June 3rd
Both yesterday and today the island has hosted the sudden appearance of literally millions of a tiny moth called a Diamond-back. They arrived with the NE winds apparently an uncommon wind direction for the island. Local Moth expert David Wedd says he has never seen a population explosion of this species here and that this species is African. This begs the question how on earth have they turned up on NE winds. The insect-eating passerines are certainly enjoying them !
A busy Obs moth trap again this morning as follows: 3 White Ermin, 3 Shuttle shaped Dart, 3 Willow Beauty, 8 Heart and Dart, 8 Marbled Minor, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Rusty dot Pearl, 2 Flame Shoulder, Brown silver-line, Campion, 2 Ruby Tiger, Dark Arches, 2 Drinker, 5 Cream Spot Tiger, Green Carpet, 3 Yellow Belle, 3 Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Vine’s Rustic, 3 Buff Ermin, Rustic Shoulder Knot, 2 Brimstone, and 4 Shuttle shaped Dart
A Hobby rocketed across the golf course this morning and the pair of Peregrine were again over Essex Castle hill. A single Shelduck was on Bray Beach.
Ringing produced a handful of new birds ,2 Reed and 2 Sedge Warbler, 1 Swallow and a Blackbird.
Spring ringing totals if we are to consider Spring as 1st March to 31st May were 4090 new birds ringed. This included 10 species never ringed on the Island before, and 1 species (Western Boneli’s Warbler) never previously recorded on Alderney.