Dartford Warbler - Portland Bill, 30th June 2011 © Martin Cade
...although there is a presumed breeding record for Portland (which involved two juveniles in likely breeding habitat at Tout Quarry in June 2007) there's been no suggestion of summer presence anywhere on the island this year so we'd guess this juvenile was dispersing away from a heathland breeding site.
In recent evenings we've spent quite a bit of time looking for tiny tineid, Richardson's Case-bearer Eudarcia richardsoni, which, amongst the micro-moths, is one of the real Portland specials; in fact, since it's only known from Portland and one other spot near Swanage in the world, it's pretty special altogether. The larval cases of the species, which feeds on lichens on the underside of rocks, aren't too hard to find in autumn and winter but not being heavily into early stages we've never bred it through and were keen to finally try to get to grips with it as an adult. The few records that there are of adults seen 'in the wild' appear to indicate a mid-summer flight period and after quite a bit of hunting in suitable spots on both sides of the island we've caught up with a couple of singles this week in a known area for the species at Penn's Weare:
Both these moths were found well before dusk flitting in and out of some fair-sized chasms at the base of one of the scree slopes :
That this really quite obscure species was ever discovered in the first place seems quite amazing and is certainly testament to the skills of Nelson Richardson, in whose honour the species is named. Richardson was one of the great Victorian micro-lepidopterists who, together with his wife Helen, found most of the indigenous goodies on Portland in a few years of fieldwork during the late 1800s; as if that weren't enough he even managed to excavate, and also have named in his honour, a new species of dinosaur that he discovered close to his house at Chickerell, near Weymouth - they were certainly all-rounders in those days!
A Dartford Warbler was an unexpected new arrival at the Bill, where the rest of the day's sightings of 3 Common Sandpipers and 2 Sand Martins on/overhead on the land and 3 Manx Shearwaters through on the sea were more routine. Elsewhere 4 more Common Sandpipers were seen on the Portland Harbour breakwaters.
The recent wave of immigrant moths look to have largely moved on: a single Scarce Bordered Straw at the Obs was a new species for the current influx, but the traps there otherwise attracted just 7 Diamond-back Moth, 3 each of Rusty-dot Pearl and Small Mottled Willow, 2 Silver Y and a Cream-bordered Green Pea.
Gatekeeper and Ringlet - Portland Bill, June 2011 © Ken Dolbear
...two more butterflies that have appeared on the wing in recent days.
Also of interest to moth recorders we realised today whilst working through the considerable backlog of unidentified micros from recent days that three plumes we caught yesterday morning at the Obs were almost certainly all the rare immigrant Oxyptilus laetus. We should have been quicker off the mark with this identification as we've caught this species before, but since that record was 21 years ago and the specimen was very worn and had to be dissected to confirm the id it hadn't really stuck in our memory. Anyway, we've kept one of the specimens for later confirmation and this 'on setting board' photo at least shows what the thing looks like:
Fresher but still clear and sunny today. Bird interest was limited to 5 Sand Martins, a Hobby and a Grey Heron at the Bill and perhaps the same Hobby later at Verne Common.
Overnight mothing was spoilt by a really stiff north-west wind that saw immigrant numbers fall right away. The Obs garden traps produced 8 Small Mottled Willow, 7 Diamond-back Moth, 5 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 European Corn-borer and an Evergestis extimalis, whilst quality elsewhere was limited to 4 Small Mottled Willows at the Grove and a Bordered Straw at Weston.
Redstart - Portland Bill, 28th June 2011 © Martin Cade
...and a few of the day's moths. Purple Marbled, Apotomis betuletana, Conobathra tumidana, Pediasia contaminella, Engrailed and Ni Moth; photos © Guy Freeman (Purple Marbled) and Martin Cade (others):
A few surprises on the bird front today, with a steady passage of Swifts over the Bill, singles of Redstart, Reed Warbler and Willow Warbler new in on the ground there, a Hobby through at Southwell and a trickle of Manx Shearwaters and a Black-headed Gull through on the sea at the Bill.
Overnight mothing turned out to be very exciting. We happened to be out with the generator investigating the Church Ope Cove area and jammed into a wave of immigrants as they arrived: after an hour of seeing just local residents arriving at the sheet, at 23.30 5 Small Mottled Willows, 3 European Corn-borers and a Pediasia contaminella suddenly dropped in within minutes of one another, whilst over the next 2 hours numerous Diamond-back Moth, 5 more Small Mottled Willows, 4 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 Bird-cherry Ermine and singles of Conobathra tumidana, Scallop Shell and Bordered Straw all arrived. In the morning the various garden traps around the island contained 46 Diamond-back Moth, 37 Small Mottled Willow, 16 Rusty-dot Pearl, 3 Zeiraphera isertana, 2 each of European Corn-borer, Rush Veneer, Cream-bordered Green Pea and Oak Nycteoline and singles of Apotomis betuletana (new for Portland), Evergestis extimalis, Engrailed (also new for Portland), Dark Sword Grass, Double Square-spot, Grey Arches, Green Silver-lines, Silver Y and Ni Moth at the Obs, 10 Small Mottled Willow, 6 Rusty-dot Pearl and singles of Diamond-back Moth, European Corn-borer and Silver Y at Southwell, 2 Rush Veneer and a Bordered Straw at Weston and 15 Diamond-back Moth, 13 Small Mottled Willow and 2 each of Zeiraphera isertana and Rusty-dot Pearl at the Grove. During the day a Purple Marbled was found at Broadcroft Quarry.
Little Owl and Teleiodes vulgella - Southwell and the Grove, 27th June 2011 © Martin Cade
...vulgella is presumably another previously overlooked resident that's been uncovered by moth-trapping at a new site.
The forecast thundery showers never materialised but a good deal of fieldwork drew few rewards, with nothing better than 3 Manx Shearwaters and a Curlew logged at the Bill.
A promising-looking muggy night was spoilt by the strength of the wind, and the moth-traps were quieter than might have been hoped. Another new species for the island - Teleiodes vulgella - at the new trap site at the Grove provided the night's highlight; the only immigrants recorded were 11 Diamond-back Moth and 3 Silver Y at the Obs and 2 Rusty-dot Pearl and a Diamond-back Moth at the Grove.
Fog scenes from the causeway and from further inland - 26th June 2011 © Martin Cade
Whilst the mainland was bathed in scorching sunshine a good deal of the island was cloaked in swirling fog which lingered all day at the Bill, and by the end of the afternoon there still hadn't been a single entry on the day sheet.
The moth-traps were considerably busier than in recent night but interest was limited to a Grey Arches at the Obs (only the sixth recent record for Portland) and 3 Silver Y there.
Definitely mid-summer doldrums on all fronts at the moment with a breezy and at times quite foggy morning producing by way of birds just 15 Common Scoter, a Balearic Shearwater and the customary trickle of Manx Shearwaters through on the sea at the Bill.
The moth-traps were just as quiet, with a single Hummingbird Hawk-moth the only immigrant attracted to the Obs garden traps.
Comma - Portland Bill, 23rd June 2011 © Ken Dolbear
Singles of Green Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail over the Bill provided some very minor interest on a day that otherwise came up with nothing more than a few Manx Shearwaters and other routine seabirds offshore.
More of the same on a pleasantly sunny but still quite windy day: a Grey Heron at the Bill and 4 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Sandwich Terns, a Great Skua and a handful of Manx Shearwaters through on the sea there.
A single Dark Sword Grass provided the only immigrant interest in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning.
For the most part a sunny day, with Portland entirely escaping the heavy showers/longer spells of rain that visitors reported were such a feature only a few miles inland; that said, the strength of the wind did preclude any meaningful coverage of the land. The only news was of seawatching at the Bill, which produced 60 Manx Shearwaters, 5 Common Scoter, 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Great Skuas and a Whimbrel.
Great Tit - Portland Bill, 21st June 2011 © Martin Cade
...things are going slightly mad in the Portland Great Tit world and we don't really know why: today we caught our 40th juvenile Great Tit of the month (all trapped in the Obs garden and all 'free-flying' ie not ringed as nestlings). For those that don't know the lie of the land, the little population of resident Great Tits around the Obs garden/hut fields/Obs quarry area is a fairly discrete entity and ringing evidence shows that there's precious little input into this population from sites even as close as Culverwell which is only 400m away. Anyway, to put this month's total in perspective, the June ringing totals for 2009 and 2010 (things started to go mad in 2009) were 28 and 23 respectively. Prior to that the previous decade produced an average June total of just 4; indeed the average annual total - which of course includes spring and autumn migrants as well - of new Great Tits in that decade was only 42.
It didn't take long for the wind to increase and shift back into the west, although on the plus side it did turn out to be surprisingly warm and sunny by the afternoon. The Serin remained at the Bill where it was typically elusive and looked to be spending long periods hidden amongst the increasingly sizeable finch flock lurking amongst the crops in the Crown Estate field opposite the Obs. The day's only other reports were of 9 Common Scoter, an Arctic Skua and a continuing light movement of Manx Shearwaters passing the Bill.
A lone Silver Y was the only immigrant in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning.
Serin - Portland Bill, 20th June 2011 © Martin Cade
...and click here for a short recording of a few calls from it as it's settled in the tree tops.
A touch of north-easterly after some overnight rainfall gave encouragement to the land birders but their only real reward was a Serin that appeared in or over the Obs garden on odd occasions from mid-morning until at least early afternoon (we know we shouldn't really complain as beggars certainly can't be choosers but in lean times it would be nice to get something other than yet another Serin!); the only other new arrivals at the Bill were 4 Sand Martins and a Chiffchaff. Manx Shearwaters were still on the move offshore, with 250 or so passing the Bill through the morning, and 22 Common Scoter, a Balearic Shearwater and an Arctic Skua also passed by.
Immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 3 Silver Y.
yesterday's Lulworth Skipper - Southwell, 18th June 2011 © Bob Ford
The strength of the wind was again a tiresome feature but for once what little coverage there was of the land did produce a noteworthy sighting in the form a solitary Crossbill overhead at Southwell; a Reed Warbler was also a new arrival there. The sea got plenty more coverage and came up with totals of nearly 1000 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Roseate Terns, 2 Common Scoter and 2 Arctic Skuas passing through off the Bill.
Peregrine - Southwell, 16th June 2011 © Pete Saunders
...one of several recently fledged Peregrines that have been on the wing this week.
Another seawatch day in blustery westerlies. Two Storm Petrels were the highlight at the Bill, where 100 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Great Skuas, a Bar-tailed Godwit and an Arctic Skua also passed through; elsewhere there were 5 Mediterranean Gulls, a Balearic Shearwater and an Arctic Skua at Chesil Cove. The only other reports were of 7 Sandwich Terns in Portland Harbour and 2 Shelducks and a Bar-tailed Godwit at Ferrybridge.
The first Lulworth Skipper of the year was on the wing at Southwell.
With the forecast rain holding off until well into the afternoon there was plenty of coverage of the sea today. A rather odd watch at the Bill produced none of the expected Balearic Shearwaters but, hot on the heels of last week's exceptionally early bird(s), 3 more Sooty Shearwaters passed down-Channel; 130 Manx Shearwaters, 53 Common Scoter, 3 Arctic Skuas, a Great Skua and a Sandwich Tern made up the numbers there.
Another single Gem was the only immigrant caught overnight in the Obs garden moth-traps.
Great Black-backed Gull - Portland Harbour breakwaters, 16th June 2011 © Luke Phillips
...and click here for some more photographs and further details of Luke's trip out on to the breakwaters.
And another colour-ringed gull, this time a Herring Gull (© Martin Cade):
...we actually saw this bird for the first time during the cold spell last December but we only managed a ropey photo of it which we didn't bother to post at the time. It's probably been around ever since but wasn't spotted again until this week when it's been lurking around the Bill car park. Peter Stewart has kindly let us know that it was ringed at Stoke Orchard landfill site, Gloucestershire, on 23rd January 2010.
A post-dawn downpour gave way to an unexpectedly clear and sunny, abeit increasingly windy, day. A small passage of 100 Swifts over the Bill was perhaps more likely to be related to the weather than to involve early departing birds; singles of Blackcap and Spotted Flycatcher were also grounded there. Seawatching at the Bill produced just a single Balearic Shearwater amongst small numbers of Manx Shearwaters.
The only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning were singles of Rusty-dot Pearl and Hummingbird Hawk-moth.
Blastobasis decolorella - The Grove, 15th June 2011 © Martin Cade
In dank, sometimes drizzly conditions what little attention that was given to the land produced nothing of note (where are all the likes of late Reed Warblers and Chiffchaffs that are so often a feature of this month?). Seawatching at the Bill produced at least 17 Balearic Shearwater (all passing west during the morning; others heading back east later in the day may or may not have been the same individuals), along with 100 Manx Shearwaters, 40 Common Scoter, a Curlew and a Sandwich Tern.
The pick of the overnight moth catch was yet another new species for the island: a specimen of Blastobasis decolorella at the Grove wasn't a surprising addition given that this adventive is widespread in Britain; most likely the species is a hitherto overlooked resident in the vicinity of this new trap site. At the Obs a bumper haul of mainly routine species did include just a hint of immigration/dispersal in the form of 2 Diamond-back Moth, a Gem and a Cream-bordered Green Pea.
Storm Petrel - Portland Bill, 13th June 2011 © Martin Cade
...3 petrels netted in three-quarters of an hour is a fairly standard sort of hit-rate at the Bill. After that we switched recordings and tried an hour of Balearic Shearwater with no reward whatsoever; there's any number of reasons why it'd be pretty unlikely they'd be attracted but we thought we ought to give it another try...besides, it's really quite pleasant pottering around at the Bill tip in the early hours of a still, moonlit night:
Also some extra news from yesterday of a colour-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull. Lesser Black-backs have been on the move for a week or more and 5.U2 was on the Bill Common yesterday morning. Paul Veron Guernsey Gulls has kindly let us know that this adult female was a bird he'd ringed on the nest on Burhou, Channel Isles, on 12th June 2009; assuming it wasn't on a long-distance feeding foray yesterday we'd guess it's breeding attempt has failed this year:
To start, a bit of news from the last hour of yesterday when 3 more Storm Petrels were tape-lured and ringed at the Bill. Yesterday afternoon's fine conditions extended on into today, although the only migrant activity at the Bill concerned a couple of late? Willow Warblers, the autumn's first 4 Sand Martins and a rather unseasonable grounded Bar-tailed Godwit; seawatching there produced 6 Common Scoter, 2 Balearic Shearwaters and a trickle of Manx Shearwaters.
Marbled White - Portland Bill, 13th June 2011 © Ken Dolbear
Yesterday's miserable conditions took somewhat longer to clear through than expected and afforded more seawatch opportunities during the morning, but clear skies and warm sunshine had returned by the afternoon. Balearic Shearwaters are arriving back in Portland waters in some numbers, with a minimum of 24 logged at the Bill this morning; 25 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Great Skuas, 2 Sandwich Terns and singles of Mallard, Pomarine Skua and Arctic Skua also passed through on the sea but there were no reports of note from the land. The only other news came from Ferrybridge where there were 2 Red-breasted Mergansers on the Fleet, 2 Arctic Skuas passed overhead and the tern wardens reported that a total of 10 chicks have now hatched in the Little Tern colony.
There's nothing like the declaration of a drought to get the heavens to open and today - in combination with a blasting southerly - it chucked it down all day! Seawatch reports included 45 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Common Scoter, 7 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Arctic Skuas and singles of Storm Petrel, Curlew, Great Skua and Common Tern through off the Bill, whilst waders at Ferrybridge included 7 Dunlin and 5 Sanderling.
The breezy, fair, Atlantic conditions of recent days continued and the majority of reports were from the sea, with a flurry of 8 Balearic Shearwaters off the Bill providing the main interest; the day's Manx Shearwater tally there was well over 200, whilst at least 50 commic terns (presumably Lodmoor Common Terns) were feeding distantly offshore, 4 Common Scoter, a Great Skua and a Little Gull passed by and there was another report from day-visitors of a passing Sabine's Gull. The only news from the land at the Bill was of 14 Swifts arriving in off the sea and singles of Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher grounded.
The main feature of the day's weather was the novelty of a downpour through the evening - the first substantial rainfall for a month or so. On the bird front a visiting seawatcher undertaking survey work at the Bill reported 2 passing Sabine's Gulls; the sea there also produced 500 Manx Shearwaters, 23 Common Scoter, 2 Curlews, a Balearic Shearwater, a Great Skua and an Arctic Skua, whilst singles of Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher provided the only interest on the land.
The first Marbled White butterfly of the year was on the wing at the Bill.
The second Scorched Wing of the week was the pick of the overnight moth catch at the Obs, where a single Silver Y was the only immigrant caught.
The only news came from the Bill area where a Willow Warbler was a new arrival on the land and 130 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Common Scoter and a tardy Great Northern Diver passed through on the sea.
Also of interest, Don Moxom, the Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve warden, has very kindly provided an update on the current situation with the breeding Little Terns at Ferrybridge:
Nesting
started earlier than normal on 16th May and within a week 17 pairs had
settled. Apart from one clutch being predated - probably by a hedgehog
- incubation has proceeded without any further loss. This however has
been due to the close monitoring of the wardening team (which paid off
so well last year) preventing a number of potential human and
predatory disturbances that have included an early morning platoon of
jogging soldiers, numerous anglers and marauding crows and foxes (2-3
of the latter being seen most nights). Financial cutbacks have reduced
the number of paid staff in the wardening team from four last year to
just one this. Thankfully RSPB and Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve
volunteers have risen to the occasion and are achieving the 24 hour
monitoring and management that is vital for this colony to survive.
First chicks were seen on 5th June. Due to a high proportion of 3 egg
clutches this year there is a possibility of a good number of
fledglings being produced. Lets hope so not only for the sake of these
beautiful birds but also as a reward for this recovery project - led so
well by the RSPB - and for the wardens and volunteers who have done such a
wonderful job over the last two years. For more information please
visit the Chesil Beach Centre where currently live images of a nesting
pair are being relayed.
Gannet - Portland Bill, 8th June 2011 © Martin Cade
On another breezy day there was an unseasonable surprise in the form of a Sooty Shearwater off the Bill (in fact, although it seems rather unlikely, there might actually have been two individuals since there were two sightings in quite quick succession of birds heading west close inshore); this represents the first ever record for the month of June, with the previous earliest 'autumn' date for the Bill being 9th July. Seawatching there also produced 50 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Great Skuas, whilst a Hobby was logged on the land.
Silver-studded Blue - Admiralty Quarry, 7th June 2011 © Ken Dolbear
The return of brisk south-westerlies did little for the birding and certainly stifled interest in the moth-traps. Bird-wise a Hobby at the Bill constituted the only worthwhile sighting on the land, whilst seawatching there produced 500 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Common Scoter and singles of Canada Goose, Dunlin, Turnstone, Great Skua and Arctic Skua.
Silver-studded Blues are now on the wing in good numbers at their usual haunts around the centre and north of the island and a Brimstone butterfly was a less expected visitor to the Obs garden today.
Singles of Diamond-back Moth and Scorched Wing (the latter the sixth record for Portland) were the only immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps.
Today's Phlyctaenia perlucidalis and yesterday's Vine Moth - Portland Bill and the Grove, 6th June 2011 © Martin Cade
Just a few odds and ends of bird news from the Bill today: 2 Wheatears and singles of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher on the land and 4 Manx Shearwaters, an Arctic Skua and a Sandwich Tern through on the sea.
The moth-traps remained productive, with the second island record of Phlyctaenia perlucidalis the pick of the overnight catch at the Obs; 2 more Rannoch Looper, 10 Diamond-back Moth, 3 Silver Y, 2 Rusty-dot Pearl and a Dog's Tooth made up the rest of the tally of immigrants/wanderers there. We also forgot to mention the capture yesterday of a Vine Moth Eupoecilia ambiguella at the Grove (the first island record for several years).
Finally, regular visitors to the site will have noticed the absence of any of Paul Baker's photographs in recent days; Paul has just set off on another of his adventures which can be followed here.
The only news of any real interest today was of another single Rannoch Looper caught overnight in the Obs garden moth-traps; on a very windy night the only other immigrants/wanderers caught there were 2 each of Diamond-back Moth, Green Oak Tortrix and Silver Y.
Bird-wise, the day's only reports from the Bill were of 4 grounded Spotted Flycatchers, a few more Swifts arriving in off the sea and 4 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Common Scoter and 2 Black-headed Gulls through on the sea. Elsewhere there was a lone Dunlin at Ferrybridge.
Serin, Red-necked Footman, Rannoch Looper and Teleiodes luculella - Portland Bill, 4th June 2011 © Martin Cade
...and an extra bit on the Serin which proved to be nice and straightforward to age/sex as a second calendar-year male with, for example, a good moult contrast in the greater coverts and strongly pointed tail feathers:
Another minor rarity today in the form of a Serin that showed up at the Obs early in the morning and after a while was trapped and ringed there; a little later it also showed up briefly at Culverwell where it was heard singing. The day's only other reports were also from the Bill, where 3 Spotted Flycatchers, a Yellow Wagtail and a Willow Warbler were new arrivals on the land, a trickle of Swifts and House Martins arrived in off the sea and 4 Manx Shearwaters and singles of Balearic Shearwater, Arctic Skua and Great Skua passed through on the sea.
The continuing warm weather and fresh north-easterlies begun to pay dividends on the moth front, with 2 each of Rannoch Looper and Red-necked Footman caught overnight at both the Obs and Cheyne Weares; there is only one previous island record of the looper, whilst the footman is a long-overdue addition to the island list. Another good local highlight and addition to the island list was a specimen of Teleiodes luculella at the Grove; since this species is usually an inhabitant of deciduous oak woodland it seems unlikely to be a hitherto overlooked resident there.
Emperor Dragonfly - Portland Bill, 3rd June 2011 © Ken Dolbear
A second successive very warm day saw reports of two brief goodies: a Common Rosefinch in song for a few minutes at Verne Common and a Bee-eater flying over the centre of the island. The Bill area came up with nothing more than 2 Wheatears and singles of Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Yellowhammer.
In the moth line it was by far and away the busiest night of the year to date but immigrants and even dispersing 'mainland' species were hardly represented: a single Diamond-back Moth at the Grove was the sole immigrant from three trap sites, whilst likely wanderers included a Cream-bordered Green Pea at the Obs and singles of Grey Pine Carpet and Small Clouded Brindle at the Grove.
Bee Orchid, Hummingbird Hawk-moth and Small Blue - Portland Bill and Broadcroft Quarry, 31st May 2011 © Nick Patel
The opportune return of anticyclonic conditions in the last couple of days has seen the temperature soar and the wind shift into the north-east, but tangible reward on the rarity front has been sadly lacking. Odds and ends that did show up today included a few Swifts and House Martins trickling in off the sea at the Bill, 4 Spotted Flycatchers, a Whinchat, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff grounded there, 8 Sanderling and 4 Dunlin at Ferrybridge and 51 Common Scoter, 9 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Sandwich Terns and an Arctic Skua through on the sea at the Bill.
The recent warmer nights have seen moth numbers increase in the Obs garden traps but immigrants remain all but absent: last night's only capture was of a single Rusty-dot Pearl.
Finally, Obs members might like to know that this year's AGM will take place at 7pm on Saturday 2nd July; an announcement to this effect has been placed on our Noticeboard page, from where an agenda for the meeting can be downloaded.
A slight but nonetheless welcome increase in sightings today, with the Bill area coming up with 5 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Wheatears, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Yellow Wagtails and singles of Grey Heron and Lesser Whitethroat on the land and 8 Manx Shearwaters and singles of Great Skua, Arctic Skua and Black-headed Gull through on the sea.
Two more Dark Sword Grass were the only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning.