The aftermath of a night of thunder, lightning and heavy rainfall disrupted early coverage although conditions did improve very rapidly. There were a few new Willow Warblers in evidence at the Bill but most of the new arrivals were waders at Ferrybridge, where the tally included 78 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpipers, and singles of Sanderling, Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwit. Limited coverage of the sea saw 2 Balearic Shearwaters and 2 presumably non-local Puffins logged at the Bill.
This morning's Black-tailed Godwit at Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders:
The near gale force easterly associated with last night's thunderstorms knocked back moth numbers but there were still a few dispersers in the traps, of which the best were singles of Pine Hawkmoth and Oak Hook-tip at the Grove: with six singles already this summer it's looking likely to be the best year ever for the former; the latter in a more widespread moth across mainland Dorset but only a very infrequent visitor to Portland - we're guessing it's larval food-plants are mainly deciduous oaks and it doesn't usually take to the evergreen Holm Oak of which there's a fair bit on Portland © Martin Cade:
