Roof-top Observatory

The only migrants in...

2006-06-01T20:23:00.000+01:00

The only migrants in the moth trap this morning were 2 silver y and a bordered straw. Two heart and darts were the first record of the species this year.

Storm petrels are still present...

2006-05-24T00:16:00.000+01:00

Storm petrels are still present off shore with another seen flying west in a short seawatch this morning. Also flying west were 30 fulmar, 6 gannet, and 2 great crested grebe, also a sandwich tern flew east.

Short sea-watches throughout...

2006-05-21T00:13:00.000+01:00

Short sea-watches throughout the day during breaks in the rain produced 7 european storm petrels flying west.

Just three moths in...

2006-05-16T08:43:00.000+01:00

Just three moths in the trap this morning but two were migrants, a diamond-back moth and a silver y. The other was a puss moth.

Diamond-back moth.

Puss moth.

This reed dagger was...

2006-05-15T19:26:00.000+01:00

This reed dagger was in the roof-top moth trap this morning. It is most probably a migrant or a wanderer from the nearest confirmed breeding areas in Rye Bay and Dungeness. The specimen was pretty worn which is typical of migrants.

Reed dagger.

Very little else, only a mullein shark, a couple of common quaker and a shuttle-shaped dart. Also another marbled beauty larva was present on the roof tile lichens.

Mullein shark.

No visible migration at sea or overhead.

A record moth night...

2006-05-14T19:16:00.000+01:00

A record moth night with just one common quaker in the trap this morning!

No sign of passage at sea or overhead.

Still no migrant moths...

2006-05-13T09:45:00.000+01:00

Still no migrant moths coming to the moth light but a slight increase in the number of species in the trap this morning with red twin-spot carpet, dwarf pug, brimstone moth and mullein moth all new for the year.

Brimstone moth.

The poor visibility at sea prevented any serious seawatching.

The number of moths...

2006-05-12T15:40:00.000+01:00

The number of moths coming to the moth light is still very low compared to the end of April even though the night time temperatures are higher, the bright moon must be affecting catches. No migrants and only 2 common quaker, a shuttle-shaped dart and a flame shoulder in the trap this morning.

Still very little visible migration at sea with only a small number of sandwich tern feeding close inshore.

There was a small passage...

2006-05-11T19:45:00.000+01:00

There was a small passage of woodpigeon first thing this morning when 120 flew east. Still very little sea passage, only a small group of sandwich terns flew slowly west feeding.

Also still very few moths coming to the moth light with no migrants and only a brindled pug, shuttle-shaped dart (photo) and 3 common quaker in the trap.

Shuttle-shaped dart.

Only three moths in...

2006-05-10T23:59:00.000+01:00

Only three moths in the moth trap this morning, a double striped pug, a brindled pug and a hebrew character. Hopefully things will pick up soon.

Hebrew character.

In a short seawatch...

2006-05-03T21:29:00.000+01:00

In a short seawatch yesterday morning 3 pomarine skuas, an arctic skua, a great skua, 35 common scoter, 7 whimbrel, and a bar-tailed godwit flew east amongst a trickle of eastward bound sandwich terns, common terns, arctic terns and little terns.

A slight increase in...

2006-04-24T21:26:00.000+01:00

A slight increase in the numbers of moths coming to the roof-top moth trap over night with 6 species recorded including a silver y, the first migrant of the year to come to the trap. Also of interest was a rather sparrow-pecked pine beauty which I saved in time before it became sparrow breakfast. Other species caught were 7 common quaker, 6 early grey, a clouded drab and a hebrew character.

Pine beauty.

Still very few moths...

2006-04-22T21:21:00.000+01:00

Still very few moths coming to my roof-top moth trap in West Hill Road with only 2 hebrew character and 2 early grey trapped overnight. Early grey was a new species for the year.

Early grey.

At last some spring migration...

2006-04-21T21:19:00.000+01:00

At last some spring migration was visible from here. In 1 and a half hours 360 common scoter, 170 common tern, 60 black-headed gull, 24 sandwich tern, 7 red-breasted merganser, 6 eider, 6 fulmar, 5 grey plover, 4 brent geese, 4 shoveler, 3 shelduck, 3 dunlin, a black tern, an arctic skua and 2 egret sp. were recorded flying east early morning. Coming in off the sea were 2 house martin, 2 swallow, 4 linnet, and a goldfinch.

On the sea there were 3 cormorant, a mute swan and a black-throated diver.

Still very few moths...

2006-04-15T21:17:00.000+01:00

Still very few moths coming to the roof-top moth trap with only a handful of hebrew character and common quaker. The highlight though was an early nut-tree tussock.

Nut-tree tussock.

2240 brent geese flew east...

2006-03-13T21:15:00.000Z

2240 brent geese flew east past from 10.30am to mid-day taking the Hastings/Glyne Gap day total to over 4200. Also recorded flying east were 280 pintail, 24 common scoter, 6 teal, 2 shoveler, 45 dunlin, & 4 red-throated diver.

A flock of 14 brent geese...

2006-03-07T21:12:00.000Z

A flock of 14 brent geese flew east this morning. Very little else was about except for a red-throated diver and a shelduck flying east and 18 great crested grebes on the sea.

Over 700 black-headed gulls...

2006-03-04T21:11:00.000Z

Over 700 black-headed gulls roosted at dusk close inshore.

There were over 70...

2006-02-24T21:09:00.000Z

There were over 70 great crested grebes, 3 red-throated divers and a black-throated diver offshore this evening.

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Seawatch list for 4.30-5pm (9 spp.)
red-throated diver (3), black-throated diver (1), great crested grebe (70+), fulmar (1w), gannet (2e), turnstone (20e), black-headed gull (200+e), herring gull (100+e), great black-backed gull (2e)

Over 100 great crested grebes...

2006-02-11T20:58:00.000Z

Over 100 great crested grebes were present close inshore. One very close flock of 38 was highly visible due to the flat calm sea and a pair even started to display. Also present were 30 red-throated divers and the great northern diver that has been present in the Bulverhythe/Glyne Gap area over the last few days.

Great crested grebes.

There has been next...

2006-01-30T20:51:00.000Z

There has been next to no wintering birds offshore over the last two or three weeks so it is was good to see a return to form today with 80+ red-throated divers and 50+ auks flying east this morning. Two common scoter, a kittiwake and a great crested grebe also flew east. Later in the morning 8 great crested grebes and 6 red-throated divers were present feeding offshore.

Welcome to my roof-top...

2006-01-01T23:24:00.000Z

Welcome to my roof-top observatory wildblog.