July 2011

 

     

  

  

   Melodious Warbler and Ypsolopha scabrella - Portland Bill and Weston, 31st July 2011 © Julian Thomas (Melodious Warbler whole), Peter Morgan (Melodious Warbler wing) and Martin Cade (scabrella)

The Melodious Warbler was another adult, with the presence of a decent brood-patch indicating it was a female (the bird three days ago lacked a brood-patch and was long-winged so was more likely a male). The scabrella was from Duncan Walbridge's moth-trap at Weston; Duncan also recorded what we think is the only other island record of this otherwise quite widespread species at the Grove in 1996, although our defective memory/duff record-keeping might mean we've forgotten one that's occurred in the meanwhile (...it really is about time we updated the Portland moth records and made them a bit more accessible).

  31st July

Another reasonable day ended in some style when, shortly after a late afternoon rain shower, a flurry of newly arrived migrants included the second Melodious Warbler of the autumn trapped and ringed at the Obs. The day's totals at the Bill otherwise included 50 Willow Warblers, 10 Wheatears, 4 Dunlin and ones and twos of Curlew, Whimbrel, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Grasshopper Warbler, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler and Pied Flycatcher. The only worthwhile reports from the sea were of 3 Arctic Skuas and 2 Great Skuas passing the Bill.

Immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 3 Diamond-back Moth and 1 Silver Y; additionally, a single Ypsolopha scabrella at Weston was noteworthy.

30th July

Warm, humid conditions look to be setting in and migrants remain on the move in fair numbers, with the day's tally at the Bill including 50 Willow Warblers and single figure totals of Grey Heron, Wheatear, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap and Garden Warbler. After yesterday's main event it was no surprise that plenty of attention was given to the sea, with 23 Manx Shearwaters, 11 Common Scoter, 4 Arctic Skuas and a Balearic Shearwater logged at the Bill.

Immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 4 Rusty-dot Pearl, 4 Dark Sword Grass and 2 Silver Y.

 

   

  

  

Cory's Shearwater - off Portland Harbour, 29th July 2011 © James Phillips

...we're not quite sure where Portland waters begin and end but since these really gripping photographs were taken from a boat heading out to undertake a MARINElife evening survey for Balearic Shearwaters and the bird was outside the harbour it would probably be stretching it a bit to claim it as a Portland record. The additional photos below were kindly sent through by Tom Gale, one of the passengers on the survey:

  

  

  29th July

There was a startling and unexpected highlight today in the form of a Cory's Shearwater that was spotted from a boat just outside Portland Harbour during the evening. That aside, the day came up with little of consequence, with the Bill area returning totals of 30 Willow Warblers, 15 Wheatears, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Garden Warblers and singles of Redshank, Yellow-legged Gull and Spotted Flycatcher on the land and 20 Common Scoter, 7 Manx Shearwaters and a Great Skua through on the sea.

Immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 10 Silver Y, 7 Dark Sword Grass, 4 Rusty-dot Pearl and singles of Diamond-back Moth, Bird-cherry Ermine, Willow Ermine, Four-spotted Footman, Southern Wainscot, Double-lobed and Red Admiral butterfly.

Melodious Warbler - Portland Bill, 28th July 2011 © Martin Cade ...in contrast to the vast majority of our autumn Melodious Warblers - which as you'd expect are birds of the year - this was an adult, although pretty decent views and careful observation would have been required to have established that fact had it only been seen in the field. Adult Melodious Warblers of course retain their by now quite worn 'breeding season' plumage until arrival in winter quarters but today's bird was considerably less shoddy than, for example, the majority of adult Reed and Sedge Warblers (which have a similar moult regime) start to get by late July. That said, the wings, tail and upper tail-coverts in particular were beginning to get quite chipped and faded and rendered ageing quite straightforward in the hand:

June 2011

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28th July	Evening update. Bucking the recent trend of alternate days producing the numbers, today saw a nice arrival of fresh migrants, the best of which was a Melodious Warbler trapped and ringed at the Obs early in the morning. The quantity was provided by Willow Warblers, that totalled 150 or so at the Bill alone; 15 Sedge Warblers, 10 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats and singles of Grasshopper Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and Blackcap also made the log there. Also, today we received what will likely be the last update for this season on the situation with the breeding Little Terns at Ferrybridge. John Dadds, who co-ordinates the recovery project there, reports as follows: 'There were still several fledglings around until a week ago but they seem to have all gone now apart from one late chick which should fledge this weekend. This chick will make a minimum of 12 fledglings from 18 pairs. In some ways this is disappointing bearing in mind how many eggs (44) we started with. However taking a long term view, it represents one of the best years ever in terms of productivity, only just behind last years figure. We put the high number of eggs not hatching down to the persistently cold and windy weather in June. It was mostly our later layers that failed. Most of the eggs had well developed embryos and we know that no foxes entered the colony'. At least one party of unidentified dolphins were off the Bill during the morning. The moth-traps were again very busy with routine fare, with immigrant interest provided by 4 each of Dark Sword Grass and Silver Y, 2 each of Diamond-back Moth, Bird-cherry Ermine and Rusty-dot Pearl and singles of Antler Moth, Southern Wainscot, Small Marbled and Small Mottled Willow at the Obs and a Buff Footman at the Grove.   Finally, updates to the site may be sporadic for the next week as we'll be away on family holiday and may not have regular internet access to post any news we receive. The Obs will be open, as usual, throughout this period.
Acroclita subsequana - Southwell, 26th July 2011 © Martin Cade ...on our bumbling around mothing in the evenings just recently we've come across this local speciality quite frequently at various spots between Sheat Quarry and Church Ope Cove, where it can be readily disturbed from sparse vegetation in the vicinity of its foodplant, Portland Spurge. In Britain it seems to be a bit of a South Coast special and we're not sure whether it's actually been recorded anywhere else in Dorset other than at Portland.
27th July	Fair little flurries of common migrants seem to be cropping up on alternate days at the moment, with today bringing quite an improvement on yesterday's meagre totals. As expected Willow Warblers again dominated, with a good 100 or more at the Bill, where there were also 5 Wheatears, 2 Grey Herons and singles of Yellow-legged Gull, Grey Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler and Pied Flycatcher on the land and a Balearic Shearwater through on the sea. More bumper hauls in the moth-traps included an immigrant/wanderer list from the Obs garden of 9 each of Dark Sword Grass and Silver Y, 4 each of Rusty-dot Pearl and Small Marbled and singles of Southern Wainscot and Red Admiral butterfly; another Small Marbled was the pick of the overnight catch at the Grove.
26th July	Quieter today with little more than the lightest scatter of common migrants around the south of the island and nothing of better quality than a lone Pied Flycatcher at Southwell. The only seawatch reports were of 13 Common Scoter and 2 Balearic Shearwaters through off the Bill. On an overcast, muggy night the Obs garden moth-traps were very busy, with a selection of immigrants/wanderers attracted that included 8 Dark Sword Grass, 6 Silver Y, 5 Rusty-dot Pearl, 3 Small Marbled (not before time, the first recorded there this summer!) and singles European Corn-borer, Bordered Beauty, Double-lobed, Bordered Straw and Small Mottled Willow. Finally, we took the opportunity to pop over to Lodmoor for another look at the Stilt Sandpiper which has taken up residence there; click here to have a look our one slightly reasonable photo from this trip.
Little Ringed Plover - Ferrybridge, 25th July 2011 © Pete Saunders ...and also from Pete, one of yesterday's Yellow-legged Gulls at Ferrybridge:
25th July	It didn't take long for migrants to get going again, with a lovely warm, sunny day seeing the best arrival so far of common fare. Sand Martins dominated overhead, with 250 or more trickling through at the Bill, where grounded Willow Warblers numbered getting on for 100; 14 overflying Cormorants, 10 Sedge Warblers, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Wheatears, 2 Garden Warblers, a Blackcap and the autumn's first Pied Flycatcher made up the numbers there, whilst a Little Ringed Plover was a new arrival amongst the waders at Ferrybridge. Immigrant numbers remained less than impressive in the Obs garden moth-traps, which overnight attracted 7 Dark Sword Grass, 3 Silver Y, 2 European Corn-borer and singles of Rush Veneer and Rusty-dot Pearl.
24th July	Another single Crossbill that dropped in briefly at Culverwell provided the main interest on a drearier and, at least for grounded migrants, quieter day than the last few. A thin scatter of Willow Warblers were evident wherever there was coverage, but the only other obvious new arrivals on the ground were 3 Yellow-legged Gulls at Ferrybridge, a Garden Warbler at Southwell and 2 Wheatears and a Turnstone at the Bill. A small movement of skuas was a little unexpected on the sea at the Bill, where 3 Arctics, 2 Greats and a Pomarine passed through during the morning; 15 Common Scoter and 2 Balearic Shearwaters were also logged there. Immigrant numbers dropped still further in the Obs garden moth-traps, which overnight attracted just 2 Rusty-dot Pearl and singles of Dark Sword Grass and Silver Y.
Dunlin and Sanderling - Ferrybridge, 23rd July 2011 © Paul Baker The Bagsy Blog
23rd July	Not much change on the common migrant front but a party of 6 Crossbills flying north over the Grove did provide some scarcity interest. Routine migrants at the Bill included 35 Willow Warblers, 10 Sedge Warblers and a Reed Warbler on the ground and a few more Swifts and hirundines on the move overhead, whilst the wader selection at Ferrybridge included 41 Dunlin and 13 Sanderling. The only reports from the sea were of 16 Manx Shearwaters and 3 Common Scoter through off the Bill. A rather chilly night saw immigrant numbers take a dive in the Obs garden moth-traps, which attracted just 5 each of Diamond-back Moth and Silver Y, and singles of Rush Veneer and Rusty-dot Pearl.
yesterday's Bedstraw Hawk-moth now has a friend - Portland Bill, 22nd July 2011 © Martin Cade ...last month we got moaned at for appearing ungrateful when yet another Serin turned up and we expect to get it in the ear again when we remark that it whilst all these Bedstraw Hawks are very nice (we've been lucky enough to catch them in four of the last five years) we would quite like a Spurge Hawk...just one will do.
22nd July	Another small arrival of new migrants included totals of 25 Willow Warblers, 10 Sedge Warblers, 2 Garden Warblers and singles of Common Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear and Reed Warbler at the Bill, with a few more of the same everywhere else that was checked out. Waders at Ferrybrdige included 41 Dunlin, 20 Sanderling and a Whimbrel, whilst seawatching at the Bill produced 32 Common Scoter, 30 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Balearic Shearwaters. There was a big overnight arrival of Episyrphus balteatus hoverflies (the moth-traps were full of them) and newly arrived Red Admirals were very numerous everywhere today. With the wind remaining in the east there was another small arrival of immigrant moths: the Obs garden traps came up with another Bedstraw Hawk-moth, along with 11 Silver Y, 10 Rusty-dot Pearl, 4 Diamond-back Moth, 3 Dark Sword Grass and singles of Dioryctria abietella, European Corn-borer, Rush Veneer and Red Admiral butterfly.
Treecreeper and Bedstraw Hawk-moth - Portland Bill, 21st July 2011 © Martin Cade
21st July	The return of sunshine and summery warmth brought with it another fair little arrival of grounded migrants, with 30 Willow Warblers and 10 Sedge Warblers, along with a dispersing Treecreeper, at the Bill; overhead there was a steady passage of Sand Martins and Swallows heading into the north-easterly breeze. The only reports from the sea were of 30 Manx Shearwaters and 11 Common Scoter through off the Bill. Despite it getting surprisingly chilly overnight the waft of easterly wind did the trick with the moths, and a small arrival of new immigrants at the Bill included a Bedstraw Hawk-moth, along with 6 Silver Y, 3 Dark Sword Grass, 2 Rusty-dot Pearl and singles of Diamond-back Moth and Bordered Straw. Finally, click here for a few photos of Dorset's first Paddyfield Warbler that was trapped and ringed this morning at East Fleet.
20th July	On a rain-blighted morning there was more evidence of autumn passage getting going very promptly, with 10 or more Willow Warblers dotted about the Obs garden/hut fields. Also at the Bill 7 Common Sandpipers were settled on East Cliffs and 29 Common Scoter, 22 Manx Shearwaters, a Balearic Shearwater and a Teal passed through on the sea. Elsewhere there were 54 Dunlin and 22 Sanderling at Ferrybridge. Immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 2 each of Diamond-back Moth and Rusty-dot Pearl and a single Silver Y.
Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler - Portland Bill, 19th July 2011 © Martin Cade
19th July	A distinct improvement in the weather saw the wind drop right away and the temperature beginning to creep up again. On the bird front, whilst there was hardly a migrant bonanza it was slightly unexpected to get quite early first records for the autumn of Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler at the Bill (singles of each were netted and ringed there). Routine fare there included 50 Manx Shearwaters, a Yellow-legged Gull and a Mediterranean Gull through on the sea and a light trickle of departing Swallows and Sand Martins, whilst elsewhere there were 15 Sanderling and a Whimbrel at Ferrybridge. A single Dark Sword Grass was the only immigrant caught overnight in the Obs garden moth-traps.
intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull (with a graellsii Lesser Black-back and a Great Black-back) - Portland Bill, 18th July 2011 © Martin Cade ...the grim weather of recent days has driven fair numbers of gulls ashore. Juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls have been daily at the Bill:        ...but the only ring-readings there have involved two more Channel-hoppers with very similar life histories:       ...these birds - 4.LL5 and 4.ZZ7 - were first marked in their second calendar year at Chouet landfill site, Guernsey, on consecutive days in June 2009. Both were present on Guernsey throughout the winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11 but neither was seen there or elsewhere during summer 2010, nor had they been seen during the current summer until they pitched up at the Bill in recent days (as usual, thanks to Paul Veron Guernsey Gulls for these details).
18th July	Still quite miserable blustery and damp conditions today. A pretty constant westward flow of Manx Shearwaters was a feature at the Bill, where over 1000 passed during the morning and the movement was still going on whenever we had brief looks through the afternoon; the only other seawatch reports from there were of 2 Great Skuas and a single Balearic Shearwater passing by. On the land, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls were again grounded at the Bill and 17 Sanderling and 6 Mediterranean Gulls were at Ferrybridge.
17th July	Windier but less showery than yesterday. Seawatching at the Bill produced 630 Gannets, 500 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Common Scoter, 6 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua, with the day's only other report being of 4 Yellow-legged Gulls grounded at the Bill. Not surprisingly the only immigrants attracted overnight to the Obs garden moth-traps were singles of Diamond-back Moth, Rusty-dot Pearl and Dark Sword Grass.
16th July	Frequent rain showers and often poor visibility but not as windy as we'd been expecting this morning. The only reports have come from the Bill where 10 Balearic Shearwaters have passed by on the sea and a Yellow-legged Gull has been settled on the Bill Common. Given the conditions we weren't expecting much in the way of moths and the only immigrants attracted to the Obs garden traps were 3 each of Diamond-back Moth and Rusty-dot Pearl and a single European Corn-borer.   Finally, Obs members should note an important announcement on our Noticeboard page regarding an increase in accommodation charges and membership fees that will take effect on 1st January 2012. Also added to the Noticeboard page in recent days are the In Focus field event dates for this autumn and details of a copy of the sought-after Jenni and Winker moult and ageing guide being offered for sale.
Ethmia dodecea and Buff Footman - Portland Bill, 15th July 2011 © Martin Cade ...two species that have either suddenly developed wanderlust or are increasing: both were recorded for the first time relatively recently (Buff Footman in 2000 and dodecea in 2003) but both have already racked up multiple Portland records and are now almost expected annual strays to the island.
15th July	The only faintly worthwhile reports from the Bill were of 46 Common Scoter through on the sea and another Yellow-legged Gull settled on the Bill car park. Immigrants have just about fizzled out in the moth-traps, with just 2 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 Silver Y and a Small Mottled Willow the only overnight captures in the Obs garden; singles of Ethmia dodecea and Buff Footman were also of note there.
Herring Gull - Portland Bill, 14th July 2011 © Martin Cade ...the first completely independent youngster of the summer. And a few recent warblers; Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat at Southwell yesterday (© Pete Saunders):       ...and from this morning the autumn's first trapped and ringed Sedge Warbler (© Martin Cade):
14th July	A lovely day of clear blue skies and the merest waft of a breeze - seemingly the calm before the storm. Departing migrants at the Bill included another trickle of Swifts and Sand Martins overhead and singles of Common Sandpiper and Sedge Warbler on the ground; 2 dispersing Blackcaps were also still there, a Yellow-legged Gull was lingering offshore and 23 Manx Shearwaters and 3 Black-headed Gulls passed by on the sea. Immigrants and wanders attracted to the moth-traps overnight included 6 Rusty-dot Pearl, 3 each of Diamond-back Moth and Silver Y, 2 Small Mottled Willow and singles of European Corn-borer, Sandy Carpet and Dark Sword Grass at the Obs and singles of Beautiful Hook-tip and Bordered Straw at different sites at Southwell.
Yellow-legged Gull - Portland Bill, 13th July 2011 © Martin Cade ...the first juvenile of the summer and several days later than they've been appearing at other sites around the shore of Lyme Bay. Among the morning's moths, singles of Ypsolopha ustella and Eucosma obumbratana were the pick of the micros at the Obs:       ...ustella - an inhabitant of oak woodland - was reported to occur on the island in the Victorian era but we've only got one other record of it in recent times (at the Obs in July 2006). We're never quite sure of the status of obumbratana: being just about annual at the Obs and with the description of its usual habitat fitting more or less with what we have here, it could be a low-density resident; however, The Flora of Dorset appears to indicate that the usual larval food-plant - Perennial Sow-thistle Sonchus arvensis - which is a widespread and common species in the county, has only been recorded in one tetrad on Portland. Perhaps the moth is just a stray here?
13th July	Sunnier and not so windy today. Odds and ends at the Bill included a trickle of Swifts and Sand Martins overhead, a Little Egret arriving from the south, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Yellow-legged Gull and a Dartford Warbler (the latter perhaps the individual first trapped and ringed a fortnight ago?), as well as 2 Balearic Shearwaters and a Mediterranean Gull through on the sea. Elsewhere a Green Sandpiper flew north up the West Cliffs, a Lesser Whitethroat was at Southwell and 10 Mediterranean Gulls and a Sanderling were at Ferrybridge. There was relatively poor reward on the moth front, with 7 each of Rusty-dot Pearl and Dark Sword Grass, 4 Silver Y, 3 Diamond-back Moth, 2 Small Mottled Willow and singles of Ypsolopha ustella and Eucosma obumbratana at the Obs and a Barred Red at Weston the extent of the immigrants/wanderers recorded.
Small Marbled - The Grove, 12th July 2011 © Martin Cade ...a peculiar feature of the recent best-ever influx of this species is that not a single one has been caught in the Obs garden moth-traps; we've caught plenty before - indeed the Obs traps must be right up near the top of the list for the number of British records of the species - but this time they've passed us by.
12th July	Dreary skies and a fresh north-easterly but still really quite warm today. Swifts and hirundines were trickling through all morning into the stiff breeze, but the only other obvious new arrival at the Bill was an over-flying Little Ringed Plover. Seawatching there produced 8 Common Scoter, 6 Manx Shearwaters and 2 each of Balearic Shearwater and Mediterranean Gull. News from elsewhere included 14 Mediterranean Gulls, 8 Dunlin and a Redshank at Ferrybridge. There was a big influx of several species of hoverflies around the island today: the various moth-traps were full of them indicating an arrival in the hours of darkness, and as the day wore on a considerable northbound movement developed at the Bill where pretty impressive numbers were passing straight through at the Obs garden. The main feature of the night's mothing was the capture of 5 Small Marbled - 3 at the Grove and 2 at Southwell. The tally of more routine immigrants/wanderers at the Obs included 9 Rusty-dot Pearl, 8 Dark Sword Grass, 5 Silver Y, 4 Small Mottled Willow, 3 Diamond-back Moth and singles of Spruce Carpet and Fen Wainscot, whilst a Clay Triple-lines was another noteworthy wanderer at Southwell.
11th July	A calm and quite hot day. Sand Martins featured again at the Bill, although with some lingering and others passing straight through it wasn't easy working out how many there were; otherwise the land there came up with nothing much more than singles of Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Blackcap and Yellowhammer. The only seawatch reports also came from the Bill where 25 Manx Shearwaters, 14 Common Scoter, a Balearic Shearwater and a Black-headed Gull passed by.  Just a handful of routine immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 2 each of Rusty-dot Pearl and Dark Sword Grass and singles of Diamond-back Moth, Rush Veneer and Silver Y.
Chalkhill Blue - Church Ope Cove, 10th July 2011 © Ken Dolbear
10th July	With the fresh breeze of recent days dropping right away overnight it's beginning to feel a lot warmer once again. Not a great deal of attention was given to the land and the only report of note from there was of 100 Sand Martins amongst the first good gathering of hirundines and Swifts of the autumn at the Bill. More standard fare on the sea included 23 Common Scoter, 9 each of Manx and Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Sandwich Terns and a Mediterranean Gull through off the Bill.  On the butterfly front the first Chalkhill Blues of the year are now appearing on the wing. The improvement in the weather saw numbers pick up quite well in the moth-traps, although the immigrant tally at the Obs - 3 Diamond-back Moth, 2 Rusty-dot Pearl and singles of Evergestis extimals, European Corn-borer, Dark Sword Grass, Small Mottled Willow and Silver Y - consisted largely of well-worn specimens that looked as though they'd been hanging around for a week or more.
9th July	Just odds and ends of news from the sea again this morning, with 33 Manx Shearwaters and 3 Balearic Shearwaters through off the Bill. Immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 3 Diamond-back Moth, 2 Rusty-dot Pearl and 1 Small Mottled Willow.
8th July	Blowy again today but with plenty of sunshine and little in the way of passing showers. A predictable array on the sea included 68 Manx Shearwaters, 13 Common Scoter and 8 Balearic Shearwaters passing the Bill. A solitary Silver Y was the only immigrant attracted overnight to the Obs garden moth-traps.
7th July	Another day when the only reports were of seawatching at the Bill which produced 14 Common Scoter, 4 Balearic Shearwaters, a Great Skua and the regulation trickle of Manx Shearwaters. We did leave a couple of moth-traps plugged in at the Obs but, not surprisingly given the lousy overnight conditions, not a single immigrant was caught.
Bright Wave, Manx Shearwater and Balearic Shearwater - Portland Bill, 6th July 2011 © Martin Cade ...the Balearic put on a good show by repeatedly plunge-diving not too far offshore during the evening:
6th July	With frequent hefty showers and the wind gusting up to around gale force by the evening the day's reports were all of seawatching at the Bill: Manx Shearwaters were ever-present in relatively small numbers, 2 or more Balearic Shearwaters lingered offshore and 4 Common Scoter, 3 Pomarine Skuas and 2 Arctic Skuas passed through. In the moth-traps, numbers took a tumble but there was a noteworthy prize at the Obs in the form of the island's second record of Bright Wave; the immigrant tally there otherwise didn't stretch beyond 9 Rusty-dot Pearl, 4 Silver Y and singles of Diamond-back Moth and Rush Veneer, whilst another European Corn-borer was the best of the catch at the Grove.
Kestrel and Peregrine - Southwell, July 2011 © Pete Saunders
5th July	The return of the English summer - a sunny start giving way to rain or drizzle and a freshening wind - saw most attention given to the sea, with 37 Common Scoter, 10 commic terns, 5 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Balearic Shearwaters and singles of Shoveler, Arctic Skua and Sandwich Tern logged at the Bill. The only other report was of 6 Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge. Overnight mothing on what looked likely to be the last night of 'suitable' conditions in the current spell of immigrant activity was disappointing unproductive. A Small Marbled was a not unexpected highlight from a few hours out with the generator at Duncecroft Quarry, whilst amongst the static traps the Obs garden produced 14 Small Mottled Willow, 11 Rusty-dot Pearl, 4 each of Diamond-back Moth and Silver Y, 2 Rush Veneer and singles of Evergestis extimalis, Dark Sword Grass and Ni Moth; a lone European Corn-borer at the Grove was the pick of the catches elsewhere.
Suspected - The Grove, 4th July 2011 © Martin Cade ...certainly not the most exciting-looking species, but an addition to the island moth list nonetheless. We spent a couple of hours last night mothing at Ferrybridge where the species list included a few shingle beach specials like the pretty little gelechid, Eulamprotes wilkella: Perhaps surprisingly, wilkella has at least some propensity to wander away from its usual habitat as we once caught one in the Obs garden moth-traps (in July 2003).
4th July	The continuing fine weather is getting a few birds moving, with an extremely early departing Sedge Warbler, a Grey Wagtail and a Blackcap all new arrivals at the Bill. The only reports from the sea there were of 5 Sandwich Terns and a Manx Shearwater. The pick of the overnight moth catch was a Suspected at the Grove; the immigrant tally in the Obs garden traps included 11 Rusty-dot Pearl, 8 each of Diamond-back Moth and Small Mottled Willow, 4 Silver Y and singles of Rush Veneer, Pearly Underwing and Ni Moth.
3rd July	Another hot, sunny day saw just a few reports from the Bill area: a Dartford Warbler on the land and 85 Common Scoter, 7 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Mute Swans and an Arctic Skua through on the sea.  The mothing remained at much the same level as the last few nights, with 7 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 Diamond-back Moth, 2 Small Mottled Willow and singles of Rush Veneer, Vestal and Silver Y caught in the Obs garden traps.
2nd July	More lovely summer weather but precious little on the bird front, with just 3 Common Scoter, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 2 Sandwich Terns through on the sea at the Bill. On a very busy moth night the immigrant tally in the Obs garden traps included 15 Rusty-dot Pearl, 5 Diamond-back Moth, 5 Small Mottled Willow, 2 Silver Y, an Evergestis extimalis, a Rush Veneer, a Bordered Straw and another likely Oxyptilus laetus.
1st July	A very pleasant clear and sunny day but not too much to report from the Bill, where 20 Manx Shearwater, 14 Common Scoter and a Balearic Shearwater passed through on the sea but nothing of consequence cropped up on the land. Moth activity remained at the ticking over level although a single Vestal caught overnight at Southwell was another new species for the current spell of immigrant activity; other immigrants/wanderers attracted to the traps included 6 Rusty-dot Pearl, 4 Small Mottled Willow, 2 Rush Veneer and singles of Diamond-back Moth, European Corn-borer, Scallop Shell, Dark Sword Grass, Scarce Bordered Straw and Silver Y at the Obs and 2 Diamond-back Moth and singles of Rusty-dot Pearl, Small Mottled Willow and Silver Y at Southwell.
Dartford Warbler - Portland Bill, 30th June 2011 © Martin Cade ...although there is a presumed breeding record for Portland (which involved two juveniles in likely breeding habitat at Tout Quarry in June 2007) there's been no suggestion of summer presence anywhere on the island this year so we'd guess this juvenile was dispersing away from a heathland breeding site. In recent evenings we've spent quite a bit of time looking for tiny tineid, Richardson's Case-bearer Eudarcia richardsoni, which, amongst the micro-moths, is one of the real Portland specials; in fact, since it's only known from Portland and one other spot near Swanage in the world, it's pretty special altogether. The larval cases of the species, which feeds on lichens on the underside of rocks, aren't too hard to find in autumn and winter but not being heavily into early stages we've never bred it through and were keen to finally try to get to grips with it as an adult. The few records that there are of adults seen 'in the wild' appear to indicate a mid-summer flight period and after quite a bit of hunting in suitable spots on both sides of the island we've caught up with a couple of singles this week in a known area for the species at Penn's Weare:     Both these moths were found well before dusk flitting in and out of some fair-sized chasms at the base of one of the scree slopes :     That this really quite obscure species was ever discovered in the first place seems quite amazing and is certainly testament to the skills of Nelson Richardson, in whose honour the species is named. Richardson was one of the great Victorian micro-lepidopterists who, together with his wife Helen, found most of the indigenous goodies on Portland in a few years of fieldwork during the late 1800s; as if that weren't enough he even managed to excavate, and also have named in his honour, a new species of dinosaur that he discovered close to his house at Chickerell, near Weymouth - they were certainly all-rounders in those days!
30th June	A Dartford Warbler was an unexpected new arrival at the Bill, where the rest of the day's sightings of 3 Common Sandpipers and 2 Sand Martins on/overhead on the land and 3 Manx Shearwaters through on the sea were more routine. Elsewhere 4 more Common Sandpipers were seen on the Portland Harbour breakwaters. The recent wave of immigrant moths look to have largely moved on: a single Scarce Bordered Straw at the Obs was a new species for the current influx, but the traps there otherwise attracted just 7 Diamond-back Moth, 3 each of Rusty-dot Pearl and Small Mottled Willow, 2 Silver Y and a Cream-bordered Green Pea.
Gatekeeper and Ringlet - Portland Bill, June 2011 © Ken Dolbear ...two more butterflies that have appeared on the wing in recent days. Also of interest to moth recorders we realised today whilst working through the considerable backlog of unidentified micros from recent days that three plumes we caught yesterday morning at the Obs were almost certainly all the rare immigrant Oxyptilus laetus. We should have been quicker off the mark with this identification as we've caught this species before, but since that record was 21 years ago and the specimen was very worn and had to be dissected to confirm the id it hadn't really stuck in our memory. Anyway, we've kept one of the specimens for later confirmation and this 'on setting board' photo at least shows what the thing looks like:
29th June	Fresher but still clear and sunny today. Bird interest was limited to 5 Sand Martins, a Hobby and a Grey Heron at the Bill and perhaps the same Hobby later at Verne Common. Overnight mothing was spoilt by a really stiff north-west wind that saw immigrant numbers fall right away. The Obs garden traps produced 8 Small Mottled Willow, 7 Diamond-back Moth, 5 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 European Corn-borer and an Evergestis extimalis, whilst quality elsewhere was limited to 4 Small Mottled Willows at the Grove and a Bordered Straw at Weston.
Redstart - Portland Bill, 28th June 2011 © Martin Cade ...and a few of the day's moths. Purple Marbled, Apotomis betuletana, Conobathra tumidana, Pediasia contaminella, Engrailed and Ni Moth; photos © Guy Freeman (Purple Marbled) and Martin Cade (others):
28th June	A few surprises on the bird front today, with a steady passage of Swifts over the Bill, singles of Redstart, Reed Warbler and Willow Warbler new in on the ground there, a Hobby through at Southwell and a trickle of Manx Shearwaters and a Black-headed Gull through on the sea at the Bill. Overnight mothing turned out to be very exciting. We happened to be out with the generator investigating the Church Ope Cove area and jammed into a wave of immigrants as they arrived: after an hour of seeing just local residents arriving at the sheet, at 23.30 5 Small Mottled Willows, 3 European Corn-borers and a Pediasia contaminella suddenly dropped in within minutes of one another, whilst over the next 2 hours numerous Diamond-back Moth, 5 more Small Mottled Willows, 4 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 Bird-cherry Ermine and singles of Conobathra tumidana, Scallop Shell and Bordered Straw all arrived. In the morning the various garden traps around the island contained 46 Diamond-back Moth, 37 Small Mottled Willow, 16 Rusty-dot Pearl, 3 Zeiraphera isertana, 2 each of European Corn-borer, Rush Veneer, Cream-bordered Green Pea and Oak Nycteoline and singles of Apotomis betuletana (new for Portland), Evergestis extimalis, Engrailed (also new for Portland), Dark Sword Grass, Double Square-spot, Grey Arches, Green Silver-lines, Silver Y and Ni Moth at the Obs, 10 Small Mottled Willow, 6 Rusty-dot Pearl and singles of Diamond-back Moth, European Corn-borer and Silver Y at Southwell, 2 Rush Veneer and a Bordered Straw at Weston and 15 Diamond-back Moth, 13 Small Mottled Willow and 2 each of Zeiraphera isertana and Rusty-dot Pearl at the Grove. During the day a Purple Marbled was found at Broadcroft Quarry.
Little Owl and Teleiodes vulgella - Southwell and the Grove, 27th June 2011 © Martin Cade ...vulgella is presumably another previously overlooked resident that's been uncovered by moth-trapping at a new site.
27th June	The forecast thundery showers never materialised but a good deal of fieldwork drew few rewards, with nothing better than 3 Manx Shearwaters and a Curlew logged at the Bill. A promising-looking muggy night was spoilt by the strength of the wind, and the moth-traps were quieter than might have been hoped. Another new species for the island - Teleiodes vulgella - at the new trap site at the Grove provided the night's highlight; the only immigrants recorded were 11 Diamond-back Moth and 3 Silver Y at the Obs and 2 Rusty-dot Pearl and a Diamond-back Moth at the Grove.
Fog scenes from the causeway and from further inland - 26th June 2011 © Martin Cade
26th June	Whilst the mainland was bathed in scorching sunshine a good deal of the island was cloaked in swirling fog which lingered all day at the Bill, and by the end of the afternoon there still hadn't been a single entry on the day sheet. The moth-traps were considerably busier than in recent night but interest was limited to a Grey Arches at the Obs (only the sixth recent record for Portland) and 3 Silver Y there.
25th June	Definitely mid-summer doldrums on all fronts at the moment with a breezy and at times quite foggy morning producing by way of birds just 15 Common Scoter, a Balearic Shearwater and the customary trickle of Manx Shearwaters through on the sea at the Bill. The moth-traps were just as quiet, with a single Hummingbird Hawk-moth the only immigrant attracted to the Obs garden traps.
Comma - Portland Bill, 23rd June 2011 © Ken Dolbear
24th June	Singles of Green Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail over the Bill provided some very minor interest on a day that otherwise came up with nothing more than a few Manx Shearwaters and other routine seabirds offshore.
23rd June	More of the same on a pleasantly sunny but still quite windy day: a Grey Heron at the Bill and 4 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Sandwich Terns, a Great Skua and a handful of Manx Shearwaters through on the sea there. A single Dark Sword Grass provided the only immigrant interest in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning.
22nd June	For the most part a sunny day, with Portland entirely escaping the heavy showers/longer spells of rain that visitors reported were such a feature only a few miles inland; that said, the strength of the wind did preclude any meaningful coverage of the land. The only news was of seawatching at the Bill, which produced 60 Manx Shearwaters, 5 Common Scoter, 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Great Skuas and a Whimbrel.
Great Tit - Portland Bill, 21st June 2011 © Martin Cade ...things are going slightly mad in the Portland Great Tit world and we don't really know why: today we caught our 40th juvenile Great Tit of the month (all trapped in the Obs garden and all 'free-flying' ie not ringed as nestlings). For those that don't know the lie of the land, the little population of resident Great Tits around the Obs garden/hut fields/Obs quarry area is a fairly discrete entity and ringing evidence shows that there's precious little input into this population from sites even as close as Culverwell which is only 400m away. Anyway, to put this month's total in perspective, the June ringing totals for 2009 and 2010 (things started to go mad in 2009) were 28 and 23 respectively. Prior to that the previous decade produced an average June total of just 4; indeed the average annual total - which of course includes spring and autumn migrants as well - of new Great Tits in that decade was only 42.
21st June	It didn't take long for the wind to increase and shift back into the west, although on the plus side it did turn out to be surprisingly warm and sunny by the afternoon. The Serin remained at the Bill where it was typically elusive and looked to be spending long periods hidden amongst the increasingly sizeable finch flock lurking amongst the crops in the Crown Estate field opposite the Obs. The day's only other reports were of 9 Common Scoter, an Arctic Skua and a continuing light movement of Manx Shearwaters passing the Bill. A lone Silver Y was the only immigrant in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning.
Serin - Portland Bill, 20th June 2011 © Martin Cade ...and click here for a short recording of a few calls from it as it's settled in the tree tops.
20th June	A touch of north-easterly after some overnight rainfall gave encouragement to the land birders but their only real reward was a Serin that appeared in or over the Obs garden on odd occasions from mid-morning until at least early afternoon (we know we shouldn't really complain as beggars certainly can't be choosers but in lean times it would be nice to get something other than yet another Serin!); the only other new arrivals at the Bill were 4 Sand Martins and a Chiffchaff. Manx Shearwaters were still on the move offshore, with 250 or so passing the Bill through the morning, and 22 Common Scoter, a Balearic Shearwater and an Arctic Skua also passed by. Immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 3 Silver Y.
yesterday's Lulworth Skipper - Southwell, 18th June 2011 © Bob Ford
19th June	The strength of the wind was again a tiresome feature but for once what little coverage there was of the land did produce a noteworthy sighting in the form a solitary Crossbill overhead at Southwell; a Reed Warbler was also a new arrival there. The sea got plenty more coverage and came up with totals of nearly 1000 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Roseate Terns, 2 Common Scoter and 2 Arctic Skuas passing through off the Bill.
Peregrine - Southwell, 16th June 2011 © Pete Saunders ...one of several recently fledged Peregrines that have been on the wing this week.
18th June	Another seawatch day in blustery westerlies. Two Storm Petrels were the highlight at the Bill, where 100 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Great Skuas, a Bar-tailed Godwit and an Arctic Skua also passed through; elsewhere there were 5 Mediterranean Gulls, a Balearic Shearwater and an Arctic Skua at Chesil Cove. The only other reports were of 7 Sandwich Terns in Portland Harbour and 2 Shelducks and a Bar-tailed Godwit at Ferrybridge. The first Lulworth Skipper of the year was on the wing at Southwell.
17th June	With the forecast rain holding off until well into the afternoon there was plenty of coverage of the sea today. A rather odd watch at the Bill produced none of the expected Balearic Shearwaters but, hot on the heels of last week's exceptionally early bird(s), 3 more Sooty Shearwaters passed down-Channel; 130 Manx Shearwaters, 53 Common Scoter, 3 Arctic Skuas, a Great Skua and a Sandwich Tern made up the numbers there.  Another single Gem was the only immigrant caught overnight in the Obs garden moth-traps.
Great Black-backed Gull - Portland Harbour breakwaters, 16th June 2011 © Luke Phillips ...and click here for some more photographs and further details of Luke's trip out on to the breakwaters. And another colour-ringed gull, this time a Herring Gull (© Martin Cade):    ...we actually saw this bird for the first time during the cold spell last December but we only managed a ropey photo of it which we didn't bother to post at the time. It's probably been around ever since but wasn't spotted again until this week when it's been lurking around the Bill car park. Peter Stewart has kindly let us know that it was ringed at Stoke Orchard landfill site, Gloucestershire, on 23rd January 2010.
16th June	A post-dawn downpour gave way to an unexpectedly clear and sunny, abeit increasingly windy, day. A small passage of 100 Swifts over the Bill was perhaps more likely to be related to the weather than to involve early departing birds; singles of Blackcap and Spotted Flycatcher were also grounded there. Seawatching at the Bill produced just a single Balearic Shearwater amongst small numbers of Manx Shearwaters. The only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning were singles of Rusty-dot Pearl and Hummingbird Hawk-moth.
Blastobasis decolorella - The Grove, 15th June 2011 © Martin Cade
15th June	In dank, sometimes drizzly conditions what little attention that was given to the land produced nothing of note (where are all the likes of late Reed Warblers and Chiffchaffs that are so often a feature of this month?). Seawatching at the Bill produced at least 17 Balearic Shearwater (all passing west during the morning; others heading back east later in the day may or may not have been the same individuals), along with 100 Manx Shearwaters, 40 Common Scoter, a Curlew and a Sandwich Tern. The pick of the overnight moth catch was yet another new species for the island: a specimen of Blastobasis decolorella at the Grove wasn't a surprising addition given that this adventive is widespread in Britain; most likely the species is a hitherto overlooked resident in the vicinity of this new trap site. At the Obs a bumper haul of mainly routine species did include just a hint of immigration/dispersal in the form of 2 Diamond-back Moth, a Gem and a Cream-bordered Green Pea.
Storm Petrel - Portland Bill, 13th June 2011 © Martin Cade ...3 petrels netted in three-quarters of an hour is a fairly standard sort of hit-rate at the Bill. After that we switched recordings and tried an hour of Balearic Shearwater with no reward whatsoever; there's any number of reasons why it'd be pretty unlikely they'd be attracted but we thought we ought to give it another try...besides, it's really quite pleasant pottering around at the Bill tip in the early hours of a still, moonlit night:    Also some extra news from yesterday of a colour-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull. Lesser Black-backs have been on the move for a week or more and 5.U2 was on the Bill Common yesterday morning. Paul Veron Guernsey Gulls has kindly let us know that this adult female was a bird he'd ringed on the nest on Burhou, Channel Isles, on 12th June 2009; assuming it wasn't on a long-distance feeding foray yesterday we'd guess it's breeding attempt has failed this year:
14th June	To start, a bit of news from the last hour of yesterday when 3 more Storm Petrels were tape-lured and ringed at the Bill. Yesterday afternoon's fine conditions extended on into today, although the only migrant activity at the Bill concerned a couple of late? Willow Warblers, the autumn's first 4 Sand Martins and a rather unseasonable grounded Bar-tailed Godwit; seawatching there produced 6 Common Scoter, 2 Balearic Shearwaters and a trickle of Manx Shearwaters.
Marbled White - Portland Bill, 13th June 2011 © Ken Dolbear
13th June	Yesterday's miserable conditions took somewhat longer to clear through than expected and afforded more seawatch opportunities during the morning, but clear skies and warm sunshine had returned by the afternoon. Balearic Shearwaters are arriving back in Portland waters in some numbers, with a minimum of 24 logged at the Bill this morning; 25 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Great Skuas, 2 Sandwich Terns and singles of Mallard, Pomarine Skua and Arctic Skua also passed through on the sea but there were no reports of note from the land. The only other news came from Ferrybridge where there were 2 Red-breasted Mergansers on the Fleet, 2 Arctic Skuas passed overhead and the tern wardens reported that a total of 10 chicks have now hatched in the Little Tern colony.
12th June	There's nothing like the declaration of a drought to get the heavens to open and today - in combination with a blasting southerly - it chucked it down all day! Seawatch reports included 45 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Common Scoter, 7 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Arctic Skuas and singles of Storm Petrel, Curlew, Great Skua and Common Tern through off the Bill, whilst waders at Ferrybridge included 7 Dunlin and 5 Sanderling.
11th June	The breezy, fair, Atlantic conditions of recent days continued and the majority of reports were from the sea, with a flurry of 8 Balearic Shearwaters off the Bill providing the main interest; the day's Manx Shearwater tally there was well over 200, whilst at least 50 commic terns (presumably Lodmoor Common Terns) were feeding distantly offshore, 4 Common Scoter, a Great Skua and a Little Gull passed by and there was another report from day-visitors of a passing Sabine's Gull. The only news from the land at the Bill was of 14 Swifts arriving in off the sea and singles of Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher grounded.
10th June	The main feature of the day's weather was the novelty of a downpour through the evening - the first substantial rainfall for a month or so. On the bird front a visiting seawatcher undertaking survey work at the Bill reported 2 passing Sabine's Gulls; the sea there also produced 500 Manx Shearwaters, 23 Common Scoter, 2 Curlews, a Balearic Shearwater, a Great Skua and an Arctic Skua, whilst singles of Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher provided the only interest on the land. The first Marbled White butterfly of the year was on the wing at the Bill. The second Scorched Wing of the week was the pick of the overnight moth catch at the Obs, where a single Silver Y was the only immigrant caught.
9th June	The only news came from the Bill area where a Willow Warbler was a new arrival on the land and 130 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Common Scoter and a tardy Great Northern Diver passed through on the sea. Also of interest, Don Moxom, the Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve warden, has very kindly provided an update on the current situation with the breeding Little Terns at Ferrybridge: Nesting started earlier than normal on 16th May and within a week 17 pairs had settled. Apart from one clutch being predated - probably by a hedgehog - incubation has proceeded without any further loss. This however has been due to the close monitoring of the wardening team (which paid off so well last year) preventing a number of potential human and predatory disturbances that have included an early morning platoon of jogging soldiers, numerous anglers and marauding crows and foxes (2-3 of the latter being seen most nights). Financial cutbacks have reduced the number of paid staff in the wardening team from four last year to just one this. Thankfully RSPB and Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve volunteers have risen to the occasion and are achieving the 24 hour monitoring and management that is vital for this colony to survive. First chicks were seen on 5th June. Due to a high proportion of 3 egg clutches this year there is a possibility of a good number of fledglings being produced. Lets hope so not only for the sake of these beautiful birds but also as a reward for this recovery project - led so well by the RSPB - and for the wardens and volunteers who have done such a wonderful job over the last two years. For more information please visit the Chesil Beach Centre where currently live images of a nesting pair are being relayed.
Gannet - Portland Bill, 8th June 2011 © Martin Cade
8th June	On another breezy day there was an unseasonable surprise in the form of a Sooty Shearwater off the Bill (in fact, although it seems rather unlikely, there might actually have been two individuals since there were two sightings in quite quick succession of birds heading west close inshore); this represents the first ever record for the month of June, with the previous earliest 'autumn' date for the Bill being 9th July. Seawatching there also produced 50 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Great Skuas, whilst a Hobby was logged on the land.
Silver-studded Blue - Admiralty Quarry, 7th June 2011 © Ken Dolbear
7th June	The return of brisk south-westerlies did little for the birding and certainly stifled interest in the moth-traps. Bird-wise a Hobby at the Bill constituted the only worthwhile sighting on the land, whilst seawatching there produced 500 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Common Scoter and singles of Canada Goose, Dunlin, Turnstone, Great Skua and Arctic Skua. Silver-studded Blues are now on the wing in good numbers at their usual haunts around the centre and north of the island and a Brimstone butterfly was a less expected visitor to the Obs garden today. Singles of Diamond-back Moth and Scorched Wing (the latter the sixth record for Portland) were the only immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps.
Today's Phlyctaenia perlucidalis and yesterday's Vine Moth - Portland Bill and the Grove, 6th June 2011 © Martin Cade
6th June	Just a few odds and ends of bird news from the Bill today: 2 Wheatears and singles of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher on the land and 4 Manx Shearwaters, an Arctic Skua and a Sandwich Tern through on the sea. The moth-traps remained productive, with the second island record of Phlyctaenia perlucidalis the pick of the overnight catch at the Obs; 2 more Rannoch Looper, 10 Diamond-back Moth, 3 Silver Y, 2 Rusty-dot Pearl and a Dog's Tooth made up the rest of the tally of immigrants/wanderers there. We also forgot to mention the capture yesterday of a Vine Moth Eupoecilia ambiguella at the Grove (the first island record for several years). Finally, regular visitors to the site will have noticed the absence of any of Paul Baker's photographs in recent days; Paul has just set off on another of his adventures which can be followed here.
5th June	The only news of any real interest today was of another single Rannoch Looper caught overnight in the Obs garden moth-traps; on a very windy night the only other immigrants/wanderers caught there were 2 each of Diamond-back Moth, Green Oak Tortrix and Silver Y. Bird-wise, the day's only reports from the Bill were of 4 grounded Spotted Flycatchers, a few more Swifts arriving in off the sea and 4 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Common Scoter and 2 Black-headed Gulls through on the sea. Elsewhere there was a lone Dunlin at Ferrybridge.
Serin, Red-necked Footman, Rannoch Looper and Teleiodes luculella - Portland Bill, 4th June 2011 © Martin Cade ...and an extra bit on the Serin which proved to be nice and straightforward to age/sex as a second calendar-year male with, for example, a good moult contrast in the greater coverts and strongly pointed tail feathers:
4th June	Another minor rarity today in the form of a Serin that showed up at the Obs early in the morning and after a while was trapped and ringed there; a little later it also showed up briefly at Culverwell where it was heard singing. The day's only other reports were also from the Bill, where 3 Spotted Flycatchers, a Yellow Wagtail and a Willow Warbler were new arrivals on the land, a trickle of Swifts and House Martins arrived in off the sea and 4 Manx Shearwaters and singles of Balearic Shearwater, Arctic Skua and Great Skua passed through on the sea. The continuing warm weather and fresh north-easterlies begun to pay dividends on the moth front, with 2 each of Rannoch Looper and Red-necked Footman caught overnight at both the Obs and Cheyne Weares; there is only one previous island record of the looper, whilst the footman is a long-overdue addition to the island list. Another good local highlight and addition to the island list was a specimen of Teleiodes luculella at the Grove; since this species is usually an inhabitant of deciduous oak woodland it seems unlikely to be a hitherto overlooked resident there.
Emperor Dragonfly - Portland Bill, 3rd June 2011 © Ken Dolbear
3rd June	A second successive very warm day saw reports of two brief goodies: a Common Rosefinch in song for a few minutes at Verne Common and a Bee-eater flying over the centre of the island. The Bill area came up with nothing more than 2 Wheatears and singles of Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Yellowhammer. In the moth line it was by far and away the busiest night of the year to date but immigrants and even dispersing 'mainland' species were hardly represented: a single Diamond-back Moth at the Grove was the sole immigrant from three trap sites, whilst likely wanderers included a Cream-bordered Green Pea at the Obs and singles of Grey Pine Carpet and Small Clouded Brindle at the Grove.
Bee Orchid, Hummingbird Hawk-moth and Small Blue - Portland Bill and Broadcroft Quarry, 31st May 2011 © Nick Patel
2nd June	The opportune return of anticyclonic conditions in the last couple of days has seen the temperature soar and the wind shift into the north-east, but tangible reward on the rarity front has been sadly lacking. Odds and ends that did show up today included a few Swifts and House Martins trickling in off the sea at the Bill, 4 Spotted Flycatchers, a Whinchat, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff grounded there, 8 Sanderling and 4 Dunlin at Ferrybridge and 51 Common Scoter, 9 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Sandwich Terns and an Arctic Skua through on the sea at the Bill. The recent warmer nights have seen moth numbers increase in the Obs garden traps but immigrants remain all but absent: last night's only capture was of a single Rusty-dot Pearl. Finally, Obs members might like to know that this year's AGM will take place at 7pm on Saturday 2nd July; an announcement to this effect has been placed on our Noticeboard page, from where an agenda for the meeting can be downloaded.
1st June	A slight but nonetheless welcome increase in sightings today, with the Bill area coming up with 5 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Wheatears, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Yellow Wagtails and singles of Grey Heron and Lesser Whitethroat on the land and 8 Manx Shearwaters and singles of Great Skua, Arctic Skua and Black-headed Gull through on the sea. Two more Dark Sword Grass were the only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning.