30th June

With potential stifling heat alleviated by a pleasantly brisk breeze today wasn't too bad a day to be out and about. Overnight, a lone Storm Petrel had been sound-lured and trapped at the Bill, with a Curlew also passing overhead at that time. The return of at least some feeding gulls off the Bill brought about a reappearance of the summering Sooty Shearwater that's now been in residence for over a month; other shearwaters remained few and far between, with just 4 Balearics and only a handful more Manx showing up from time to time, but a Little Gull joining the flock was of more interest. Passerine passage included a late arriving Reed Warbler in song at Kingbarrow Quarry and 20 Sand Martins and 5 Swallows leaving to the south at the Bill.

At least one of the non-breeding Puffins that have been hanging about off the Bill this summer was still offshore this morning © Pete Saunders:

Very encouragingly, all the news is good news from the Little Tern colony at Ferrybridge where the adults are being kept busy provisioning increasing numbers of youngsters © Pete Saunders:

Not sure what's going on with Storm Petrels in local waters but year on year they're getting more difficult to see and/or trap - 6 luring sessions so far this summer and last night's single was only the fourth trapped. Query for skywatchers: are these wispy, shining clouds nocilucent clouds?

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 30, 2025 at 10:21 AM

Fair list of migrant moths again in last night's Obs traps, with the highlight the first Ni of the recent migration spell; 3 Red Admirals & 2 Hummingbird Hawks in the traps suggests that the butterfly immigration being observed this morning at the Bill tip first got going in the hours of darkness

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) June 30, 2025 at 10:42 AM

@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social Steady stream of Lg White Butterflies coming in from the east at the Bill

— Debra Saunders (@debbyseamist.bsky.social) June 30, 2025 at 9:08 AM