7th July

Nothing more than an expected selection today, with 3 Sand Martins through over the Bill and 50 Manx Shearwaters, 19 Common Scoter, 2 Balearic Shearwaters and 2 Black-headed Gulls through on the sea there.

Small Grey Eudonia mercurella f.loc portlandica - Portland Bill, 5th July 2014 © Martin Cade

...another Portland special on the wing at the moment; this characteristic local form occurs alongside the much commoner typical specimens of Small Grey. Poorly covered in the standard literature, portlandica is referred to, albeit not by name, in Sterling and Parsons, whilst Goater erroneously illustrates a completely different form under this name.