The week back home

We've been back for about a week now and been cracking on at the new house. Currently in the middle of a heat wave so the moth trapping is very good with over 100 species of over 300 individuals in recent nights including a nice little haul of migrants. On over 210 species of moth already for the new garden. Irecord has gone down recently so not sure on the exact number. 

I did Ferry and Church Norton yesterday morning the highlights being a sweet little collection of waders on Ferry including Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 7 Dunlin, 3 Avocet, 3 Lapwing and 35 Black-tailed Godwit. Nice to come back just as autumn wader migration is picking up. Will focus on waders for the next few weeks round here. Also had one Redshank and 2 Whimbrel fly over the garden yesterday morning.

Also discovered a nice little wader spot at Snowshill Marsh by West Wittering beach when we took the kids out yesterday- there was an adult Yellow-legged Gull there too. 

The new garden office is going up this week so hopefully will set up the bird book library again in the next week or two. 

Adult moulting Spotted Redshank (above and below) 

Vagrant Piercer- this was top draw stuff when I was in Oxfordshire and now I'm getting four or five a night. Not sure if migrants or a coastal resident population round here. Other suspected migrants (again there might be local populations)  include Silver-Y, Diamond-back Moth, Rush Veneer, Olive-tree Pearl (below), Four-spotted Footman (below that), Plumed Fan-foot (below that, a lifer I think) and Radford's Flame Shoulder (below that too). Encouraging that there does seem to be a good back ground level of migrants so hopefully might get something rare in the future. 

Brown-veined Wainscot- had two of these this morning - a lifer 

Drinker- always a treat to see

Pinion-streaked Snout

Found a couple of dead mammals on the estate recently including this Shrew sp (above) and Mole (below) 110824 Update- Pygmy Shrew due to tail length/body length ratio (thanks Dingers for id!) 

The moth tray scene- pretty impressive. 

The new garden office going up