25th July

Almost a surprise that there's anything to report, what with another bucketload of rain and seriously reduced visibility to cope with for a good chunk of the day. The waders again saved the day, with 60 Dunlin, 40 Ringed Plovers, 13 Sanderling, 11 Turnstones, a Knot and a Redshank  at Ferrybridge; 4 Shelduck were also there and an Arctic Skua passed overhead. Another 2 Shelduck passed the Bill where a Balearic Shearwater and 20 Common Scoter were lingering offshore and a Willow Warbler was in the Obs garden; several sightings of Yellow-legged Gulls there may or may not have involved more than one individual.

The Arctic Skua just visible through the gloom at Ferrybridge this morning © Pete Saunders:

We're finding ourselves having to go back as far as perhaps 1993 for a year as poor as the current one for migrant moths; of course there's plenty of time for things to change but right now numbers and variety really are pitifully low. A Blair's Mocha from John Lucas' garden at Southwell has been this week's highlight - this species seem to be getting established along other parts of the Dorset coast so is no longer the rarity it once was but this one was our first for the year...

...perhaps the only (formerly) scarce migrant that's been better represented than usual so far this summer has been Olive-tree Pearl but we do wonder if they haven't got established not too far away

...on the local scarcity front the year's first Wormwood was on the wing this week - as far as we know Portland remains the only Dorset location with a resident population of this nationally scarce moth © Martin Cade: