Down Shieldbug (and Bastard-toadflax) and Emperor Dragonfly - Portland Bill and Easton, 30th June 2015 © Ken Dolbear
30th June
On a hot and increasingly windy day a couple of unseasonable oddities put in appearances: a Black Redstart visited a garden at Weston and 2 Gadwall passed through off the Bill. It was again the sea that came up with most of the rest of the news, with 38 Common Scoter, 7 Sandwich Terns, 4 Sanderling and a Mediterranean Gull on the move off the Bill and small numbers of Common Terns still lingering offshore there.
29th June
On an increasingly hot day most of what little news there was came from the sea, with 14 Common Scoter, 2 Arctic Skuas and singles of Black-headed Gull and Mediterranean Gull through off the Bill and the now customary constant presence of 10-20 Common Terns feeding offshore. The only report from the land was of the Blackcap lingering on at the Bill.
Gatekeeper and Ringlet - Bottomcombe, 29th June 2015 © Ken Dolbear
28th June
Remaining quiet on all fronts today. The handful of birds making the list included nothing better than a Blackcap lingering on at the Bill and 18 Common Terns, 4 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Common Scoter and a Black-headed Gull through on the sea there.
Suggestions of moth immigration picking up again have proved to be premature, with little more than a few likely long-stayers amongst last night's catches; 3 Cream-bordered Green Pea at the Obs represented just about the only evidence of shorter distance dispersal.
Suggestions of moth immigration picking up again have proved to be premature, with little more than a few likely long-stayers amongst last night's catches; 3 Cream-bordered Green Pea at the Obs represented just about the only evidence of shorter distance dispersal.
27th June
Pretty quiet on the bird front today. A Grey Wagtail was the only migrant/disperser of interest at the Bill, where 2 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap lingered on, 7 Common Scoter, 4 Manx Shearwaters and a Mediterranean Gull passed through on the sea and at least 34 Common Terns were feeding offshore.
After a few slow-ish nights there was a hint of moth immigration picking up, with 27 Silver Y in one trap at the Grove and improved variety - including a single Dark Pine Knot-horn - at the Obs.
After a few slow-ish nights there was a hint of moth immigration picking up, with 27 Silver Y in one trap at the Grove and improved variety - including a single Dark Pine Knot-horn - at the Obs.
Small Skipper and Pyramidal Orchid - Broadcroft, 27th June 2015 © Ken Dolbear
26th June
A reminder that the next In Focus field event at the Obs takes place between 10am and 4pm tomorrow, 27th June 2015.
Sparrowhawk - Southwell, 26th July 2015 © Pete Saunders
25th June
Another miscellany of comings and goings on a day that was always too warm and sunny for the curtain of fog that surrounded a good part of the island for several hours to penetrate very far across the land. Singing Reed Warblers are typical tardy 'spring' migrants at this time of year, and singles showed up today at the Bill and Southwell, with the Bill also hosting singles of Turtle Dove, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Spotted Flycatcher and the long-staying Red-legged Partridge. The sea there came up with at least 25 Common Terns feeding offshore and 4 Oystercatchers, 3 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Common Scoter, a Mediterranean Gull and a Sandwich Tern passing by. Also in the seabird line, overnight another 7 Storm Petrels were tape-lured and ringed at the Bill.
A single Harbour Porpoise passed by off the Bill.
Hummingbird Hawk-moths at several sites made up the bulk of the immigrant moth interest, with little in the way of either variety or numbers in the moth-traps.
A single Harbour Porpoise passed by off the Bill.
Hummingbird Hawk-moths at several sites made up the bulk of the immigrant moth interest, with little in the way of either variety or numbers in the moth-traps.
Silver-studded Blues - Admiralty Quarry, 25th June 2015 © Ken Dolbear
Also from today, thanks to Sean Foote for bringing to our attention his discovery of an Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana at the Bill this morning; on the face of it there'd be nothing too special about this event as the species is relatively widespread in Britain (although seemingly it's actually not that common in Dorset) but we were pretty excited because for a moment we thought this was a first record for the island! A quick check of the Dorset Moths website revealed there was in fact a record for the Bill which turned out to be of one from our own traps at the Obs, but so long ago - July 1994 - that we'd completely forgotten about it (on having a look, the specimen is indeed in the Obs voucher collection). Since aurana is mainly a day-flyer we popped up to the site of Sean's discovery and quickly found several dozen whirring about the hogweed patch below the Coastwatch lookout:
When a pretty, conspicuous and clearly quite numerous day-flyer like this can escape attention for so long within a few feet of well-trodden footpaths it does make you wonder what else we're missing...
24th June
Marbled Whites - Church Ope Cove, 24th May 2015 © Ken Dolbear
23rd June
A lovely warm, sunny day that produced few surprises beyond the first presumably dispersing Great Spotted Woodpecker of the autumn that showed up at the Obs. The only other bird news also came from the Bill, where singles of Reed Warbler and Chiffchaff were new in, at least 1 Blackcap was still about and 7 Manx Shearwaters passed through on the sea.
A Red-veined Darter dragonfly put in a brief appearance in the Crown Estate Field.
Immigrant moth interest dwindled still further, with a lone Small Mottled Willow the only long-distance migrant attracted overnight to the Obs garden traps; Hummingbird Hawk-moths continued to be recorded by day, with singles at several sites today.
A Red-veined Darter dragonfly put in a brief appearance in the Crown Estate Field.
Immigrant moth interest dwindled still further, with a lone Small Mottled Willow the only long-distance migrant attracted overnight to the Obs garden traps; Hummingbird Hawk-moths continued to be recorded by day, with singles at several sites today.
Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Red-veined Darter and Chalk-hill Lance-wing - Portland Bill, 23rd June 2015 © Martin Cade
There was plenty of nice natural history interest today, even if the birds were very much the poor relation. The Chalk-hill Lance-wing Epermenia insecurella is one of the local special micro-moths that seems not to have been doing too well in recent years. Today's specimen was discovered by Mark Parsons of Butterfly Conservation whilst he was surveying the food-plant - Bastard-toadflax - at the Bill and, as far as we're aware, is the first adult seen for several years. This national rarity is one of the few special indigenous micros of the island that seemingly escaped the attention of the great Victorian fieldworkers who found pretty well everything else of major interest; the first island record appears to have come from our moth-traps at the Obs - on 31st July 1990 - and it was this that led to the discovery of a resident population nearby that looked to be well established until relatively recently.
22nd June
After a night of welcome rain the only obvious new arrival at the Bill was a Blackcap in song at the Obs (it was singing in the rain at dawn and still blasting it out towards dusk). The sea provided the best of the rest, with 30 Manx Shearwaters and a Great Skua through off the Bill.
Immigrant interest in the moth-traps consisted largely of small numbers of apparent lingers, amongst which a few Bordered Straws continue to feature; further interest from the Obs traps came in the form of the second island record of Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella (the first was a Sweethill in June 2013). The peculiar circumstances surrounding the addition of another species to the island list - Juniper Webber Dichomeris marginella - are detailed below.
Immigrant interest in the moth-traps consisted largely of small numbers of apparent lingers, amongst which a few Bordered Straws continue to feature; further interest from the Obs traps came in the form of the second island record of Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella (the first was a Sweethill in June 2013). The peculiar circumstances surrounding the addition of another species to the island list - Juniper Webber Dichomeris marginella - are detailed below.
Buff Long-horn and Juniper Webber - Portland Bill, 22nd June 2015 © Martin Cade
...the Juniper Webber came to our attention in a rather unexpected fashion when we happened to notice it already potted on the Obs lounge table. It turned out that the pot belonged to one of our guests - Robert Payne - who'd found the moth yesterday inside his car when he returned from fieldwork at Tout Quarry and Cheyne Weare; duly potted the moth was still awaiting identification when we spotted it. Robert assures us that the most likely explanation was that the moth entered his car at either Tout or Cheyne, and that he hadn't, for example, been carrying a moth-trap in the car from which it might have escaped (he hadn't been trapping anywhere else and the moth doesn't occur in his garden at Harrow). 'Wild' Juniper - the larval foodplant - doesn't occur on Portland but we've already heard via Bob Ford and Debby Saunders of cultivated junipers in gardens at the Grove and Southwell and it may be that there's a hitherto undetected population somewhere on the island.
Finally, another recording of yesterday's Red-breasted Flycatcher. We'd forgotten that when it first showed up we made a quick recording with the phone in case it disappeared/shut up; the squeaky little 'alternative' call - which we didn't hear later - features right at the beginning of this phone recording:
Finally, another recording of yesterday's Red-breasted Flycatcher. We'd forgotten that when it first showed up we made a quick recording with the phone in case it disappeared/shut up; the squeaky little 'alternative' call - which we didn't hear later - features right at the beginning of this phone recording:
21st June
We've been graced with some really tricky to get to grips with oddities just lately, with a Red-breasted Flycatcher at the Obs today following in much the same vein - had it not been at times been quite vocal it surely wouldn't have been detected since it afforded no more than subliminal flight glimpses. The day's only other reports were of a Chiffchaff lingering on at the Bill, 2 more Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler at Southwell and 7 Common Terns, 4 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Sandwich Terns lingering off the Bill.
20th June
Cloudier skies today and a handful of new arrivals - now heading in both directions it seems. The Reed Warbler in song at the Obs and perhaps also the Spotted Flycatcher at Southwell were perhaps most likely tardy spring migrants, but the new Blackcap (like yesterday's new Chiffchaff) examined in the hand at the Obs was found to have a decent brood patch and had clearly already made a breeding attempt somewhere. Otherwise it was all pretty mundane, with 7 Common Scoter and a Sandwich Tern through off the Bill and 3 Dunlin at Ferrybridge.
An announcement for PBO members that this year's AGM will take place at the Obs at 7pm on Saturday 18th July; further details and an agenda for the meeting are available on the Notices page.
An announcement for PBO members that this year's AGM will take place at the Obs at 7pm on Saturday 18th July; further details and an agenda for the meeting are available on the Notices page.
19th June
An early morning Golden Oriole in song at Southwell was a nice start to the day but it was downhill all the way after that, with 3 Chiffchaffs, a Wheatear and a Blackcap at the Bill the only other worthwhile reports.
The island's second record of Poplar Kitten at the Obs was the pick of the overnight moth catch.
Also interesting news received this week from Professor Martin Collinson at the University of Aberdeen of a result from his genetic analysis of feathers from our female Subalpine Warbler of 23rd May. In the hand and on call all the indications were that it was a Western Subalpine Warbler but we were concerned that Moltoni's Warbler might still not be fully eliminated from the equation. Martin's analysis put that concern to bed since it found that: "its DNA sequence was identical to previously published Western haplotype H26 (sampled in France) and very different from any other subalp taxon". Many thanks to Martin for undertaking this analysis for us.
Finally, news of one of the odder ringing recoveries we've received in recent memory. At long last details have just come through on a Chiffchaff wearing a Helgoland ring that we 'controlled' in May 2014 (...just don't ask why this sort of news takes so long to filter through - the glacial pace of the notification process really isn't one of those wonders of the modern information technology age). Anyway, this was the bird and ring at our end on 5th May 2014:
...and it turns out that it was first ringed on Helgoland just over a fortnight beforehand on 19th April 2014. Quite why a Chiffchaff should have been off the coast of Germany in mid-April and then headed south-west for 800km to turn up at Portland in early May is rather beyond us and probably best not dwelt on.
The island's second record of Poplar Kitten at the Obs was the pick of the overnight moth catch.
Also interesting news received this week from Professor Martin Collinson at the University of Aberdeen of a result from his genetic analysis of feathers from our female Subalpine Warbler of 23rd May. In the hand and on call all the indications were that it was a Western Subalpine Warbler but we were concerned that Moltoni's Warbler might still not be fully eliminated from the equation. Martin's analysis put that concern to bed since it found that: "its DNA sequence was identical to previously published Western haplotype H26 (sampled in France) and very different from any other subalp taxon". Many thanks to Martin for undertaking this analysis for us.
Finally, news of one of the odder ringing recoveries we've received in recent memory. At long last details have just come through on a Chiffchaff wearing a Helgoland ring that we 'controlled' in May 2014 (...just don't ask why this sort of news takes so long to filter through - the glacial pace of the notification process really isn't one of those wonders of the modern information technology age). Anyway, this was the bird and ring at our end on 5th May 2014:
18th June
Very quiet again today, with a single Blackcap at the Obs the only obvious new arrival making the list.
Immigrant moth interest has dwindled as the week's gone on, with little evidence that the moths being seen/trapped aren't just lingers. An Alder Moth at Sweethill yesterday was only the second record for the island and, given the north-westerly breeze, had perhaps most likely wandered out from the mainland. Bordered Straws continue to be trapped/seen visiting valerian after dark in small numbers, with others found randomly by day as well; a Ni Moth at the Grove was best of last night's immigrant catch.
Belated news from a couple of days ago (16th) of a male Red-veined Darter at Kingbarrow Quarry.
Immigrant moth interest has dwindled as the week's gone on, with little evidence that the moths being seen/trapped aren't just lingers. An Alder Moth at Sweethill yesterday was only the second record for the island and, given the north-westerly breeze, had perhaps most likely wandered out from the mainland. Bordered Straws continue to be trapped/seen visiting valerian after dark in small numbers, with others found randomly by day as well; a Ni Moth at the Grove was best of last night's immigrant catch.
Belated news from a couple of days ago (16th) of a male Red-veined Darter at Kingbarrow Quarry.
Linnet - Southwell, 18th June 2015 © Nick Stantiford
17th June
Another little sprinkle of migrants at the Bill today, where singles of Curlew, Yellow Wagtail, Reed Warbler, Blackcap and Spotted Flycatcher all put in appearances. The sea came up with nothing more than 2 Manx Shearwaters through off the Bill.
Finally, a little curiosity from yesterday. We didn't give this demonstrably obvious Reed Warbler more than a second glance when we came across it in a net at the Obs:
However, on being measured it turned out to be well on the small side with a wing length of only 62mm; even more oddly, when we bothered to have a closer look it showed more than a trace of a second emargination (Reed Warbler usually has just the one on primary 3, whereas on Blyth's Reed both primaries 3 and 4 are emarginated):
Whilst the emargination on primary 4 clearly isn't as well formed as the one on primary 3 there's certainly a thinning of the outer web of the feather that could easily be construed as a 'proper' emargination by anyone, for example, attempting to 'read' the wing formula from a field photograph. Although a few of the biometrics fell within the Reed/Blyth's Reed overlap there was nothing else to suggest it was anything other than a Reed Warbler: the plumage was typical Reed and the likes of the wing point (primary 3 instead of primaries 3 and 4), the position of primary 2 (equal to primary 4 as opposed to as short as at least primary 5) and the position of the emargination on primary 3 (falling level with the secondaries instead of shorter than them) were all very typical for Reed.
Marbled White and Yellow Wagtail - Tout Quarry and Portland Bill, 17th June 2015 © Ken Dolbear (Marbled White) and Nick Hopper (Yellow Wagtail)
...the Yellow Wagtail was bombing about overhead for much of the morning and from Nick's photos looks to be something other than a standard British Yellow Wag. On the off chance of a fly-by Bee-eater or something similar Nick had left his nocturnal recording gear switched on well into the morning and the first pass of the Yellow Wagtail was captured - together with a woefully late shout from one of the clearly audibly-challenged patio dwellers!
Finally, a little curiosity from yesterday. We didn't give this demonstrably obvious Reed Warbler more than a second glance when we came across it in a net at the Obs:
However, on being measured it turned out to be well on the small side with a wing length of only 62mm; even more oddly, when we bothered to have a closer look it showed more than a trace of a second emargination (Reed Warbler usually has just the one on primary 3, whereas on Blyth's Reed both primaries 3 and 4 are emarginated):
Whilst the emargination on primary 4 clearly isn't as well formed as the one on primary 3 there's certainly a thinning of the outer web of the feather that could easily be construed as a 'proper' emargination by anyone, for example, attempting to 'read' the wing formula from a field photograph. Although a few of the biometrics fell within the Reed/Blyth's Reed overlap there was nothing else to suggest it was anything other than a Reed Warbler: the plumage was typical Reed and the likes of the wing point (primary 3 instead of primaries 3 and 4), the position of primary 2 (equal to primary 4 as opposed to as short as at least primary 5) and the position of the emargination on primary 3 (falling level with the secondaries instead of shorter than them) were all very typical for Reed.
16th June
A day with the sort of cast that June ought to be coming up with. A Melodious Warbler singing in the Obs garden from shortly after dawn was welcome although proved to be extremely elusive and was only glimpsed before mid-morning when it went quiet; later in the day a Bee-eater showed up at Wakeham but that too proved to be less than obliging. Compared with recent days commoner migrants also staged something of a show, with 4 Spotted Flycatchers and singles of Curlew, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler all new at the Bill and another Willow Warbler fresh in at Southwell. Four Common Scoter and 3 Mediterranean Gulls passed though on the sea at the Bill.
The first Silver-studded Blue butterflies of the year were on the wing at Tout Quarry.
The first Silver-studded Blue butterflies of the year were on the wing at Tout Quarry.
Silver-studded Blue and Linnet - Tout Quarry and Portland Bill, 16th June 2015 © Ken Dolbear (Silver-studded Blue) and Nick Hopper (Linnet)
...also thanks to Tony Hovell for a photo from last weekend of one of the many Broad-bodied Chasers on the Obs garden ponds:
For a little while this morning's Melodious Warbler was singing really nicely, even if it afforded no more than a glimpse then or later:
15th June
With the fresh breeze back into the east there was a certain degree of expectation which was eventually rewarded in the form of a Bee-eater over Weston towards midday; commoner migrants also featured, with a Turtle Dove at Southwell, 2 Reed Warblers and a Corn Bunting at the Bill, and a Chiffchaff and the same or another Corn Bunting at Weston. The only movement on the sea concerned what looked to be the beginnings of return passage of Common Scoter, with 46 - seemingly all drakes - west past the Bill; also of note seabird-wise, another overnight petrel-luring attempt at the Bill produced just a single Storm Petrel.
A fair-sized pod of Common Dolphins - estimated to be upwards of 50 - lingered distantly off the Bill for a good part of the morning.
The moth-traps were quieter than yesterday but immigrants continued to feature in fair numbers, with the first Convolvulus Hawk-moth of the year at the Obs a notable highlight; a total of 15 Bordered Straws were logged and an Orange Footman was a noteworthy disperser that made it to the Grove.
A fair-sized pod of Common Dolphins - estimated to be upwards of 50 - lingered distantly off the Bill for a good part of the morning.
The moth-traps were quieter than yesterday but immigrants continued to feature in fair numbers, with the first Convolvulus Hawk-moth of the year at the Obs a notable highlight; a total of 15 Bordered Straws were logged and an Orange Footman was a noteworthy disperser that made it to the Grove.
Turtle Dove, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, 'Wasp'-type Bee Orchid, Convolvulus Hawk-moth and Storm Petrel - Southwell and Portland Bill, 15th June 2015 © Nick Stantiford (Turtle Dove), Ken Dolbear (the butterflies and Wasp Orchid) and Martin Cade (Convolvulus Hawk and Storm Petrel)
Last night's Storm Petrel was a noisy little beggar in the hand:
And for no particular reason other than it was in the Obs garden for a good part of the day and often rather close here's one of today's Reed Warblers:
The monotony of the Reed contrasts nicely with the altogether more varied song of this Sedge Warbler at Culverwell last week:
Last night's Storm Petrel was a noisy little beggar in the hand:
And for no particular reason other than it was in the Obs garden for a good part of the day and often rather close here's one of today's Reed Warblers:
The monotony of the Reed contrasts nicely with the altogether more varied song of this Sedge Warbler at Culverwell last week:
14th June
Once again, the island was seriously deficient in quality birds. The only obvious newcomers at the Bill were 2 Whitethroats and singles of Sand Martin, Whinchat and Willow Warbler; the less said about the contribution from the sea the better.
With a decent cloud cover and the wind having dropped to almost nothing the moth-traps were considerably busier than they have been hitherto this year. Immigrant interest consisted largely of variety rather than numbers although a total of 17 Bordered Straw from five sites was of note, as was the total of 27 Silver Y from one trap at the Grove; another Ni Moth at the Obs and another Dark Pine Knot-horn at Sweethill were the best of the oddities.
With a decent cloud cover and the wind having dropped to almost nothing the moth-traps were considerably busier than they have been hitherto this year. Immigrant interest consisted largely of variety rather than numbers although a total of 17 Bordered Straw from five sites was of note, as was the total of 27 Silver Y from one trap at the Grove; another Ni Moth at the Obs and another Dark Pine Knot-horn at Sweethill were the best of the oddities.
Red Admiral and Bee Orchid - Easton and Admiralty Quarry, 14th June 2015 © Ken Dolbear
13th June
Yesterday's stir-up in the weather continued and saw a shift back to a westerly wind that was accompanied by more overnight rain. At least 2 new Chiffchaffs and, more surprisingly, a Redstart showed up at the Bill, whilst Ferrybridge came up with 14 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Sanderling, 2 Dunlin and a Shelduck. The fresh westerly produced a few odds and ends on the sea, including 9 Common Scoter, 4 Arctic Skuas and a Mediterranean Gull through off the Bill.
Immigrant moth interest included singles of Ni Moth and Dark Pine Knot-horn at the Obs.
Immigrant moth interest included singles of Ni Moth and Dark Pine Knot-horn at the Obs.
The singing Redstart lurking in deep cover at the Obs was sufficiently subdued and out of context as to not be immediately recognised:
12th June
A change in the weather saw a thundery downpour pass through overnight and brought largely overcast skies by day but the quality - or lack of it - of the birding was unchanged. A Redpoll was a surprise new arrival at the Bill, where a Wheatear and a Chiffchaff were also new in on the land and 16 Common Scoter, 14 commic terns (by their behaviour most likely local breeders rather than late migrants), 13 Manx Shearwaters, 9 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Arctic Skuas and 2 Sandwich Terns passed through on the sea. An arrival of Mediterranean Gulls was also in evidence at Ferrybridge where the total jumped to 15; 4 Dunlin were also there.
Herring Gulls, Clouded Yellow, Large Skipper and Meadow Brown - Blacknor and Broadcroft Quarry BC Reserve, 11th June 2015 © Nick Hopper (Herring Gulls) and Ken Dolbear (the butterflies)
11th June
Far from reaping the harvest of quality that we might have hoped for, this week continues to disappoint. The Bill struggled to get on the board, with a new Chiffchaff on the land, a trickle of hirundines, Swifts and a Whimbrel overhead, and 6 Manx Shearwaters and 5 commic terns through on the sea the best that could be mustered. Some variety at Ferrybridge included 6 Black-headed Gulls, 5 Sanderling, 2 Grey Herons, 2 Shelducks and a Whimbrel.
10th June
Still no end in sight to the windy weather, with a stiff and at times surprisingly cool easterly always a feature, as well as being a serious impediment to enjoyable birding. A Serin, presumably the same individual in each case, put in a couple of fleeting appearances at Blacknor early in the morning and at the Grove during the evening, whilst also during the evening the Common Rosefinch showed up again in a private garden at Southwell. Ferrybridge came up with the only other worthwhile sightings in the form of 6 Sanderling, 4 Shelducks and a Hobby.
Immigrant lepidoptera by day included a few Painted Ladys everywhere and single Hummingbird Hawk-moths at Blacknor and the Obs. The overnight moth catch included 3 Bordered Straw and 2 Small Mottled Willow at the Obs, whilst also there several Bordered Straw were again visiting valerian at dusk.
Immigrant lepidoptera by day included a few Painted Ladys everywhere and single Hummingbird Hawk-moths at Blacknor and the Obs. The overnight moth catch included 3 Bordered Straw and 2 Small Mottled Willow at the Obs, whilst also there several Bordered Straw were again visiting valerian at dusk.
Common Rosefinch, Sanderlings, Shelducks and Bordered Straw - Southwell, Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, 10th June 2015 © Nick Stantiford (Rosefinch), Pete Saunders (Sanderlings and Shelducks) and Martin Cade (Bordered Straw)
9th June
The fresh easterly wind remained firmly established and, after a day that had otherwise largely drawn a blank, events in the evening suggested there had finally been a response from some birds, with reports of first a Red Kite over Weston and later a Common Rosefinch heard singing at Southwell. An unseasonable and a possibly sickly Red-breasted Merganser settled off East Cliffs was the best of the day's sightings at the Bill, where singles of Blackcap and Chiffchaff were new in and an 'into the wind' movement of more than 100 Swifts developed during the afternoon. Ferrybridge again hosted the last remnants of spring wader passage - 4 Sanderling and 2 Dunlin today - whilst 2 Mediterranean Gulls were also there.
A single Hummingbird Hawk-moth was at the Obs during the afternoon.
The moth-traps were unexpectedly busy after what looked to have been a cool, blustery night, with the Obs immigrant totals consisting of 16 Diamond-back Moth, 8 Small Mottled Willow, 5 Bordered Straw, 2 Silver Y and singles of Rush Veneer and Striped Hawk-moth; quality from the other garden traps included additional Bordered Straws at Sweethill (1), Reap Lane (3) and the Grove (2), and Small Mottled Willows at Sweethill (2) and the Grove (1).
A single Hummingbird Hawk-moth was at the Obs during the afternoon.
The moth-traps were unexpectedly busy after what looked to have been a cool, blustery night, with the Obs immigrant totals consisting of 16 Diamond-back Moth, 8 Small Mottled Willow, 5 Bordered Straw, 2 Silver Y and singles of Rush Veneer and Striped Hawk-moth; quality from the other garden traps included additional Bordered Straws at Sweethill (1), Reap Lane (3) and the Grove (2), and Small Mottled Willows at Sweethill (2) and the Grove (1).
8th June
Another very minor flurry of migrants today - pointedly not including the rarity that was wished for, if not expected, following the wind having shifted into the east. Singletons at the Bill included a Little Egret, a Reed Warbler, a Willow Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher, whilst another Spotted Flycatcher passed through at Blacknor. Two Black-headed Gulls through off the Bill were mirrored by another single - together with a Mediterranean Gull - fresh in at Ferrybridge, where 6 Sanderling, 2 Shelducks and 2 Dunlin were also present.
Bordered Straws and Small Mottled Willows again provided the best of the overnight immigrant moth quality: 4 Small Mottled Willow and 3 Bordered Straw were caught at the Obs and additional single Small Mottled Willows at Sweethill and the Grove.
Bordered Straws and Small Mottled Willows again provided the best of the overnight immigrant moth quality: 4 Small Mottled Willow and 3 Bordered Straw were caught at the Obs and additional single Small Mottled Willows at Sweethill and the Grove.
7th June
A lovely warm, still and sunny day that started very slowly but did eventually come up with a handful of tardy (...or in a couple of cases perhaps even early departing failed breeders) common migrants. All the reports were from the Bill area, where 4 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 each of Sand Martin and Wheatear, and singles of Hobby, Ringed Plover, Black-headed Gull, Redstart, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler made the log.
Immigrant Lepidoptera continued to feature; the Painted Ladys first reported a couple of days ago looked to have moved on very quickly, with none logged yesterday and only 3 today, but amongst the moths Bordered Straws in particular were still relatively numerous, with moth-trap totals of 6 at the Grove, 4 at the Obs and 2 at Sweethill, as well as a minimum of 7 visiting valerian in the Obs garden at dusk yesterday evening.
Immigrant Lepidoptera continued to feature; the Painted Ladys first reported a couple of days ago looked to have moved on very quickly, with none logged yesterday and only 3 today, but amongst the moths Bordered Straws in particular were still relatively numerous, with moth-trap totals of 6 at the Grove, 4 at the Obs and 2 at Sweethill, as well as a minimum of 7 visiting valerian in the Obs garden at dusk yesterday evening.
Small Copper, Small Heath and Bordered Straw - Tout Quarry, Admiralty Quarry and Portland Bill, 6th June 2015 © Ken Dolbear (the butterflies) and Martin Cade (Bordered Straw)
6th June
The length of the day's list reached a new low for the year - just 4 entries for the Bill - but despite the relentlessly brisk westerly wind there was a very unexpected oddity in the form of a brief singing Common Rosefinch at Southwell early in the morning. The only other migrants worth a mention were 2 Chiffchaffs and a Sedge Warbler grounded at the Bill and 2 overflying Grey Herons there at dusk.
The recording gear is sensitive enough to pick up even quite faint captures like this one, but in being able to do so it's also very susceptible to being all but overwhelmed by background noise of all sorts - we've already mentioned wind noise, but the hiss on this Coot recording is sea noise which has turned out to be quite an issue in what seems on the face of it to be no more than a light onshore breeze; with any luck further refinements to the technique will enable Nick to negate some of these issues as he continues with the project, but in the meanwhile why was there a Coot over the Bill a couple of night ago?
Common Rosefinch - Southwell, 6th June 2015 © Pete Saunders
Nick Hopper was back with us for a couple more sound recording sessions towards the end of last week and, reflecting the migrant situation by day, had his first night (3rd/4th June) that drew a complete blank. The next night was hardly any better but it did come up with a complete surprise when a Coot was logged just after midnight on 5th June:
The recording gear is sensitive enough to pick up even quite faint captures like this one, but in being able to do so it's also very susceptible to being all but overwhelmed by background noise of all sorts - we've already mentioned wind noise, but the hiss on this Coot recording is sea noise which has turned out to be quite an issue in what seems on the face of it to be no more than a light onshore breeze; with any luck further refinements to the technique will enable Nick to negate some of these issues as he continues with the project, but in the meanwhile why was there a Coot over the Bill a couple of night ago?
And for something completely different, thanks to Ken Dolbear for photos of a couple of the scarce coastal vetches that are currently in flower at Broadcroft BC reserve - Bithynian Vetch (top) and Yellow Vetch (bottom):
5th June
Despite the seemingly promising-looking easterly wind and overcast skies of dawn bird interest dwindled away, with new arrivals on/overhead at the Bill limited to 7 Shelducks and singles of Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Spotted Flycatcher, with another Spotted Flycatcher also overhead at Blacknor and 16 Sanderling through at Ferrybridge. Twelve Common Scoter and an Arctic Skua passed through on the sea at the Bill and there was an unusually high count of 5 Gannets in Portland Harbour.
Lepidoptera interest improved markedly, with a conspicuous arrival of Painted Lady butterflies and immigrant moths that looked to have been on the move along the western flank of a line of thunderstorms that stretched across the Channel to the east of Portland. Painted Ladys were thinly spread everywhere in numbers that must have been well into three figures over the island as a whole. Diamond-back Moths, including 23 at the Obs and 10 at St Peter's Church, made up the bulk of the immigrant numbers in the various moth-traps, but quality came in the form of a Striped Hawk-moth and 2 Small Mottled Willows at the Obs and another Small Mottled Willow at St Peter's Church.
Lepidoptera interest improved markedly, with a conspicuous arrival of Painted Lady butterflies and immigrant moths that looked to have been on the move along the western flank of a line of thunderstorms that stretched across the Channel to the east of Portland. Painted Ladys were thinly spread everywhere in numbers that must have been well into three figures over the island as a whole. Diamond-back Moths, including 23 at the Obs and 10 at St Peter's Church, made up the bulk of the immigrant numbers in the various moth-traps, but quality came in the form of a Striped Hawk-moth and 2 Small Mottled Willows at the Obs and another Small Mottled Willow at St Peter's Church.
Striped Hawk-moth - Portland Bill, 5th June 2015 © Martin Cade
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