This week has provided plenty of evidence for why Portland is consistently the driest part of Dorset, with deluges of rain frequently visible from the island but invariably passing it by; today continued in that vein with a couple of brief showers all that could be mustered off the edge of much wetter weather passing by on the mainland. The sea provided most of the day's bird interest, with 200 Manx Shearwaters, 22 Common Scoter, 3 Sandwich Terns and singles of Arctic Skua, Great Skua and Mediterranean Gull through off the Bill. The only faintly interesting contribution from the land was the first Sand Martin of the autumn through off the Bill.
In fresher, breezier conditions immigrant moth variety dropped still further, with 15 Rusty-dot Pearl, 4 each of Diamond-back Moth and Rush Veneer, and 2 Silver Y making up the tally from the Obs garden traps; a single Delicate at Sweethill provided the best of the quality elsewhere.
