29th May

29th May: beyond today's two scarces - the Melodious Warbler & Tree Sparrow (the Turtle Dove was also still about at the Obs) - there was still a little migration evident, with 3 each of Reed Warbler & Chiffchaff + a single Spot Fly new at the Bill; 550 Manx, a GNDiver & an Arctic Skua thru at sea

— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 29, 2026 at 11:00 PM

Pretty quiet in the nets, so this Melodious Warbler was a real treat this morning #birdringing #culverwell @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

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— Mark Cutts (@slashercutts.bsky.social) May 29, 2026 at 7:13 AM

Never really understood why this is a good time of year for Tree Sparrows because you'd have thought they'd all be off breeding far away from here (this one had a big brood patch so has tried to breed somewhere) but May's always been good for them and here's another just now from the CEF mist-nets

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 29, 2026 at 11:37 AM

Interesting start to the round of the Obs garden moth-traps with what looks to be a new species for the island on the vanes of the lepi-led trap (...not the easiest spot to pot it from!) - Pale Oak Beauty that we're guessing has strayed over from a French woodland

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 29, 2026 at 7:45 AM

So totally expected after yesterday's events further west that we weren't even surprised to find an Eastern Bordered Straw on top of another moth-trap at the Obs - how come the sparrows hadn't eaten that?...

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 29, 2026 at 9:18 AM

...and then inside that trap another EBS, a Purple Marbled & a Striped Hawk. How times have changed - can still well remember Bernard Skinner massively gripping us off in May 1992 by showing us Britain's 4th EBS (& the first for 30+ yrs) that he'd caught the night before at Durlston!

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 29, 2026 at 9:23 AM

Final Obs garden migrant moth totals for last night: 237 Diamond-back, 230 Small Mottled Willow, 19 Rusty-dot Pearl, 6 SY, 4 Striped Hawk, 3 Eastern Bordered Straw, 2 Rush Veneer, singles Vestal, Bordered Straw, Dark Sword Grass & Purple Marbled + the Pale Oak Beauty and several other misc strays.

— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 29, 2026 at 12:25 PM

More migrant moths for last night's tally: singles of Eastern Bordered Straw from John Lucas' garden at Southwell and from our garden at the Grove + a Striped Hawk at the Grove; among the commoner migrant totals there were 53 Small Mottled Willows at the Grove

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) May 29, 2026 at 6:30 PM