21st June

A day with no compensations for the absence of the Royal Tern: 2 Bullfinches and a Wheatear were new at the Bill, 8 Common Scoter, 5 Manx Shearwaters and 2 commic terns passed through on the sea there, 50 Swifts passed over at Portland Harbour where singles of Gannet, Curlew and Mediterranean Gull were logged and 9 Dunlin, 4 Sandwich Terns, 3 Shelduck and 2 Curlew were at Ferrybridge.

We're not sure that Billy Winters CafĂ© beside Portland Harbour really qualifies as the sort of elemental location that usually lures life's fruitcakes out to witness a mid-summer's day dawn but today it hosted a gaggle of birders hoping to clap eyes on the Royal Tern as the sun rose - sadly, their vigil went unrewarded © Martin Cade:


The days of Dark Green Fritillary being a frequent sighted butterfly at Portland are very long gone so this afternoon's discovery by Andy Dyball and Erin of this one at Inmosthay Quarry was a notable event; whether it's still hanging on as a resident insect remains to be established - vagrancy from the Purbeck Hills seems just as likely when there's a brisk northeasterly blowing like there was today © Erin Taylor: