Wednesday 30 July 2014

29th-30th July

There was much slower trickle of migrants passing through the island during the 29th and 30th, and the fact that several Willow Warblers from previous days were retrapped indicates that passage has slowed down somewhat. Needless to say, Willow Warbler numbers reached 40 on both days, and single migrant Sedge Warblers were also seen. A handful of Sand Martins were seen passing through on both days, but generally hirundine passage has slowed down. The numbers of waders around The Narrows remained relatively high, with a combined total for both days amounting to: three Ringed Plovers, four Dunlins, five Whimbrels, one Snipe, 23 Curlews, five Redshanks and two Turnstones


 Juvenile Willow Warblers are arriving all over the island at the moment, attired in their banana-yellow plumage
Meadow Pipit fledglings seem to be all over the island at the moment too
There have been one or two male Northern Eggars on the wing at the moment, with such settled and warm conditions. However, we have also trapped several female moths, which are larger and almost completely yellow (as above) 
This tricky little micro is amongst a large family of species which are almost identical to one and other (coleophoridae), and can sometimes only be separated according to the appearance of the larval case (not even genitalia dissection can sort some of these ones). This particular one is Coleoiphora lithargyrinella- several adult moths and pupal cases were discovered on the east side last week, and some scruitiny of both revealed its identification This species is fairly widespread in the UK, but occurs quite locally. 
Acleris aspersana

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