On the insect front, the moth-traps were busy with Diamond-backs in particular but the night's highlight was the island's second ever Lunar Marbled Brown at Southwell. By day, Red Admirals and Painted Ladys were well spread and Large Whites were watched arriving in off the sea at the Bill; a Brimstone was also watched arriving in off at the Bill tip which provides our first ever evidence for the origins of the occasional Brimstones logged around the island (this species isn't known to breed here). A good arrival of migrant dragonflies included a Vagrant Emperor on East Cliffs at the Bill and multiples of Red-veined Darters at both the Bill and Yeolands Quarry.
Today's Hooded Crow at Reap Lane © Phil Cheeseman:
The Vagrant Emperor © Jodie Henderson and one of the Red-veined Darters © Steve Mansfield at the Bill...
...and two of the Red-veined Darters at Yeolands Quarry © Martin Cade:
John Lucas' garden moth-trap at Southwell has been catching decent numbers and variety just lately - on many nights he's fared far better than we have at the Obs - and last night its star catch was a Lunar Marbled Brown; although a widespread moth on the mainland, it's an oak-feeder so is absent from Portland - there's just one previous record of a stray here that was trapped at the Obs on 12th May 1991 © Martin Cade:
