15th July

With the stiff northeasterly of dawn abating quicker than in recent days there was at least a little attention paid to the land, with singles of Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear and Sedge Warbler coming out of the woodwork at the Bill where another trickle of Swifts and Sand Martins passed through overhead. The sea was conspicuously quiet for long periods, with little more 3 each of Balearic Shearwater, Arctic Skua and Yellow-legged Gull to show at the Bill.

Another good moth catch at the Obs last night: a Many-lined the best migrant, with Silver-spotted Veneer a decent back-up; lots of dispersers/recent colonists incl 14 Rusty Acorn Piercer amplana...

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 15, 2026 at 12:15 PM

Puzzled enough by this early and not-quite-right 'Rhomboid Tortrix' to keep it and check it out and looks like a good candidate for Fen Tortrix A shepherdana - is that right anyone who knows it? If it is one, certainly new for Portland and seemingly pretty rare anywhere in these parts

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 15, 2026 at 1:15 PM

The new for Portland moths keep coming: we're guessing this is a rather plain/dark form of Bog Snout Spaganothis pilleriana that @dunccrip.bsky.social has just brought us - caught last night in his garden at Weston. A heathland/east Dorset species in these parts.

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 15, 2026 at 2:37 PM

...also, it's an excellent year for Four Spotted, one of the local specials here, 50 from the Obs traps this morning is likely the highest ever single night total

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— Portland Bird Observatory (@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social) July 15, 2026 at 12:21 PM