12th June

On what was easily the hottest day of the year to date the birding again took on a less than scorching quality. Two Chiffchaffs were the only new arrivals on the ground at the Bill, where 19 Common Scoter, 8 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Mallard passed by on the sea.

Overnight mothing was no more productive, with 15 Rusty-dot Pearls and 2 Diamond-back Moths the only immigrants caught at the Obs.

Bugloss Spear-wing Tinagma ocnerostomella - Broadcroft BC reserve, 11th June 2014 © Martin Cade

 

...amongst the moths, mid-June marks the beginning of the flight period of several of the Portland specials - for example, both Portland Ribbon Wave and Four Spotted have been on the wing for the first time this year in recent days - and last evening we came across plenty of ocnerostomella around the only patch of Viper's Bugloss we could find at Broadcroft. Although it's a pretty unobtrusive little species that you really need to get down on your hands and knees to see, we've pretty well never failed to find it whenever we've checked Viper's Bugloss anywhere on Portland; however, it seems from the Dorset distribution map that it's only been recorded from four tetrads elsewhere in the county.