2nd June: the 5 Bee-eaters made another two passes over the Obs during the morning and the Turtle Dove remained there; single WW the only arrival on the ground at the Bill; c1000 Manx, 8 Balearics & a Little Tern thru on the sea; 7 Sanderlings & a Knot at Ferrybridge.
Autumn's started: Willow Warbler just trapped at the Obs that's presumably a failed breeder with a big brood patch - not sure where the nearest breeders are to here but likely a good long way away these days
1st June: 5 Bee-eaters doing a lap of the island from the Bill to the Verne and back again provided the day's highlight; the Turtle Dove remained at the Obs, with a single Chiffchaff the only other new arrival at the Bill; trickle of Manx offshore + 45 Com Scoter, a Balearic & an Arctic Skua
Obs moth-traps still quite busy last night despite the dip in temperature; 2 more Eastern Bordered Straw the best, with singles of Little Thorn (Portland's 4th ever and our 3rd in the last week) and Treble Brown-spot (fewer than 10 island records) good locally
A few more migrant moths from our Grove garden traps today incl a Purple Marbled; a Four Spotted was also only the third ever for this site. Weirdest catch was an orangey-coloured Xestia - struggling to see beyond it being an oddly-marked and v early Dotted Clay (v rare here) but comments welcome
31st May: birds played second fiddle to moths today, with very full moth-traps to inspect and a succession of fridge twitchers coming to inspect the rewards of recent nights to entertain; the Turtle Dove remained at the Obs, with c1000 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Balearics & a Greenshank passing on the sea
Last night's migrant moth highlights at the Obs included 2 Silver-spotted Veneer and singles of Eastern Bordered Straw, Ni Moth, Vestal, Bordered Straw, Small Marbled, Purple Marbled, Gem and Little Thorn, with 385 Diamond-backs and 167 Small Mottled Willows amongst the routines totals
I chanced my arm at some migrant action during my 1st ever overnight trapping session on Portland y'day, with my lone MV in the Sheat Quarry area on the East Cliffs... And it was amazing! Many thanks to Martin @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social for his helpful input - I'll definitely be back #TeamMoth
I (finally!) caught my own Eastern Bordered Straw, in the Sheat Quarry area on Portland last night, with one netted alongside a tiny Ni Moth on Red Valerian. 3 Small Marbled were also recorded, a sublime Striped Hawkmoth (that blundered out of the trap), Gem, Vestal, 10 SM Willow, & 10 Diamondback
Despite searching for dayfliers in the field at Portland on many occasions previously, I've somehow never managed to find a Four-spotted, so this individual (kindly potted for me by Martin @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) was much appreciated this morning #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social
An Oblique Carpet, courtesy of @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social trap this morning - a new species for me & presumably a wanderer from the continent (not a Many-lined sadly, as previously reported by this rueful & sleep-deprived moth-er) #ManyLinesButNotManyLined
Overnight trapping on Portland (2 MVs, 1 Lepi-LED) on Friday night was my most successful migrant moth haul to date, with a Striped Hawk-moth, a stunning Mediterranean Brocade (first for @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social, 14th for Britain), an Eastern Bordered Straw and 4 Bordered Straw:
I was like a kid in a candy shop exploring the @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social Fridge of Wonder, which hosted Alan Lewis's sublime Mediterranean Brocade, Purple Marbled, & multiple EB Straw & Striped Hawkmoth, with Martin also supplying a Ni Moth & 2 Euchromius ocellea from today's traps #TeamMoth
Yeolands Quarry 31 May in fairly cool conditions.
Red Veined Darter 2m 1 f-type on slopes.
I think this is Brooklime at the pond. If ID is ok it's not in the BSBI atlas for the island so may be new for Portland.
An ichneumon making photography something of a challenge.
@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social
30th May: quiet save for the lingering Turtle Dove at the Obs & a brief Tree Sparrow - yesterday's bird? - also at the Bill; singles of Chiffchaff & Spot Fly the only new passerine arrivals there; 300 Manx Shearwaters still offshore + singles of GNDiver, Balearic & Arctic Skua thru on the sea
Still plenty of migrant moths last night but the overall catch at the Obs was noticeably reduced; Eastern Bordered Straw, 3 Striped Hawks & Small Marbled the best there along with 102 Small Mottled Willow & 170 Diamond-backs. Exciting up-island news from @alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social to follow...
Permission to steal @alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social's thunder as he's currently indisposed birding elsewhere: fantastic reward for him after sticking to his usual trapping spot at Freshwater Bay, Southwell, in what looked to be unpromisingly cooler, breezy conditions with a Mediterranean Brocade...
The island's Eastern Bordered Straw tally advances to 9 in the last two nights with 2 more from last night in our garden at the Grove; also another Striped Hawk from there.
Red-veined Darter numbers at Yeolands Quarry much improved since last weekend - must have been a good 20 if not more scattered about the slopes beside the pool this afternoon although none seen in tandem or egg-laying
30th May: the Turtle Dove remained at the Bill and a brief Tree Sparrow there may have been yesterday's bird reappearing but new passerine arrivals consisted of just singles of Chiffchaff & Spot Fly; singles of GNDiver, Balearic Shearwater & Arctic Skua passed by on the sea, with at least 300 Manx also still offshore.
29th May: beyond today's two scarces - the Melodious Warbler & Tree Sparrow (the Turtle Dove was also still about at the Obs) - there was still a little migration evident, with 3 each of Reed Warbler & Chiffchaff + a single Spot Fly new at the Bill; 550 Manx, a GNDiver & an Arctic Skua thru at sea
Never really understood why this is a good time of year for Tree Sparrows because you'd have thought they'd all be off breeding far away from here (this one had a big brood patch so has tried to breed somewhere) but May's always been good for them and here's another just now from the CEF mist-nets
Interesting start to the round of the Obs garden moth-traps with what looks to be a new species for the island on the vanes of the lepi-led trap (...not the easiest spot to pot it from!) - Pale Oak Beauty that we're guessing has strayed over from a French woodland
So totally expected after yesterday's events further west that we weren't even surprised to find an Eastern Bordered Straw on top of another moth-trap at the Obs - how come the sparrows hadn't eaten that?...
...and then inside that trap another EBS, a Purple Marbled & a Striped Hawk. How times have changed - can still well remember Bernard Skinner massively gripping us off in May 1992 by showing us Britain's 4th EBS (& the first for 30+ yrs) that he'd caught the night before at Durlston!
Final Obs garden migrant moth totals for last night: 237 Diamond-back, 230 Small Mottled Willow, 19 Rusty-dot Pearl, 6 SY, 4 Striped Hawk, 3 Eastern Bordered Straw, 2 Rush Veneer, singles Vestal, Bordered Straw, Dark Sword Grass & Purple Marbled + the Pale Oak Beauty and several other misc strays.
More migrant moths for last night's tally: singles of Eastern Bordered Straw from John Lucas' garden at Southwell and from our garden at the Grove + a Striped Hawk at the Grove; among the commoner migrant totals there were 53 Small Mottled Willows at the Grove
28th May: a quieter afternoon but with a notable addition to the earlier totals in the form of Quail flushed from the edge of the Obs garden; 17 Sanderling the best of a few waders at Ferrybridge.
Fortunately migration at a slightly better level than this Budgie that's just flown past the Obs - Little Stint thru with 32 Sanderling on the sea + 350 Manx, 25 commic tern, 2 Balearics & singles of GNDiver & Bonxie; Turtle Dove still about at the Obs + 2 Spot Fly & Reed W
27th May: Turtle Dove still at the Obs; Quail new at the Bill + 3 CC, 3 Spot Fly, 2 Little Egret & a Reed W; inc in Med Gulls to 40 off the Bill, with 30 Com Scoter, 25 commic terns, 4 Grey Plover & singles of GNDiver, Balearic Shearwater & Black Tern thru on the sea; 10 Sanderling at Ferrybridge
26th May: despite some epic fieldwork by @dorsetbirdtours.bsky.social the expectation of Bee-eaters galore came to nothing, with the day's migrant tally at the Bill consisting of grounded singles of Turtle Dove, Bcap & CC and 27 Com Scoter, 13 commic terns, 2 GNDivers & a Balearic thru on the sea
25th May: stiff easterly breeze prompted some tern passage with 108 commics, 5 Blacks and a Little thru off the Bill; singles of Arctic and Great Skuas also thru offshore; passerine arrivals at the Bill limited to yet another 3 CCs + 2 Spot Flys; Ferrybridge waders: 27 RP, 18 Sanderling & 10 Dunlin
Chief prize from overnight mothing was a Little Thorn - the first at the Obs and only the second for Portland after we were gripped by @birdbeard.bsky.social finding one last year on East Weare when he wasn't even seriously mothing!
471 Diamond-backs & 114 Small Mottled Willows amongst the Obs catch
Overnight trapping @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social
gave this lovely Ni Moth (out of the fridge, courtesy of MC), with best of the self-trapped at Freshwater Bay including Puss Moth (2, inc. egg laying female), migrants inc. a single Small Marbled and 25 Small Mottled Willows:
Last fews day have started to really improve in the moth trap with my second ever beautiful marbled and new for garden 2x euchromius ocellea 11 small mottled willow and 122× diamond back
most butterflies wings shut today in the breeze like this adonis blue. a fair few lulworth skipper out on the E side where they always seem to show up first, probably been on the wing a while i would imagine. first yellow belle and mother of shipton for me on the moff front.
male and female black tailed skimmer, broad bodied chaser, emperor, also saw a demoiselle that was flying away from me at the back, probably beautiful i guess. blanked on red veined darter after oli's single yesterday and martin's two the day before.
24th May: uneventful on the bird front with a handful of Chiffchaffs and Spot Flys along with singles of Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail making up the passerine migrant tally; waders at Ferrybridge included 30 Dunlin, 22 Ringed Plovers and 14 Sanderling; 600 Manx and a single Balearic off the Bill
Also on the migrant front, the Obs nocmig recorder picked up a passing Quail overhead in the early hours:
Rich reward again on the migrant moth front with the chief prizes at the Obs being a Many-lined - Portland's 10th record of this decent scarcity - and 7 Silver-spotted Veneer E ocellea. Among the commoner things a big arrival of 376 Diamond-backs was of note, with Small Mottled Willow also up to 204
Just a single Red-veined Darter seen above Yeolands Quarry, Portland this afternoon. Several Hairy Dragonflies and Norfolk Hawkers on the wing at Radipole.
23rd May: a few new grounded migrants incl 5 Spot Flys and singles of Reed W, LWT & Firecrest at the Bill, Spot Fly at Broadcroft and 27 Sanderling & a Wheatear at Ferrybridge; 350 Manx, 33 BhGulls, 20 Med Gulls, 10 commic terns, 4 Eider, 3 GNDivers, a RtDiver & a Pom Skua through off the Bill.
Yesterday's daytime arrival of Painted Ladies and Hummingbird Hawks proved to be the precursor to a decent overnight migrant moth catch at the Obs that included a Striped Hawkmoth & 139 Small Mottled Willows; 5 Green Oak Tortrix & Delicate of note amongst the back ups.
Our garden moth-trap at the Grove contained more of the same migrant-wise with the addition of the island's first Vestal of the year.
Also an additional Striped Hawk for the tally from John Lucas' garden trap at Southwell.
Wakeham
64 moths of 29 species, with my first ever Striped Hawk-moth (Hyles livornica). A lot of interesting firsts as well, plus I'm getting confused with Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) and Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua), if anyone can help.
homandway.blogspot.com/2026/05/my-f...
At least 2 Red-veined Darters on the Yeolands Quarry pool this afternoon - both fully coloured-up and no tenerals found so uncertain whether they're more likely fresh immigrants or the result of last year's breeding. Black-tailed Skimmers also the wing there - the first we've seen this year.
22nd May: after yesterday's excitements today was far quieter with 2 each of Reed Warbler & CC, and singles of Wheatear & Willow Warbler the only grounded arrivals at the Bill; Sanderlings were down to 21 at Ferrybridge. 42 Common Scoter, 21 commic terns, 2 Balearic Shearwaters & a GNDiver at sea
21st May: In increasingly summery conditions Woodchat Shrike at New Ground, Sooty Shearwater off the Bill, 4-5 Turtle Doves at the Bill and Curlew Sandpiper at Ferrybridge were the day's goodies. Big increase in Sanderlings - 94 at Ferrybridge and 10 at the Bill, with 2 Grey Plovers also at Fb...
...common migrants incl a few new Wheatears & Spot Flys, 2 CCs & singles of Hobby, Whinchat, Reed Warbler & WW. 42 Common Scoter & singles of RtDiver, Balearic Shearwater, Pom Skua & Arctic Skua the best from the sea. Baby season getting going with first juv Stonechat and Linnet ringed today
Pleased to see that the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselflies on the Crown Estate Field pond have persisted for another year - several on the wing there in the warm sunshine at the moment; also just now the first Emperor Dragonflies of the year emerging from one of the Obs garden ponds
20th May: Apart from the day's sea happenings it was quiet on the migration front; hirundines continued to trickle thru with a single Hobby also arriving in off; 2 Spot Flys the only new grounded arrivals at the Bill; waders up a little at Ferrybridge including 40 Dunlin, 30 Sanderling & 8 Turnstone
Still a bit of sea passage this mrng even if a lot of the views/photos were on the shoddy side in increasingly dreary/mizzly conditions; Bill totals: 9 Arctic Skuas, 2 GNDivers, singles of RtDiver, Balearic Shearwater & Pom Skua, Manx reduced to just a few dozens
We've been really pleased just lately to receive several interesting updates on breeding birds in the Chesil/Portland Harbour area. Guy Hayden and his team who ring gull chicks on the harbour breakwaters have made several preliminary visits in recent weeks to keep an eye on happenings at this site that for obvious reasons gets pretty well no coverage from the wider birding public. Guy reports that on 20th April there were five active Canada Goose nests with eggs on the breakwaters but by 10th May only two of these were still occupied - one with three goslings and an egg, and the other with three eggs. Visits on 10th and 15th May also saw the discovery of two Shelduck nests (with 11 and 15 eggs respectively) and three active Oystercatcher nests.
Canada Goose nest containing three goslings and an egg...
Meanwhile the Chesil Little Terns seem to be settling in well, with several three figure counts in the wider vicinity. Among the colour-ring sightings have been an individual - dark green 178 - that was ringed as an adult on 29th March this year at La Langue de Barbarie National Park, Senegal; we'd guess that by that date it would have been on the return leg of its journey back to Chesil from a wintering site further south in West Africa. Among the returnees at the colony this year are yellow PV0 that was first ringed as a nestling at Gronant, North Wales, in 2022, and dark green AP9 and AB9 that were both first ringed as nestlings at Kilcoole, Ireland, in 2021 - all three of these birds have been seen previously at Chesil in breeding seasons between 2023 and 2025. Many thanks to John Dadds for passing on the details of these sightings and for the photographs below of two of these individuals. As a further example of colony switching, Chantal Macleod-Nolan has passed us details of yellow Z02 that was ringed as a nesting at Chesil in 2017 and was seen again as an adult in the colony during the 2019 breeding season; however, in three subsequent seasons (2021, 2023 and again during April this year) it's been observed in a colony at Westkapelle, The Netherlands.
