25th May

25th May: stiff easterly breeze prompted some tern passage with 108 commics, 5 Blacks and a Little thru off the Bill; singles of Arctic and Great Skuas also thru offshore; passerine arrivals at the Bill limited to yet another 3 CCs + 2 Spot Flys; Ferrybridge waders: 27 RP, 18 Sanderling & 10 Dunlin

— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 25, 2026 at 10:10 PM

Chief prize from overnight mothing was a Little Thorn - the first at the Obs and only the second for Portland after we were gripped by @birdbeard.bsky.social finding one last year on East Weare when he wasn't even seriously mothing! 471 Diamond-backs & 114 Small Mottled Willows amongst the Obs catch

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 25, 2026 at 11:31 AM

More migrant moth news: the second Many-lined in as many nights - this one from last night from John Lucas' garden at Southwell

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 25, 2026 at 8:56 PM

Overnight trapping @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social gave this lovely Ni Moth (out of the fridge, courtesy of MC), with best of the self-trapped at Freshwater Bay including Puss Moth (2, inc. egg laying female), migrants inc. a single Small Marbled and 25 Small Mottled Willows:

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— alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social (@alanlewiswildlife.bsky.social) May 25, 2026 at 9:01 PM

Last fews day have started to really improve in the moth trap with my second ever beautiful marbled and new for garden 2x euchromius ocellea 11 small mottled willow and 122× diamond back

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— dunccrip.bsky.social (@dunccrip.bsky.social) May 25, 2026 at 11:53 PM

most butterflies wings shut today in the breeze like this adonis blue. a fair few lulworth skipper out on the E side where they always seem to show up first, probably been on the wing a while i would imagine. first yellow belle and mother of shipton for me on the moff front.

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) May 25, 2026 at 9:14 PM

male and female black tailed skimmer, broad bodied chaser, emperor, also saw a demoiselle that was flying away from me at the back, probably beautiful i guess. blanked on red veined darter after oli's single yesterday and martin's two the day before.

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— andylportland.bsky.social (@andylportland.bsky.social) May 25, 2026 at 9:24 PM

Some Ferrybridge Sanderling action © John Dadds: