male and female Adonis Blue, Marsh Harrier and Melodious Warbler - High Angle Battery and Portland Bill, August 31st 2005 © Bob Ford Nature Portfolio Image Library (Adonis Blues) and Martin Cade (birds)
A lively end to the month saw the hot, humid conditions end with a violent thunderstorm during the afternoon but not before a good assortment of birds had been reported on the ground, overhead and at sea. Highlights were a Melodious Warbler trapped and ringed at the Obs, a Wryneck in the hut fields next to the Obs garden, a Marsh Harrier and an unidentified ringtail harrier passing overhead at the Bill, a Honey Buzzard flying north at Wakeham and a Cory's Shearwater seen from a fishing boat a couple of miles off East Cliffs at the Bill. Among the commoner migrants there were plenty of hirundines, wagtails and chats but there remained an abject lack of, for example, warblers and flycatchers. Counts logged in the Bill area included many hundreds of hirundines, 90 Wheatears, 70 Yellow Wagtails, 16 Whinchats and 10 Turtle Doves but none of the other typical mid-autumn species managed higher than single figure totals. Less common species there included singles of both Merlin and Hobby, whilst another Merlin was at Ferrybridge and a single Great Skua passed through on the sea at the Bill.
Among butterflies on the wing at the moment there are good numbers of Adonis Blue around the north of the island, where High Angle Battery is a particularly favoured site.
The very poor selection of immigrant moths in the Obs garden traps this morning included nothing of note.
Waders, Swift and Hobby - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, August 30th 2005 © Martin Cade
There was a flurry of interest soon after dawn when single Ortolan Buntings were seen at Suckthumb Quarry/Barleycrates Lane and near the Higher Lighthouse at the Bill; later in the morning a Honey Buzzard passed overhead between Southwell and Weston before heading off north-east over the Grove. In the continuing clear and warm conditions commoner migrants were only a little more plentiful than in recent days, with totals in the Bill area of 30 Yellow Wagtails, 25 Wheatears, 20 Willow Warblers, 12 Tree Pipits, 6 Whinchats, 5 Swifts, 5 Grey Wagtails, 4 Ringed Plovers, 2 Turnstones, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Merlin, a Hobby, a Dunlin, a Redstart and a Grasshopper Warbler. Seawatching produced just a single Storm Petrel that lingered around a fishing boat off the Bill at midday. The only other reports were from Ferrybridge where there were 380 Dunlin, 175 Ringed Plovers, 3 Knot, 3 Sanderling, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Curlew and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls.
Immigrant numbers in the Obs garden moth-traps picked up a little: 29 Silver Y, 13 Udea ferrugalis, 8 Delicate, 7 Pearly Underwing, 5 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Dark Sword Grass and 1 Convolvulus Hawk-moth.
Knot and Curlew Sandpiper - Ferrybridge, August 29th 2005 © Martin Cade
Despite a threefold increase in the morning ringing total in the Obs garden - three new birds instead of just one! - there was still precious little to be found anywhere. Totals of grounded migrants in the Bill area included 15 Yellow Wagtails, 15 Wheatears, 5 Willow Warblers, 4 Tree Pipits, 4 Whinchats, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Merlin, a Dunlin and a Lesser Whitethroat. Ten Common Scoter, a Balearic Shearwater and a Great Skua passed through on the sea at the Bill, a single Balearic Shearwater passed through off Southwell and 2 Curlew Sandpipers and a Knot were amongst good numbers of commoner waders at Ferrybridge.
Immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps overnight included 16 Delicate, 8 Silver Y, 2 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Dark Sword Grass and 1 Convolvulus Hawk-moth.
The prevailing clear skies and warm sunshine certainly weren't good fall conditions but the fact that just one bird was trapped and ringed in the Obs garden all morning - surely a record for this date - more than adequately illustrated the complete dearth of grounded migrants. A fly-over Marsh Harrier at Easton was the bird of the day, whilst pick of the commoner migrants at the Bill were 15 Yellow Wagtails, 14 Tree Pipits, 12 Wheatears, 9 Swifts, 6 Whinchats, 3 Snipe, 3 Grey Wagtails, 2 Turtle Doves, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Merlin and a Lesser Whitethroat. A lone Balearic Shearwater was just about the only bird logged passing on the sea at the Bill.
Immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps overnight consisted of 21 Delicate, 17 Silver Y, 4 Nomophila noctuella, 2 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Plutella xylostella, 1 Pearly Underwing and 1 Convolvulus Hawk-moth; elsewhere a single Vestal was caught in a garden trap at Fortuneswell.
leucistic Rock Pipit - Portland Bill, August 27th 2005 © Martin Cade
With a thin cloud cover and the wind having dropped to the lightest of south-westerly breezes it was again most surprising that migrants remained stubbornly thin on the ground. Chats, pipits and wagtails picked up a little, with 33 Wheatears, 13 Yellow Wagtails, 8 Tree Pipits, 6 Whinchats and 4 Grey Wagtails at the Bill but warblers in particular were all but absent. Two Redshanks, a Merlin and a Pied Flycatcher were also at the Bill, where singles of Manx Shearwater, Great Skua and Arctic Skua passed by on the sea.
Immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps overnight included 2 Silver Y, 1 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Pearly Underwing and 1 Delicate.
One of the poorest days of the autumn so far, particularly as there appeared to be no reason for there not to have been at least a few common migrants on the move. In the event, hirundines aside, Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear were the only two species that just reached double figure totals in the Bill area, where a single Merlin was the only scarcer migrant logged. Seawatching at the Bill produced 10 Common Scoter, 7 Manx and 4 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Sandwich Terns, a Whimbrel and a Little Gull, whilst Ferrybridge provided totals of 130 Ringed Plover, 45 Dunlin, 2 Sanderling, a Merlin, a Knot, a Curlew, a Whimbrel and a Mediterranean Gull.
Yellow-legged Gull - Ferrybridge, August 25th 2005 © Martin Cade
A much fairer day than yesterday although the blusterly north-westerly conditions seemed to have knocked passage on land and sea on the head. The very light scatter of migrants in the Bill area included 10 Wheatears, 10 Willow Warblers, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Tree Pipits, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, a Merlin, a Dunlin, a Ringed Plover, a Redstart, a Whinchat, a Sedge Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher, with seawatching there producing just 6 Common Scoter, 3 Little Gulls, a Manx Shearwater, a Balearic Shearwater and an Arctic Skua. At Ferrybridge there were 300 Dunlin, 170 Ringed Plover, 8 Sandwich Terns, 5 Sanderling, a Curlew Sandpiper, a Yellow-legged Gull and a Yellow Wagtail.
The dreadful numbers of moths caught overnight in the Obs garden traps included by way of immigrants just 2 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Delicate and 1 Silver Y.
Arctic Tern - Ferrybridge, August 24th 2005 © Martin Cade
The forecast wind and rain duly arrived but the lack of anything more than a trickle of passage offshore served as a reminder that such conditions are rarely very productive at the Bill. The meagre return there for plenty of watching totalled 33 Common Scoter, 20 commic terns, 8 Sanderling, 9 Arctic Skuas, 9 Common Terns, 4 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Arctic Terns, 1-2 Pomarine Skuas, 1 Storm Petrel, 1 Turnstone, 1 Great Skua and 1 Sandwich Tern. Chesil Cove produced a few terns, a Balearic Shearwater, an Arctic Skua and a Little Gull, whilst there were 6 Arctic Terns, a Yellow-legged Gull and a Kittiwake at Ferrybridge. A handful of Willow Warblers and a lone Spotted Flycatcher at the Bill were the only migrants reported on the land.
A Delicate and a Red Admiral butterfly were the only immigrant lepidoptera attracted to the Obs garden moth-traps overnight.
Better numbers of common migrants today although variety remained more or less the same. Totals from the Bill area included 60 Willow Warblers, 55 Wheatears, 15 Yellow Wagtails, 9 Tree Pipits, 7 Sedge Warblers, 6 Grey Wagtails, 4 Ringed Plovers, 4 Spotted and 2 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Swifts, 2 Whinchats, 2 Reed Warblers, a Grey Heron, a Snipe, a Purple Sandpiper, a Grasshopper Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat; the only slightly out of the ordinary sightings there were of the wandering Great Spotted Woodpecker at Southwell and a fly-over Little Ringed Plover at Culverwell. Seawatching at the Bill produced 33 Manx Shearwaters, 9 Common Scoter, 2 Balearic Shearwaters and an Arctic Tern.
There was no improvement in numbers of the commoner immigrants in the moth-traps but oddities included Delicates at Cheyne Weare (2), Southwell (2) and the Obs, a Scarce Bordered Straw at Cheyne Weare and a Cydia amplana and an Evergestis extimalis at Southwell.
A period of light rain and associated misty conditions that arrived during the night did nothing to perk up migrant numbers, with the Bill area producing just 25 Willow Warblers, 15 Wheatears, 2 Tree Pipits, 3 Whinchats, 3 Sedge Warblers, 3 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Garden Warblers, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 1 Spotted Flycatcher. Ferrybridge provided totals of 183 Ringed Plovers, 20 Dunlin, 3 Sanderling, a Whimbrel and a Mediterranean Gull, whilst a little bit of interest on the sea included 22 Common Scoter, 11 commic terns, 3 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Sandwich Terns, a Great Skua and an Arctic Tern passing through off the Bill.
In the moth-traps, 3 Cydia amplana - 2 at the Obs and another at Southwell - were noteworthy new arrivals but the only other immigrants caught at the Obs were 8 Silver Y, 3 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Pearly Underwing and a Delicate.
Sparrowhawk and Curlew Sandpiper - Portland Bill and Ferrybridge, August 21st 2005 © Martin Cade
Rather quiet on the migrant front today with totals around the Bill area of 200 Sand Martins, 30 Wheatears, 20 Willow Warblers, 15 Yellow Wagtails, 5 Tree Pipits, 4 Ringed Plovers, 3 Snipe, 3 Sedge Warblers, 2 Swifts, 2 Whinchats, 2 Garden Warblers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Curlew, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Grey Wagtail, a Reed Warbler, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Bullfinch; elsewhere there were 15 Tree Pipits and single Pied and Spotted Flycatchers at Barleycrates Lane/Reap Lane. Six Common Scoter and a Manx Shearwater passed through off the Bill and waders at Ferrybridge included 90 Ringed Plovers, 30 Dunlin, a Curlew Sandpiper and a Whimbrel.
Hummingbird Hawk-moths have become slightly more conspicuous in recent days with up to 10 seen at Southwell today.
Overnight moth-trapping at the Obs again produced virtually nothing in the way of immigrants.
Wryneck - Portland Bill, August 20th 2005 © Martin Cade
Something of a repeat of yesterday with the highlight being a Wryneck at Top Fields/Culverwell and the back up cast being a light sprinkle of typical commoner mid-autumn migrants. The Bill area was covered best and provided totals of 35 Wheatears, 25 Yellow Wagtails, 25 Willow Warblers, 15 Tree Pipits, 9 Ringed Plovers, 6 Whinchats, 6 Sedge Warblers, 5 Garden Warblers, 4 Grey Wagtails, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, a Dunlin, a Redstart, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Pied Flycatcher. A movement of 130 Manx Shearwaters past the Bill was unexpected but the sea otherwise turned up just 16 Common Scoter, 3 Black-headed Gulls and a lone Guillemot. Two Knot were new arrivals at Ferrybridge.
In brisk and chilly north-westerlies overnight moth-trapping at the Obs was a dead loss and produced just a handful of the commonest immigrants.
Wryneck and Convolvulus Hawk-moth & Four-spotted - Southwell and Portland Bill, August 19th 2005 © Martin Cade
After a brief spell of heavy rain and thunderstorms overnight it was much fresher in a brisk north-westerly wind by dawn. The first Wryneck of the autumn showed up at Southwell but the change in the weather resulted in only a disappointingly small arrival of new commoner migrants, with the Bill area producing 50 Wheatears, 20 Willow Warblers, 10 Yellow Wagtails, 6 Black-headed Gulls, 5 Swifts, 3 Pied and 3 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Tree Pipits, 2 Sedge Warblers, a Grey Heron, a Ringed Plover, a Turnstone, a Snipe, a Whinchat, a Grasshopper Warbler and a Garden Warbler. The only other news was from Ferrybridge where there were 240 Dunlin, 170 Great Black-backed Gulls, 145 Ringed Plovers and 3 Sanderling.
There was a slight improvement in immigrant numbers in the Obs garden moth-traps: 43 Silver Y, 29 Dark Sword Grass, 11 Plutella xylostella, 5 Pearly Underwing, 2 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Dioryctria abietella, 1 Convolvulus Hawk-moth, 1 Southern Wainscot and 1 Small Rufous; notable records from garden moth-traps elsewhere on the island included a Webb's Wainscot at Fortuneswell and an Evergestis extimalis at Southwell.
Quite quiet on the land again today with migrant totals from the Bill area of 20 Wheatears, 20 Willow Warblers, 15 Yellow Wagtails, 7 Tree Pipits, 6 Whinchats, 3 Ringed Plovers and singles of Grey Heron, Dunlin, Snipe, Whimbrel, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher; elsewhere there was an additional Spotted Flycatcher at Fortuneswell. Overhead there were a good deal fewer hirundines on the move than in recent days, whilst Swifts are now down to just single figure totals each day. A Sanderling and a Whimbrel were the only noteworthy waders at Ferrybridge.
Immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning included 10 Silver Y, 7 Dark Sword Grass, 4 Udea ferrugalis, 2 Plutella xylostella, 1 Nephopterix angustella, 1 Ancylosis oblitella, 1 Nomophila noctuella and 1 Southern Wainscot.
Swallow & Sand Martin and Volucella zonaria - Portland Bill, August 17th 2005 © Martin Cade
Under cloudless skies and with the full moon only a couple of nights away there was no expectation of birds arriving in any numbers and it certainly proved to be very quiet for grounded migrants on the land. Wheatear and Willow Warbler were the only species that managed double figure counts at the Bill, where the pick of the other sightings were 4 Grey Herons, 4 Sedge Warblers, 3 Tree Pipits, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Pied Flycatcher and a Spotted Flycatcher. In a fresh easterly breeze the heavy passage of hirundines overhead included many hundreds of Sand Martins. A lone Balearic Shearwater was the only sighting of note on the sea at the Bill. Wader numbers at Ferrybridge in the morning were unchanged from those noted yesterday but the evening saw an increase in Dunlin to 106 when 2 Redshank were also new arrivals.
The large hoverfly Volucella zonaria has been visiting flowers in the Obs garden in small numbers recently.
Yet another Great Dart was the best of the otherwise small number of immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning; other totals there included 12 Silver Y, 5 Dark Sword Grass, 3 Udea ferrugalis and 1 Pearly Underwing.
Soapwort and hirundines - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, August 16th 2005 © Martin Cade
Much quieter everywhere today with no sign of yesterday's Kentish Plover at Ferrybridge, only a small flurry of new arrivals on the land and precious little in the way of sea passage. The only reports of migrants on the land came from the Bill area where there were 35 Willow Warblers, 25 Swifts, 25 Wheatears, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Tree Pipits, 2 Ringed Plovers, a Redshank, a Grey Wagtail, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, a Garden Warbler and good numbers of hirundines. Four Teal, 4 Sandwich Terns, 2 Sanderling and an Arctic Tern were the best of what little sea passage was noted off the Bill and waders at Ferrybridge included 100 Ringed Plovers, 20 Dunlin and 4 Sanderling.
An interesting alien plant in flower at the moment is Soapwort Saponaria officinalis; a large patch of the double-flowered form, also known as Bouncing Bett, can be seen beside the Beach Road immediately opposite the entrance to the Ferrybridge car park - seemingly the only island site for this species.
Immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps included 29 Silver Y, 14 Dark Sword Grass, 4 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Nomophila noctuella and 1 Delicate.
Late news for yesterday: a major butterfly rarity was a Silver-washed Fritillary in a garden at Easton (only the second island record); additional bird records included a Green Woodpecker seen at Bumpers Lane in the afternoon and a Marsh Harrier lingering between Southwell and Easton in the evening.
Kentish Plover - Ferrybridge, August 15th 2005 © Martin Cade
In warm sunshine the varied list of mainly routine migrants in the Bill area included 60 Willow Warblers, 40 Wheatears, 20 Swifts, 15 Tree Pipits, 5 Redshank, 4 Sedge Warblers, 3 Ringed Plovers, 3 Snipe, 2 Grey Wagtails, a Dunlin, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Bullfinch, with an additional Grasshopper Warbler at Barleycrates Lane to add to the tally. Despite the fine weather and lack of wind seawatching was unexpectedly productive with a light but sustained movement of 43 Manx Shearwaters, 40 Common Scoter, 7 Balearic Shearwaters and 5 Arctic Skuas past the Bill during the morning. Ferrybridge played host to the bird of the day: a Kentish Plover found there during the evening; earlier in the day commoner waders there had included 50 Ringed Plover, 18 Dunlin, 3 Sanderling and a Whimbrel.
Immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps included the fourth Great Dart of the month along with 12 Silver Y, 11 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Plutella xylostella, 2 Udea ferrugalis, 2 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Southern Wainscot and 1 Bordered Straw; a single Evergestis extimalis was the best of the immigrants in a garden trap at Southwell.
juvenile Ringed Plover - Ferrybridge, August 14th 2005 © Martin Cade
Yesterday's rain proved to be just the briefest of interruptions to the recent period of otherwise very settled, fair weather. Both land and sea were fairly quiet today and the only news was from Ferrybridge where 91 Ringed Plovers, 5 Sanderling and a Whimbrel were the pick of the waders and from the Bill where there were 20 Willow Warblers, 13 Wheatears, 3 Sedge Warblers and a Swift on the land and 180 Manx Shearwaters, 5 Balearic Shearwaters, 5 Arctic Skuas, 4 Whimbrel and a Little Gull passed through on the sea.
Quite a contrast in the weather today with the warm, sunny morning giving way to wind and rain during the afternoon. The miscellaneous selection of migrants at the Bill, where it was quieter than in recent days, included 50 Willow Warblers, 12 Wheatears, 3 Sedge Warblers, 4 Yellow Wagtails, a Dunlin, a Curlew, a Whimbrel, a Greenshank, a Tree Pipit, a Whinchat, a Reed Warbler and a Garden Warbler. Five Balearic Shearwaters and a Sanderling passed though off the Bill during the morning but the only sea movement reported later in the day when the rain ceased involved a few terns including 13 Arctic Terns and a Black Tern passing Chesil Cove and 2 Great Skuas and a Manx Shearwater passing the Bill.
Mammal sightings included the Roe Deer near Southwell and a Grey Seal off the East Cliffs at the Bill.
Immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps included 11 Dark Sword Grass, 6 Silver Y, 2 Udea ferrugalis, 2 Nomophila noctuella, 2 Southern Wainscot and 1 Pearly Underwing.
Sanderling - Ferrybridge, August 12th 2005 © Martin Cade
With the skies remaining clear there was no hope of a big fall of migrants but passage continues to tick over nonetheless. The Bill area remained the best worked part of the island and produced 75 Willow Warblers, 30 Wheatears, 10 Sedge Warblers, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Ringed Plovers, 3 Tree Pipits, 3 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Snipe, 2 Garden Warblers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Spotted Flycatcher and increasing numbers of Swallows leaving to the south. The only other reports were from Ferrybridge where there were 152 Ringed Plovers, 50 Dunlin, 23 Turnstone, 5 Sanderling, a Common Sandpiper and a Mediterranean Gull.
Immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps included 7 Dark Sword Grass, 7 Silver Y, 1 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Pearly Underwing and 1 Delicate, whilst elsewhere a Barred Red and a Gold Spot were the pick of the catch in a garden trap at Southwell.
Willow Warblers - Portland Bill, August 11th 2005 © Martin Cade
Another pleasantly warm and sunny day that produced a good scatter of common migrants, although the only oddity discovered was a Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Bill. Migrant totals at the Bill included 100 Willow Warblers, 40 Wheatears, 15 Sedge Warblers, 8 Garden Warblers, 7 Snipe, 5 Ringed Plovers, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Tree Pipits, a Grey Heron, a Whimbrel and a Spotted Flycatcher as well as the customary trickle of Swifts and hirundines overhead. There was more of the same elsewhere, where the pick of the reports were of a good count of 170 Ringed Plovers at Ferrybridge and 3 Grey Herons passing over Tout Quarry.
The best of the immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps were 16 Dark Sword Grass, 13 Silver Y, 5 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Plutella xylostella, 1 Southern Wainscot, 1 Calamotropha paludella, 1 Maiden's Blush, 1 Southern Wainscot and 1 Cream-bordered Green Pea.
Raptor interest was maintained with an Osprey and a Honey Buzzard passing through during the morning: the Honey Buzzard flew north over Verne Common and the Osprey arrived in off the sea at Southwell before carrying on northward off East Weare. There was quite a drop in migrant numbers today with the Bill area coming up with nothing much more 50 Willow Warblers, 35 Wheatears, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Sedge Warblers, a Grey Heron, a Ringed Plover, a Redshank, a Whimbrel, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler and a steady trickle of passing Swifts and hirundines. Seawatching at the Bill produced just 15 Common Scoter and a Sandwich Tern and 3 Sanderling were among the commoner waders at Ferrybridge
Immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps included 29 Silver Y, 18 Dark Sword Grass, 4 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Plutella xylostella, 1 Southern Wainscot, 1 Swallow Prominent and a Red Admiral butterfly.
Marsh Harrier - Southwell, August 9th 2005 © Pete Saunders
Lots more warm sunshine and another reasonable sprinkle of common migrants today. Highlights of the day were a Marsh Harrier flying north over Southwell and a Great Spotted Woodpecker at Southwell and in Top Fields. More routine migrants included 100 Sand Martins, 60 Wheatears, 60 Willow Warblers, 12 Sedge Warblers, 8 Garden Warblers, 5 Grasshopper Warblers, 4 Tree Pipits, 3 Ringed Plover, 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, a Grey Heron, a Golden Plover, a Dunlin and a Redshank at the Bill. Wader totals at Ferrybridge included 137 Ringed Plover, 125 Dunlin and 3 Sanderling, whilst 2 Balearic Shearwaters were the best of the limited passage on the sea at the Bill.
Another Great Dart - this time in a garden trap at Southwell - was the best of the overnight moth catch. Immigrant totals in the Obs garden traps included 10 Dark Sword Grass, 9 Silver Y, 2 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Plutella xylostella, 1 Pine Carpet, 1 Convolvulus Hawk-moth and 1 Bulrush Wainscot.
Clear skies and warm sunshine have returned to dominate the weather. Today's arrival of new migrants included a little more variety than in recent days, with totals at the Bill including 100 Sand Martins, 70 Wheatears, 60 Willow Warblers, 20 Sedge Warblers, 10 Garden Warblers, 4 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Ringed Plovers, a Little Egret, a Dunlin, a Tree Pipit, a Nightingale, a Reed Warbler and the bird of the day: a Cetti's Warbler in Top Fields. Ferrybridge produced 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 6 Sanderling and the usual variety of commoner waders.
The resident Roe Deer seems to have settled in the Bill area although it is seen very infrequently; today it was disturbed from Culverwell early in the morning.
Immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps included 27 Silver Y, 26 Dark Sword Grass, 2 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Plutella xylostella, 1 Pearly Underwing and 1 Red Admiral butterfly.
Dunlin, Scallop Shell, Great Dart and Turnip - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, August 7th 2005 © Martin Cade
Another fair sprinkle of common migrants included totals of 60 Willow Warblers, 50 Wheatears, 15 Sedge Warblers, 6 Garden Warblers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin, a Redshank, a Whimbrel, a Tree Pipit, a Pied Flycatcher and the first Turtle Dove of the season in the Bill area. A very unproductive seawatch yielded just 23 Common Scoter, 2 Common Terns, a Manx Shearwater and a Great Skua passing the Bill. Waders and terns at Ferrybridge included 169 Dunlin, 128 Ringed Plover, 9 Common Terns, 3 Sanderling and a Common Sandpiper.
Immigrant butterflies included several Clouded Yellows and Painted Ladies in the Church Ope Cove area and at the Bill; single Hummingbird Hawk-moths were also seen at both sites.
The Obs garden moth-traps were promisingly busier than in recent nights, with the selection of immigrants/wanderers including 36 Silver Y, 17 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Scallop Shell (only the third island record), 1 Convolvulus Hawk-moth and 1 Great Dart (last week's specimen was marked before release so this was a different individual); another 2 Gothics were caught in a garden trap at Fortuneswell.
Jersey Tiger and Garden Tiger - Portland Bill, August 6th 2005 © Martin Cade
In quieter weather conditions the small arrival of new migrants in the Bill area included 70 Willow Warblers, 15 Wheatears, 10 Sedge Warblers, 3 Garden Warblers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, a Green Sandpiper and a Reed Warbler; the same or another Green Sandpiper also passed overhead at the Grove. The light offshore winds were not helpful from the seawatching point of view and what passage was underway took place almost exclusively at great distance, with totals of 52 Manx and 7 Balearic Shearwaters, 24 Common Scoter, 5 Shoveler, 4 commic terns, 2 Mallard, 1 Arctic Skua and 1 Sandwich Tern passing the Bill. Waders at Ferrybridge included 100 Dunlin and 53 Ringed Plover.
The only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning were 10 Dark Sword Grass, 7 Silver Y and 1 Plutella xylostella; a single Gothic was an noteworthy capture in a garden trap at Fortuneswell, whilst local specialities on the wing in recent days include Jersey Tiger and Beech-green Carpet
Whimbrel - Portland Bill, August 5th 2005 © Martin Cade
After an overcast, damp and windy night new passerine migrants were not really expected and the handful of Willow Warblers at the Bill all seemed to be left-overs from previous days. Despite the windy conditions sea interest hardly perked up with the only birds passing the Bill in the morning being 12 Common Scoter, 4 Balearic and a Manx Shearwater, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Great Skuas, 2 commic terns and a Dunlin (a pager report of 3 Sooty Shearwaters off the Bill this morning was erroneous); evening sea passage there picked up a little with 59 Manx and 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 11 Dunlin, 6 Common Scoter, 3 Sandwich Terns, 2 Ringed Plovers and an Arctic Skua passing through. Seven Sanderling were the best of the reduced numbers of waders at Ferrybridge.
The only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning were 2 Silver Y and 1 Udea ferruaglis.
Despite the high hopes expressed earlier in the week it seems that migrant numbers are dropping off once again, with the Bill area coming up with just 50 Willow Warblers, 20 Wheatears, 5 Garden Warblers, 2 Reed Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler, a Dunlin and a Green Sandpiper today. Seawatching at the Bill produced 24 Common Scoter, 5 Manx Shearwaters and a Great Skua, whilst elsewhere a single Balearic Shearwater was seen off the East Cliffs at Southwell.
A Painted Lady was seen at the Bill this morning; Clouded Yellows have increased slightly with reports of small numbers from several island sites in recent days.
The only worthwhile captures in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning were 19 Dark Sword Grass, 8 Silver Y and 1 Pediasia contaminella.
Late news for yesterday: a few Painted Ladies seen along the East Cliffs at Southwell in the evening were the first recorded on the island for many weeks.
Black Arches - Portland Bill, August 3rd 2005 © Martin Cade
One of yesterday's Melodious Warblers was reported to have been seen briefly on several occasions on the east side of the Obs garden during the morning. Otherwise interest was largely restricted to another small flurry of new common migrants at the Bill, where there were 100 Willow Warblers, 40 Wheatears, 5 Sedge Warblers, 3 Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin, a Whimbrel, a Turnstone, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Garden Warbler and plenty of lingering Swifts and hirundines. Nine Common Scoter and a single Balearic Shearwater were the pick of the few birds seen on the sea at the Bill.
Moth interest dwindled, with 8 Dark Sword Grass, 6 Silver Y, 2 Plutella xylostella, 1 Udea ferrugalis and 1 Black Arches the only immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps; 4 Small China-mark were a noteworthy capture in a garden trap at Fortuneswell.
Melodious Warblers, Dark Sword Grass and Great Dart - Portland Bill, August 2nd 2005 © Martin Cade
It felt like being back in the Portland early August good old days today with a decent fall of common migrants, 2 Melodious Warblers trapped and ringed in the Obs garden and a Great Dart caught overnight in the Obs garden moth-traps. The south of the island was very busy with migrants, with the Bill area alone producing 250 Willow Warblers, 20 Wheatears, 20 Sedge Warblers, 10 Garden Warblers, 3 Grey Herons, 3 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Whimbrel, a Redshank, a White Wagtail, a Reed Warbler and a Grasshopper Warbler, as well as plenty of Swifts and hirundines overhead. In calm, sunny conditions the sea was very quiet with nothing better than a single Manx Shearwater passing through off the Bill. A lone Knot was pick of the waders at Ferrybridge.
The Great Dart aside, immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps included 94 Silver Y, 42 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Pearly Underwing and 1 Bordered Straw.
A promising start to August and, with the new moon due later in the week, plenty of expectation that there ought to be more about for a few days. The Bill area produced the lion's share of the common migrants, with totals of 60 Willow Warblers, 5 Ringed Plovers, 5 Garden Warblers, 4 Wheatears, 3 Reed Warblers, 3 Sedge Warblers, a Grey Heron, a Dunlin, a Tree Pipit, a Redstart, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Pied Flycatcher and a Spotted Flycatcher, as well as good numbers of Swifts and hirundines overhead; highlights elsewhere included a Grasshopper Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher at Barleycrates Lane. The trickle of passage on the sea included 41 Common Scoter, 2 Balearic Shearwaters and a Manx Shearwater off the Bill, whilst waders at Ferrybridge included 140 Dunlin, 20 Sanderling and a single Whimbrel.
Moth-trapping overnight in the Obs garden produced 46 Silver Y, 13 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Plutella xylostella and 1 Nomophila noctuella.