30th August

A great little selection to liven things up today, with a Rosy Starling roaming widely between the Bill tip and Reap Lane after initially being discovered in the Obs Quarry, yesterday's Melodious Warbler showing up again in Top Fields, an Osprey heading south over Weston and the Bill and a likely new Wryneck popping up at the Pulpit Bushes. Grounded common migrants still weren't at all plentiful and didn't include anything much better than 3 Grasshopper Warblers and a Pied Flycatcher at the Bill, but it was busier overhead, with a steady passage of hirundines through everywhere and 40 Yellow Wagtails, 22 Tree Pipits, 13 Swifts and the autumn's first Short-eared Owl over the Bill. Balearic Shearwaters were again conspicuous, with at least 130 through off the Bill where 2 Great Skuas and an Arctic Skua also passed by.
 
After yesterday's action there were high hopes for the moth-traps, but despite nice conditions 4 Vestals at the Obs and a Convolvulus Hawk-moth at West Grove Terrace were the best of the immigrants.

Rosy Starling, Wryneck, Melodious Warbler and Clouded Yellow - Portland Bill, 30th August 2015 © Tony Hovell (Rosy Starling still, Wryneck and Clouded Yellow), Roger Hewitt (Melodious Warbler) and Martin Cade (Rosy Starling video) 

Also thanks to Pete Morris Birdquest for a cracking photo from yesterday evening of a Convolvulus Hawk-moth visiting Nicotiana flowers at the Obs:
 

Finally, an update on Nick Hopper's nocturnal recording escapades. Just lately Nick hasn't been able to get down as often as he'd like and when he has we haven't enough time to post much of a report on his result, but a visit just before the weekend came up with the now customary selection of waders, including this Greenshank:

...and oddities such as a Common Sandpiper engaging in some song; passerines included plenty of Tree Pipits and a probable Pied Flycatcher.