1st July: Only cursory coverage of land and sea at the Bill today, with 9 Balearic Shearwaters & an Arctic Skua through offshore and 5 Sand Martins departing overhead the only worthwhile sightings
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 2, 2026 at 12:00 AM
1st July
30th June
30th June: The sea's providing most of the interest at the moment, with 237 Manx & 43 Balearic Shearwaters, 56 Med Gulls, 37 Com Scoter & 36 LBBGulls among the day's totals at the Bill. The sad sight of departing Swifts continued but there was otherwise little of note on/overhead on the land.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 1, 2026 at 12:10 AM
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Not a bad migrant catch in last night's Obs moth-traps incl a notable arrival of 8 Small Marbleds; 38 Small Mottled Willows and a Vestal the best of the rest
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 30, 2026 at 10:11 AM
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Probably should have run more than just the one moth-trap last night in our garden at the Grove: another 3 Small Marbleds to add to the night's tally + another Small Ranunculus - the second of the latter in the last three nights so maybe they're heading towards getting established in these parts
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 30, 2026 at 6:09 PM
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29th June
29th June: Just one early doors appearance of a Serin at the Obs today. c50 Balearic Shearwaters remained off the Bill, with singles of Great and Arctic Skua also on the sea. A Little Egret overhead at the Bill was the only report of note from the land.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 29, 2026 at 11:05 PM
bit samey today but nice weather to be out in. silver studded blue m & f, lulworth skipper and small copper. saw one late battered 1st gen common blue and more surprisingly a fresh 2nd gen (both males)
— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) June 29, 2026 at 10:40 PM
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28th June
28th June: Apart from the continuing Serin(s), today's only real interest concerned 48 Balearic Shearwaters thru off the Bill during the morning; Manx numbers have plummeted with their total barely matching the Balearics today.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 28, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Although the Serins do settle from time to time, the majority of encounters - as they often are at Portland - are of the birds flying over calling; here's a snippet of one over the Obs this morning, with it sounding like there's a second bird in the background (this recording was being made with the recorder unattended so we probably weren't close by at that moment to see what was going on):
Mothing slowing up after last week's excesses: last night at the Obs saw migrant interest dwindle, with eg Small Mottled Willow down to 60; a Silver-spotted Veneer ocellea was the first for a few weeks but the best catch was the second Dock Streak Monochroa palustrella in the last three nights
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 28, 2026 at 11:19 PM
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News from yesterday of two serendipitous migrant moth finds by Glen Maddison, Katie Chapman & a Bath Nat Hist Soc group during the day at the Bill: a Bright Wave on East Cliffs & a nectaring Ni Moth; Bright Wave in particular a real Portland rare with just a couple of previous light-trap records.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 28, 2026 at 11:02 PM
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Portland 28 June: An early Grayling at Tout Quarry Elsewhere on the island the white form of Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis var. albiflora. I've seen tens of thousands of the pink form but can't recall seeing this form so erring on the side of caution wrt location. @ukorchids.bsky.social
— Steve M (@steveweynature.bsky.social) June 28, 2026 at 10:18 PM
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27th June
27th June: Apart from the rash of Serins today's happenings at the Bill were rather routine, with 40 Balearic Shearwaters and an Arctic Skua the best on offer offshore and a couple of Sand Martins through overhead. Elsewhere, a Greenshank dropped in briefly at Ferrybridge.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 27, 2026 at 11:29 PM
The Serin situation's getting a bit confusing: a settled bird seen just now in the Crown Estate Field (that then flew off north and was lost to view) is a male of some sort but clearly not the bright adult male seen earlier in the week; suggestions also of a seemingly non-yellow bird about this mrng
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 27, 2026 at 11:20 AM
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On the moth front, looks like firsts for Portland on consecutive nights from our garden at the Grove: last night's offering a Small Ranunculus - they've been slightly expected as there's been a big range expansion; however, it remains rare in Dorset and hitherto unrecorded from Weymouth/Portland
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 27, 2026 at 1:46 PM
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A few nice bits & bobs courtesy of the @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social trap & Crown Estate Field this morning: the Nationally Scarce Selania leplastriana (Coast Piercer), Cochylis roseana (Rosy Straw), Four-spotted, & Sitochroa palealis (Sulphur Pearl) #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social
— Phil Saunders (@beardybirder.bsky.social) June 27, 2026 at 1:32 PM
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26th June
Last night's electric storm did precious little for us on the migrant moth front: lots of routine variety at the Obs including 10 Small Mottled Willow, 2 each tumidana & Small Marbled, singles verellus & Splendid Brocade but for us the pick of the catch was a Lappet (still fewer than 10 records)
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 26, 2026 at 2:31 PM
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Bramble Bronze Agolamprotes micella an expected and probably overdue addition to the island moth list from our garden moth-trap at the Grove last night - small but very perfectly formed!
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 26, 2026 at 6:58 PM
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trying to run the survey of silver studded blues on portland again, if anyone has any records with location please let me know. around 20 seen today in windy conditions, only 1x kingbarrow, the rest in tout. only 2x females.
— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) June 26, 2026 at 6:44 PM
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15 species in tout n kingbarrow, grayling in kingbarrow was a new spot for me albeit not unexpected. after struggling to get out all of grayling, gatekeeper, ringlet were nfy and small tort was first portland sighting of the year for me.
— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) June 26, 2026 at 6:51 PM
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how few years do we go back before the thought this was the highlight of tout quarry today would seem absurd! once thought to be the victim of the parasitic fly sturmia bella, would now just seem to be another victim of global warming as uk population moves north searching for cooler climes.
— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) June 26, 2026 at 6:22 PM
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25th June
25th June: What with the continuing climate breakdown and some pretty heavy duty mothing birding didn't get much of a look in today, with a single reappearance of the Serin at the Obs, 5 Balearics offshore, a Grey Wagtail overhead & 5 Redshanks at Ferrybridge the day's only noteworthy sightings.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 26, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Another bumper night for dispersers in the Obs garden moth-traps with a Pale Shoulder the pick of the relatively few migrants likely to be of more distant origin; 2 more Splendid Brocades amongst the rest of the catch.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 25, 2026 at 2:57 PM
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24th June
24th June: Too hot for any meaningful fieldwork today, with the Serin that continued to show up at the Obs from time to time until at least mid-morning the day's only sighting of particular note.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 24, 2026 at 10:10 PM
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In terms of bug biomass last night ranks right up with the best ever catches in the Obs moth-traps with additional to the moths enormous numbers of miscellaneous beetles and hoverflies - no doubt many moths missed as they were super-active in upper 20s temps even soon after dawn...
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 24, 2026 at 1:01 PM
...huge hatch/movement of routine Yponomeuta ermines, v high nos of Large Yellow Underwings (c3000) but weirdest event was an enormous arrival of c2500 Fleabane Moths pulicariae - never had any suspicions of them moving like this before...
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 24, 2026 at 1:16 PM
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...5 Splendid Brocades, 5 Marbled Grass-moth verellus, 4 Tufted Oak Knot-horn tumidana & 3 White-bared Knot-horn similella were nice presumed migrants but long-distance goodies didn't really feature in the catch
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 24, 2026 at 1:23 PM
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More of the same very varied selection of dispersers from our garden moth-traps at the Grove last night including Light Crimson Underwing, 2 Scarce Oak Knot-horn tumidana & a Maple Snout innoxiella (latter only the second Portland record). Another Light Crimson Underwing for John Lucas at Southwell
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 24, 2026 at 7:17 PM
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30.2°C on the Isle of Portland at 10 am - the June record there is 30.8°C from 28th June 1976. An incredible temperature for this time of day.
— MetJam (@metjam.co.uk) June 24, 2026 at 10:48 AM
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23rd June
23rd June: Not intensely hot until the stiff easterly dropped out during the afternoon. Far lower numbers of shearwaters offshore included 28 Balearics, with 70 Med Gulls, 57 Com Scoter & a Whimbrel also on the sea. Another trickle of Swifts overhead + 2 Sand Martins. Single CC new at the Obs.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 23, 2026 at 9:56 PM
22nd June
22nd June: More waders, Swifts & Sand Martins making the most of the gathering heat to get on their way today, with 150 Swifts & 23 SMs overhead and 2 Common Sands, a Sanderling & a Whimbrel dotted about. A nocmig Quail passed over the Obs at 00:36, with 2 Grey Herons overhead during the day...
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 22, 2026 at 11:15 PM
...offshore, 5000 Manx & 70 Balearics passed the Bill along with 24 Black-headed Gulls, 14 Com Scoter, 13 Med Gulls and 4 Shelducks.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 22, 2026 at 11:17 PM
21st June
21st June: The return of really nice hot and sunny conditions saw quite a bit of movement get going, notable a few waders - Little Ringed Plover, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Redshank & a Dunlin at Ferrybridge + 4 Whimbrel thru at the Bill - & 23 Sand Martins thru at the Bill...
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 21, 2026 at 10:12 PM
...Still c250 Manx and 12 Balearics offshore with 38 Common Scoter also thru on the sea www.portlandbirdobs.com/2026/06/21st-june.html
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 21, 2026 at 10:13 PM
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A nice lot of action around Ferrybridge and Portland Harbour this morning - Little Ringed Plover and Shelduck family © Pete Saunders...
...and Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits (many thanks to Mark Golley for running through the key features of islandica vs limosa for us), Dunlin, Oystercatcher family and Hares (the latter seem to have considerably increased on Chesil this year) © John Dadds:
Migrant-wise, mothing hasn't really been hitting the mark in recent nights but a couple of Portland specials that we very rarely catch at the Obs have been nice to see - Coast Diamond-back and Rest-harrow Piercer
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 21, 2026 at 10:06 PM
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20th June
20th June: The fog persisted at the Bill until late in the afternoon and the only new migrant logged was a lone Sand Martin. The first Common Sandpiper of the autumn was at Ferrybridge in the evening.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 21, 2026 at 12:07 AM
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19th June
19th June: Despite the continuing fog - that did eventually clear during the morning - there was small arrival of migrants at the Bill incl 6 Reed Ws, a Sedge W & a Spot Fly. Manx moving well during the afternoon - c1000 east - with 5 Balearics lingering + 2 Arctic Skuas & a Curlew thru offshore.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 19, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Entertaining if rather damp start to this summer's Storm Petrel ringing efforts on the first really calm night for ages: spookily foggy couple of hours at the Bill tip either side of midnight saw just two trapped - one was new but, interestingly, the other was a retrap from 4th July last year.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 19, 2026 at 1:45 AM
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After a fogged-out week we've just discovered that the sea is still there...
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 19, 2026 at 10:23 AM
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...quite a little arrival of Reed Warblers this mrng: 3 singing in the Obs garden...
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 19, 2026 at 10:28 AM
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...with 2 more additional Reed Warblers trapped; also a new - presumably departing - Sedge Warbler trapped.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 19, 2026 at 10:32 AM
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Certainly some peculiar migration happenings afoot: now it's a Spotted Flycatcher trapped in the middle of the day right out in the barrenlands of the Crown Estate Field - miles away from the nearest tree. What's all that about?
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 19, 2026 at 11:51 AM
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18th June
18th June: Pretty trying conditions again today with fog persisting at the Bill throughout and the sea only very occasionally visible from the Obs. There weren't any sightings of note from the Bill; elsewhere, an unseasonable Great Crested Grebe was in Portland Harbour.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 18, 2026 at 10:47 PM
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17th June
17th June: Very little to show from today's heavily overcast and often foggy conditions. Nothing of any note on the land; Manx Shearwaters reduced to hundreds rather than thousands offshore where 2 Balearic Shearwaters and an Arctic Skua were logged during periods when the sea was visible.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 17, 2026 at 11:01 PM
16th June
16th June: Very limited coverage in continuing changeable conditions today. A departing Sedge Warbler was new at Bill along with yet another 2 new Chiffchaffs. Manx Shearwater numbers off the Bill were low during the morning but increased to c150/minute at times during the afternoon.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 16, 2026 at 10:39 PM
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The nocmig recorder at the Obs picked up a nice little 'changing of the seasons' event after dark yesterday when a Mediterranean Gull(s) passed close overhead just after 11pm:
15th June
15th June: A quieter day in changeable conditions. No new passerine arrivals but another 7 departing Sand Martins and a single Grey Heron at the Bill. Shearwaters down to just 300 Manx and 15 Balearics off the Bill during the morning.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 15, 2026 at 10:28 PM
most bee orchids and the majority of ivy broomrape burnt off during the hot 2 weeks i was either ill or back in kent. pleased to find a few bee still on the go at new grounds having blanked on the verge just S of penn castle yesterday
— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) June 15, 2026 at 10:32 PM
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blue monday again in tout, only 2x SSB found in admittedly sub par conditions (they are always late on portland).
— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) June 15, 2026 at 10:23 PM
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small skipper and silver studded blue nfy for me, nice variety of butterflies around. faded adonis still showing off their perfect colour.
— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) June 15, 2026 at 10:27 PM
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14th June
14th June: In very benign conditions there were a few new arrivals/movers incl 4 Reed Ws on the land & 50 Com Scoter, 43 commic terns, 10 Canada Geese, a Black Tern & an Arctic Skua thru off the Bill; shearwaters still conspicuous with c1000 Manx & 50 Balearics off the Bill...
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 14, 2026 at 11:11 PM
...also good to see that pair of Wheatears in the Bill Quarry have bred successfully - 2 fledged youngsters there this evening...
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 14, 2026 at 11:13 PM
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...also not too difficult to have the best ringing day of the month so far - hitherto the weather's been shocking! 29 new birds ringed were mostly local youngsters but the total did include two Reed Warblers and the fourth Greenfinch of the year (only one Greenfinch was ringed in the whole of 2025)
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 14, 2026 at 11:23 PM
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Three Knots at Ferrybridge this morning that we forgot to include in today's highlights © John Dadds:
Considerably improved overnight mothing at the Obs - not a great variety of migrants but such a huge increase in Large Yellow Underwings that you got the feel there was something going on with them. A Striped Hawk, a Delicate and 11 Small Mottled Willow best of the conventional migrants
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 14, 2026 at 10:43 AM
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Dotted Fan-foot, I believe a good moth for Dorset #mothsmatter
— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) June 14, 2026 at 10:55 AM
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Seabirds at Portland Bill after a long bike ride this morning - Manx (left) were closer than the Balearic Shearwater (top right) which stayed a long way out. Guillemot and Razorbill also on the sea and a few flocks of Common Scoter east @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social
— Peter Moore (@moorebirdsbybike.bsky.social) June 14, 2026 at 10:42 PM
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only around 10-12 red veined darter at yeolands quarry, also present common blue and blue tailed damselfly, emperors, broad bodied chasers, black tailed skimmers, martin thought he had a ruddy darter too.
— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) June 14, 2026 at 10:55 PM
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13th June
Apart from the putative Blyth's Reed W, the Serin's only been seen once this mrng - pre-6am in flight over the Obs - also a Spot Fly new there & a Sand Martin overhead + a Hobby thru at Blacknor. Manx much reduced offshore but 28 Balearics, a Bonxie & a Storm Petrel thru.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 13, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Interesting acro trapped in the Crown Estate Field this mrng - suspect it's going to turn out to be a Blyth's Reed but certainly a pretty subtle one - plumage not too bad, decent biometrics, poor p4 emargination etc. No field views & no calls.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 13, 2026 at 9:35 AM
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Still lots of Red-veined Darters active around the Yeolands Quarry pool this afternoon but again none actually seen egg-laying; House Martins constantly visiting the pool were presumably local breeders from the Grove housing estate
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 13, 2026 at 11:18 PM
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And a bit more on the Blyth's Reed Warbler. To be truthful, we rather optimistically thought this just might be a Blyth's Reed before we even reached it in the mist-net - it was laying upside down and looked so white beneath that it really didn't look like it'd be a Reed Warbler. However, in the harsh light of blazing sunshine it was surprisingly hard to interpret the colour of the upperparts so we took a quick wing measurement that at 61mm was massively pro-Blyth's Reed...
The spanner in the works though was quickly revealed to be the utter lack of an emargination on the 4th primary of the right wing (the usual wing that a right-hander examines) that a spring Blyth's Reed should always show. At first glance the left wing wasn't a lot better although closer scrutiny showed that rather than a classic-shaped emargination on the 4th primary there was in fact a noticeable progressive narrowing of the outer web of the 4th primary that was a little more positive (...even if this did require looking at the right angle as is apparent in these two photographs!). With little wrong with the other biometrics we're pretty confident this is a Blyth's Reed even if the emargination issue saw to it that it wasn't the sort of bird we were happy to put straight out as 100% certain. With any luck the DNA from a couple of dislodged feathers will eventually confirm our tentative identification © Martin Cade:
12th June
12th June: Still blustery all day and still shearwaters moving throughout - c3000 Manx & 49 Balearics west before many started lingering offshore to confuse the situation; 27 Fulmars a Storm Petrel & an Arctic Skua also through. The Serin made regular reappearances without ever settling for long.
— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 12, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Serin flew north over Crown Estate Field towards Higher Light at 14:49. A few Balearic Shearwater off the bill, 2 fresh Silver-studded Blue and a worn Adonis Blue in Tout Quarry @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social #ukbirding #dorsetbirds
— Oli Mockridge (@yeovilbirder.bsky.social) June 12, 2026 at 7:21 PM
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