13th July

On a day when it looked like Portland had a series of near misses from hefty rain showers it was nice to see sure signs of passerine passage/dispersal getting going. Sand Martins (with a few Swallows mingled in) featured most conspicuously with 130 through at the Bill and 30 over Ferrybridge, whilst singles of Grey Heron, Great Spotted WoodpeckerYellow Wagtail, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap and Willow Warbler were also new in at the Bill; elsewhere a Green Sandpiper headed over Blacknor and 23 Dunlin, 6 Sanderling, a Little Ringed Plover and a Curlew were at Ferrybridge. The sea came up with 33 Manx Shearwaters, 18 Common Scoter, 2 Sandwich Terns and an Arctic Skua through off the Bill.

Obs immigrant moth totals: 11 Diamond-back Moth, 2 Silver Y and singles of Rusty-dot Pearl, Dark Sword Grass and Delicate.






Gannets, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Little Ringed Plover and Grayling - Portland Bill, Ferrybridge and Tout Quarry, 12th July 2016 © Martin Cade (Gannets & GSWoodpecker), Pete Saunders (LRP) and Ken Dolbear (Grayling)

And also from Ken Dolbear, a nice little series of photos from recent days of grasshopper variation; a couple of Field Grasshoppers:



...and three Mottled Grasshoppers: