, another video HERE

Journey to Scilly

I set off this morning at 530am and first stop was Davidstow Airfield where I caught up with Ian, Andrew, Paul and Robb, this week's crew. They had located the Buff-breasted Sandpiper that fortunately was still present. A few other bits there included a Ruff, 4 Ringed Plover, 8 Golden Plover, 4 Lapwing and a Yellow-legged Gull HERE.

Next stop was Victoria services for the first pasty of the week before continuing on to Drift reservoir. I set off to walk round the reservoir but the heavens opened and completely soaked me so I turned round. There was a Spotted Sandpiper and a Kumlien's Gull reported earlier in the day but after a chat with a couple of birders there was some controversy over the Sandpiper so after a break in the rain I quickly located the Iceland/Kumlien's Gull distantly and then headed off for a nostalgic visit to the Kenidjack Valley.

I did my Uni dissertation on the Kenidjack Valley so it was wonderful to revisit, despite the rather wild and windy conditions. A few birds in there HERE with highlights included Chough, Firecrests, Chiffs, a Willow Warbler and a Reed Warbler. 

I then had a quick look at the Hayle Estuary before fish and chips and then checking in to the Hayle Premier Inn ahead of the catching the Scillonian tomorrow morning .

Juv Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Juv Ruff (above) at Davidstow. Nice to see one this year in Cornwall after dipping a few weeks ago. 

Adult Yellow-legged Gull 

Iceland/Kumlien's Gull at Drift

Reed Warbler at Kendijack- they always look rare this time of year in bushes 

Kenidjack Valley- good memories 

Pre-Scilly

The journey to Scilly starts early tomorrow so I spent today getting all the work done and getting ready. I managed to get in a bit of a garden birding HERE with highlights being the autumn's first Redwing, a flock of 40 Golden Plover over the fields, a Red Kite over, 4 Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, a Goldcrest, 3 Song Thrush over, 4 Siskin, at least 9 Chaffinch,  a few Skylarks, Mipits and alba wagtails and a large gathering of Stock Dove in the field opposite. The Tawny Owl has been calling most nights recently too.

In the evening I popped out for a check of Ferry and Long Pool where highlights were 18 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, 3 Yellowhammer and 4 Snipe and a Water Rail on Long Pool. 

Today was the first day this autumn I didn't see any hirundines. 

If all goes to plan, first stop tomorrow will be Davidstow to twitch Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Three days ago there were four birds, yesterday there were three birds and today only one left so it's touch and go!

Female Stonechat (above and below). The excellent autumn for Stonechat continues with 18 around Ferry and Long Pool , another 15 or so by the Horsefield, birds at North Wall and still 25 or so at Medmerry. 

Yellowhammer

Wheatear