A calm morning produced a surprisingly large arrival of grounded migrants with 300 Chiffchaffs, 160 Blackcaps, a Dartford Warbler, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Whinchat of note. There was also a large movement of birds overhead with a Hobby, a Woodlark, 5,000 Swallows, 1,000 House Martins, four Tree Sparrows, three Yellow Wagtails, three Grey Wagtails, four Lesser Redpolls, 425 Siskins and 26 Reed Buntings. The sea was uninspiring with just four Mediterranean Gulls and four Arctic Skuas of interest.
The moth traps provided plenty of excitement with six Palpita vitrealis, a Box-tree Moth, eight Delicates, a Scarce Bordered Straw and a major rarity in the form of a Grass Webworm Herpetogramma licarsisalis. This is only the second area and county record of this migrant.
Grass Webworm Herpetogramma licarsisalis Dungeness 30th September 2023 |