In much nicer birding conditions there was improved coverage which revealed fair variety even if numbers were still no great shakes. The day's species list was much as might be expected for late October, with Black Redstarts well represented - including 8 at both the Bill and Weston and another single at Reap Lane - along with 44 Siskins, 6 Reed Buntings, 4 Bramblings, 3 Merlins, 2 Short-eared Owls, 2 Firecrests and singles of Woodlark, Ring Ouzel and Corn Bunting at the Bill, a Yellow-browed Warbler at Avalanche Road and the Black Guillemot still off Portland Castle; a much more modest spread of commoner fare included no numbers worth highlighting. Seawatching the Bill produced singles of Great Skua, Arctic Skua and Pomarine Skua.
The night's immigrant moths included 44 Rusty-dot Pearl, 7 Silver Y, 4 Diamond-back Moth, 2 Rush Veneer and singles of Olive-tree Pearl, Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Cosmopolitan, Scarce Bordered Straw and Red Admiral butterfly at the Obs; with a similar variety and numbers in many of the other garden traps around the island.
Corn Bunting and Common Buzzard - Portland Bill, 30th October 2014 © Martin Cade
The Common Buzzard was only the second ringed on the island; due to the efforts of one of our visiting ringers later in the day a second individual was also trapped and ringed.