Sunday Soiree

It was a family day today so we went to Arundel wetland centre where I was hoping for an early Sand Martin amongst the pond dipping and boat rides. Alas no summer migrants, in fact apart from a White Wagtail today on North Wall there haven't been any Sub-saharan migrants on the Selsey Peninsula yet with many migrants seemingly flying over the top in the high pressure and arriving straight on their breeding grounds with Wheatears up north, Sand Martins in London (including Beddington) and LRPs inland across a wider area. There's a Garganey on Otmoor so basically the inland local patches I used to do are fairing better for early migrants than here on the south coast.

A Cattle Egret, 2 Peregrine, 2-3 Red Kite, a Bullfinch and a few Chiffchaffs were at Arundel and there were also about 100 Common Gulls and a few Med Gulls. 

In the evening I went owling and managed to find the Barn Owl around Halseys/Horton Fields and there were two Long-eared Owls still but I dipped the Little Owls at Little Welbourne despite them being seen more or less every day recently and me being armed with thermal scope, beams and sound playbacks. 

A few new moths last night including Clouded Drab, Small Quaker and Light Brown Apple moth and also I might be a bit closer in identifying the mystery micros I've been getting.

Barn owl over Horton Fields (above and below)

Long-eared Owl 

Male Kestrel at North Wall 

Female Pochard at Arundel 

Cattle Egret at Arundel

Caught another two of these last night and they all look rather similar so I don't think they are a worn Agonopterix anymore but maybe something like Depressaria sordidatella. The CMR says its a dissection job so I've started asking around to see who might be able to help with that