15th May

At long last a few migrants - not really that many and hardly scratching the surface when it comes to bolstering the seriously deficient May totals, but a lot more than have been in evidence just lately. The day's highlight came in the form of a Melodious Warbler that was trapped and ringed early in the morning at the Obs and was still present late in the day when it was rediscovered at the Pulpit bushes, but after a comparatively barren couple of weeks the flurry of grounded migrants was almost as welcome. The Bill area returned totals of 20 Whitethroats, 12 Spotted Flycatchers, 10 Wheatears, 8 Redstarts, 6 Reed Warblers, 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Whinchats, 3 each of Sedge Warbler and Blackcap, 2 Garden Warblers and singles of Grey Heron, Hobby, Cuckoo, Black Redstart and Willow Warbler, whilst a somewhat less of the same selection elsewhere included another Hobby and a Pied Flycatcher at Easton. The sea came up with nothing much more than a handful of Manx Shearwaters, 5 Shelducks and a Great Northern Diver through off the Bill.

Moth immigration picked up quite nicely with 2 Bordered Straw at Sweethill the highlight from overnight trapping; single Hummingbird Hawk-moths were at several sites during the day, when butterflies included several Painted Ladys and at least 1 Clouded Yellow at the Bill.



Melodious Warbler and Sedge Warbler - Portland Bill, 15th May 2015 © Martin Cade