And here's number 97!

Surprise, surprise, I've put the moth trap out again tonight. I rigged it all up and went indoors to check the circuit-breaker and switch it all on. Then I went back outdoors to check that it was actually on and the light wasn't illuminating our neighbours' house.

When I stepped outside, I heard a faint, very distant call: a Quail! I really didn't expect that. We only had a garden tick last week (also in conjunction with moth trapping activity). Will there be another very soon? That would bring us tantalisingly close to the ton.

Here's a fascinating article about the weird things that Quail do. So it's possible that this bird might only have hatched this year in southern Europe or north Africa, and has headed up here to try its luck already!

Quail on Black Bush

Mike Weedon phoned at about 21:25 to say he was listening to two Quail singing from a wheat field on Black Bush Drove. By the time I got there, only one bird was singing. It didn't seem worth staying too long... after you've heard one Quail, you've heard them all, haven't you?