3rd July

This time of year can be pretty wearying what with very long days followed by late night excursions petrel-catching and moth-trapping so it's good to have some keen young visitors in residence who've been out from the crack of dawn. They were rewarded today with what must surely be a Portland record flock of 11 Gadwall through off the Bill, where 34 Mediterranean Gulls, 25 Manx Shearwaters, 24 Common Scoter and singles of Arctic Skua and Great Skua also passed by. On the land another Serin appeared on several occasions at the Obs where yesterday's bird was also still about from time to time; hints of autumn passage getting going included 18 Sand Martins, 2 Ringed Plovers and singles of Lapwing and Common Sandpiper at the Bill.

Single Large Tortoiseshells were at Broadcroft and Bottomcombe, whilst a Scarce Light Plume Crombrugghia laetus at Weston was a nice immigrant highlight from overnight moth-trapping.

Unhelpfully against the light but you get the idea: one of this morning's Serins was an unringed male and was thus yet another new individual - it wasn't seen in company with the female but they both visited the Obs garden at the times through the morning © Duncan Walbridge:


Portland's got a good track record for Scarce Light Plume - last night's specimen takes the island tally to six records involving eight individuals © Duncan Walbridge/Martin Cade: