15th July

 Today was fairly unremarkable on the birding front. The only migrants noted were on the sea and the highlights were limited to a Balearic Shearwater and a Whimbrel.

The highlights from yesterday included the lingering Little Gull and a passage Greenshank ©Pete Saunders:



One of the Dark Green Fritillaries found its way into the obs garden, but with negative news today was this the first stage of a movement away from the island? ©James Phillips:


There's always something to look at on Portland, even on the very quiet bird days. Canthophorus impressus or the Down Shieldbug is associated with Bastard Toadflax (a rare plant in its own right) and therefore has a limited distribution across the UK. The Slopes above the Bill are a particularly good site for this diminutive bug and its host plant ©Erin Taylor: