12th July

There's beginning to be a slightly different feel to the weather with a good deal more cloud in the sky at times and the edge certainly taken off the heat of the last couple of weeks. A miscellaneous selection at the Bill included 25 Mediterranean Gulls, 12 Common Scoter, 7 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls and a family party of Shelducks offshore and 70 Swallows, 2 Sand Martins and singles of Common Sandpiper, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Chiffchaff on the land; at Southwell 2 Shelduck, 2 Mallard and a Yellow-legged Gull all flew north off East Cliffs. Mediterranean Gulls increased to 128 at Ferrybridge where 10 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and singles of Redshank and Sandwich Tern were also logged.

A party of 10 or more Bottle-nosed Dolphins were off the Bill for a second day.

Immigrant butterflies included 2 Painted Ladys and 2 Clouded Yellows at the Bill.

On a night when moth immigration/dispersal tailed off quite noticeably Diamond-back Moth (29) and Marbled Piercer (25) topped the tally at the Obs.

We keep imagining that one of the parties of mid-summer Black-tailed Godwits that drop in briefly at Ferrybridge will be Continental limosa birds but, like all the others in recent times, today's pair looked to be pretty standard Icelandic islandica birds © Pete Saunders:

This morning's Great Spotted Woodpecker making use of the tallest 'tree' at the Bill © Martin Cade:

Clouded Yellow at the Bill today © Martin Cade:

And a truly awful image - the birds were a good mile and a half distant - of what as far as we know was a unique event off the Bill: this family party of Shelducks - the pair and two tiny youngsters - were spotted drifting slowly from east to west well offshore this morning; we lost them soon afterwards and presumed they'd gained speed with the tide and headed off into Lyme Bay, only to discover later from members of the public that in fact they'd eventually come offshore on East Cliffs below the Obs. Quite where they'd originated from can only be guessed at: the harbour breakwaters are perhaps the best bet but they were so far offshore that somewhere like the Purbeck coast seems a plausible possibility © Martin Cade:

11th July

A reminder for Obs members that this year's AGM - the first AGM since our change to Charitable Incorporated Organisation status - will be held at 4.30pm this Saturday, 14th July; buffet refreshments - including a barbeque - will be provided after the meeting. An agenda for the meeting can be found by clicking here.

More of the same on the bird front with a few more early autumn migrants and plenty of interest on the sea. The Mediterranean Gull build up included at least 50 off the Bill, where 9 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Black-headed Gulls, 6 Common Scoter, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls and a Redshank also passed through. The land there came up with 2 Grey Herons, 2 Sand Martins and a dispersing Lesser Whitethroat, whilst elsewhere an unseasonable Redpoll passed over at Blacknor and 4 Dunlin, 4 Sandwich Terns, 2 Redshank and a Sanderling were at Ferrybridge.

The island's third Dark Crimson Undwering at the Obs was the highlight of overnight moth-trapping; overall, immigrant and dispersing numbers dropped off but a Blackneck at Sweethill and a Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella at the Grove were additional island rarities.

A selection of second and third records for the island from recent nights: Dark Crimson Underwing and Blackneck from last night and Dark-bordered Pearl and Suspected from 8th July © Debby Saunders (Blackneck) and Martin Cade (others):

10th July

Ferrybridge provided the bulk of the day's numbers amongst which the customary - and this year very rapid - mid-summer build up in Mediterranean Gulls topped 100 for the first time; 16 Dunlin, 3 Little Ringed Plovers and singles of Curlew, Redshank and Yellow-legged Gull also dropped in there at times. Another Little Ringed Plover passed over at the Bill where 6 Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls were offshore and a lone Sand Martin also passed overhead.

A Splendid Brocade at the Grove was the pick of the night's immigrant moths; although there were also sample totals of, for example, 84 Diamond-back Moth and 74 Silver Y at the Obs most of the other interest concerned further presumed dispersal from the mainland, with the list at the Obs including 5 Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 4 Dotted Ermel Ethmia dodecea, 4 European Corn-borer, 3 Bird-cherry Ermine, 3 Fen Wainscot, 2 Four-spotted Footman, 2 Marbled White-spot, 2 Cream-bordered Green Pea and singles of Wax Moth Galleria mellonella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, Horse Chestnut, Maiden's Blush, Buff Footman, Double-lobed and Dark Spectacle.
There's still quite a backlog of mainly micros from the last few very busy nights to work through but among the more interesting records have been the island's first Common Heath (from Duncan Walbridge's garden at Weston) and second records of Dark Bordered Pearl Evergestis limbata (at the Grove) and Suspected (2 at PBO), along with the likes of Dark-streaked Button Acleris umbrana, Heath Knot-horn Apomelois bistriatella, Treble Brown-spot, Beautiful Snout and Lunar-spotted Pinion - all of which have been recorded only a handful of times before.

Little Ringed Plover and Yellow-legged Gull at Ferrybridge this morning © Pete Saunders:

9th July

On yet another uncomfortably hot day most of the bird interest was on the sea, with 35 Common Scoter, 12 Mediterranean Gulls, 7 Black-headed Gulls, 5 Manx Shearwaters, 5 Sandwich Terns, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls, a Whimbrel and a Common Gull through or lingering off the Bill; 5 passing Sand Martins were the only migrants of note on the land. The only other reports were from Ferrybridge, where there were 33 Mediterranean Gulls, 15 Dunlin and a Redshank.

A fuller report on recent mothing to follow tomorrow - it's been so busy/time-consuming that we've lost track of all the island rarities we haven't reported yet!

8th July

A Marsh Harrier leaving south from the Bill was a surprise for the time of year. The day's only other movers were 6 Cormorants and 5 Grey Herons over the Bill and 12 Common Scoter through on the sea there; 6 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Black-headed Gulls and a Mediterranean Gull were also lingering offshore at the Bill.

The Marsh Harrier passed high south down the island and powered on out to sea - just the sort of sighting you'd have expected in September but certainly not in early July © Martin Cade:

Common Heath is an at times quite abundant moth in appropriate habitat across inland Dorset so it's a bit of a surprise that it hadn't been recorded at Portland before last night © Martin Cade:

7th July

The weather was again a significant disincentive for spending long out birding - it was really was just too hot and sultry until a bit of a breeze sprung up during the afternoon for there to any pleasure in flogging about on the land. Other than an unseasonably Grey Wagtail that appeared at the Bill the only worthwhile reports were of 20 Common Scoter, 19 Manx Shearwaters, 7 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls either through or lingering off the Bill.

Diamond-back Moth numbers continued to increase, with 474 trapped overnight at the Obs; a wide variety of dispersers making into the traps included singles of Heath Knot-horn Apomyelois bistriatella and Lunar-spotted Pinion at the Obs.

6th July

The heat returned with a vengeance today and seemed to have restricted fieldwork to the two ends of the day. The best of the numbers at the Bill were offshore, with 47 Common Scoter, 24 Manx Shearwaters, 21 Mediterranean Gulls, 6 Sandwich Terns and singles of Yellow-legged Gull, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull and Common Gull through or lingering. Another pulse of overhead passage included 31 Swifts, 7 Sand Martins and singles of Greenshank and Redshank over the Bill.

A surge in Diamond-back Moth numbers saw 247 trapped overnight at the Obs - the year's highest total to date. More on the moths to follow tomorrow.

5th July

Although fog clung on at the Bill until well into the afternoon, for the most part today saw the return of fine and increasingly warm conditions. Three Black-tailed Godwits passing through at the Bill, at least 2 Yellow-legged Gulls lingering offshore there and an increase to 6 Redshanks at Ferrybridge provided the best of today's birding, with 25 Manx Shearwaters and at least 4 Mediterranean Gulls off the Bill and 26 Mediterranean Gulls and 20 Dunlin at Ferrybridge the best of the rest.

Moth numbers tailed off noticeably in the overnight fog but some of the commoner immigrants were relatively well represented, with 72 Silver Y, 34 Diamond-back Moth, 4 Dark Sword Grass, a Hummingbird Hawkmoth and a Four-spotted Footman at the Obs and 62 Silver Y in one trap at the Grove.

4th July

An unexpectedly profound change in the weather saw first a band of steady rain arrive in off the Channel before fog developed and, at least in some spots, lingered for the rest of the day. New arrivals included the first 4 juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls of the summer at Ferrybridge, where 2 Little Ringed Plovers, a Redshank and a Common Gull also dropped in; a Curlew was the only worthwhile newcomer at the Bill, whilst seawatching there came up with 30 Manx Shearwaters, 7 Mediterranean Gulls and a Black-headed Gull.

We're sure that the majority of blog viewers wouldn't thank us if we bored them witless with a summer of endless rather tiresome images of baby seagulls growing up so it's good to get Yellow-legged Gull - a very young/fresh juvenile in this case - done and dusted straight away © Joe Stockwell...

...and while we're at it we can kill two birds with one stone by getting juvenile Mediterranean Gull done at the same time - there was a fly-by at the Bill a couple of days ago but today was the first day with settled birds at Ferrybridge © Joe Stockwell:

This Common Gull was a rather rarer mid-summer visitor to Ferrybridge © Martin Cade:

The season's first juvenile Redshank, also at Ferrybridge © Debby Saunders:

And the latest two of what's been a nice recent flurry of Little Ringed Plovers at Ferrybridge © Martin Cade:

Today's rain and then fog were a welcome relief from the scorching heat of the last few weeks; by the evening the top of the island and Chiswell were treated to a nice sunset whilst Lyme Bay, Weymouth and the mainland were all hidden beneath an enveloping blanket of fog ©  Martin Cade: 

And a bit more catching up: the emergence of Lunar Hornet Clearwings at the Obs was nearly a fortnight later than last year, with the first spotted on Sunday (1st); we must have jammed into this female within minutes of her emerging since she had three males buzzing frantically around her - just as soon as one coupled the other two completely vanished © Martin Cade:

There's been a lot of interest from folk wanting to come and twitch them but they're proving to be just as tricky to get to grips with as they were last year - despite plenty of looking, this one that we fluked into settled on a mist-net this morning has been the only other one that we've seen so far © Martin Cade:

It seems as though Portland was a bit too far west to have scored with any of the rarer immigrant moths that have been reported in recent days - this Splendid Brocade on Monday (2nd) was about as good as it got for us © Martin Cade:

3rd July

With a lot more cloud in the sky birding was considerably easier today but there looked to be very little about, with 60 more Swifts through over the Bill, 20 Manx Shearwaters, 19 Common Scoter, 8 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Mediterranean Gulls through or lingering off the Bill, 3 Sand Martins through over Ferrybridge and 13 Dunlin settled there.

A Purple-bordered Gold at Reap Lane - a new moth for the island - was the highlight of the night's moth-trapping; the immigrant tally at the Obs consisted of 46 Diamond-back Moth, 19 Silver Y, 2 each of Dark Sword Grass and Cream-bordered Green Pea, and singles of Bird-cherry Ermine, Cock's-head Bell, Bulrush Cosmet, Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Delicate and Green Silver-lines.

In as much as heathland insects are pretty well-represented amongst the ever-growing list of strays making it out to Portland, Purple-bordered Gold might well have made it on to a list of possible future additions even though it does appear to be only a thinly distributed inhabitant of the south-east Dorset heaths - the recent spell of hot weather and freshening northeasterly winds certainly offered up what looked to be ideal conditions for dispersal away from that area © Martin Cade:

And with rain setting in whilst we're compiling this update we've got an opportunity for a bit of catching up so it's back to Sunday 1st for some nice photographs of the Little Ringed Plover at Ferrybridge and one of the Southwell Peregrines © Pete Saunders:

2nd July

On what was apparently Portland's hottest day so far during the ongoing spell of glorious weather - probably not the best day to have chosen to be toiling over building the bulk of a permanent brick barbeque in the Obs garden! - there was a fair bit of early autumn passage afoot. Swifts were most conspicuous, with at least 90 through over the Obs, whilst sea passage off the Bill included 36 Manx Shearwaters, 11 Black-headed Gulls, 7 Mediterranean Gulls, 6 Common Scoter, 6 commic terns, 3 Whimbrel and singles of Teal, Curlew, Great Skua and Sandwich Tern. Other odds and ends of note included the first 3 Sand Martins of the season through at the Bill and 12 Dunlin, 11 Mediterranean Gulls, a Sanderling and a Curlew at Ferrybridge.

A Red-veined Darter was in the Bill Quarry during the morning.

The Large Tortoiseshell at Bottomcombe was still present for a while during the morning but couldn't be found later in the day.

The first Splendid Brocade of the year was the best of an improvemed catch of immigrant moths at the Obs, where 148 Diamond-back Moth, 23 Silver Y, 12 Cock's-head Bell Zeiraphera isertana, 2 European Corn-borer, 2 Water Veneer and singles of Willow Ermine, Dark Spectacle and Marbled White-spot were also trapped.

1st July

A rain shower at dawn was a novelty and for the most part the day remained doggedly overcast and increasingly humid. An orange-billed tern - suspected as being a reappearance of the American Royal Tern - seen briefly on the falling tide at Ferrybridge caused panic once the news circulated but couldn't be found during subsequent searches. The day's only other reports were of 25 Mediterranean Gulls, 20 Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover and a Sanderling at Ferrybridge, a new Chiffchaff at the Bill and 50 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Common Scoter, 4 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Mediterranean Gulls lingering or through off the Bill.

A Large Tortoiseshell (together with at least 1 Hummingbird Hawkmoth) showed for a while during the afternoon at Bottomcombe.

Andy Dyball came up trumps at Bottomcombe with Portland's first Large Tortoiseshell since the series of nine records in 2007 © Martin Cade:

30th June

The day's only reports were of 5 Manx Shearwaters, 5 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Common Scoter and 3 Black-headed Gulls through off the Bill.

Little Tern at Ferrybridge this morning © Pete Saunders...

...and it looks to be bunny for supper for the baby Buzzards © Pete Saunders: 

29th June

Just as we thought it was safe to say that spring passage really had ended so yet another tardy singing Reed Warbler pitched up at the Obs today. With the weather still feeling anything but fresh and spring-like - the lack of rainfall is becoming quite a concern on several fronts, not least for the wellbeing of our sacrificial crops that are looking worryingly impoverished and hardly likely to be harbouring a wealth of autumn migrants in a few weeks time - the day's sightings were otherwise of routine summer/early autumn fare: 4 Mediterranean Gulls and a Little Ringed Plover were at Ferrybridge, 30 Swifts passed through over the Bill and 16 Black-headed Gulls, 14 each of Mediterranean Gull and commic tern, 11 Common Scoter and 10 Manx Shearwaters passed through on the sea there.

The young Peregrines at Southwell fledged this week and have been showing nicely © Pete Saunders:  

The fly-by Little Ringed Plover at Ferrybridge © Pete Saunders:  

28th June

With it again rather too hot to spend long thrashing about on the land when the chances of stumbling across anything untoward aren't exactly high most of today's sightings were from the sea, with 19 Common Scoter, 9 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 commic terns and a Sandwich Tern through off the Bill; a total of 11 Swifts through overhead there looked to be purposeful movers. The only other reports were of 18 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Shelduck and a Mediterranean Gull at Ferrybridge and the autumn's first Common Sandpiper at Portland Harbour.

A Skylark still in good song at the Bill this morning © Martin Cade: 

A total of four young Wheatears fledged successfully from the breeding site at the Bill, with all now getting quite mobile...

...despite the parched and even more rock-hard than usual ground the male was still finding plenty to provision them with © Martin Cade: 

27th June

Despite some pretty extensive coverage of the island - admittedly largely in pursuit of other natural history interest - the rewards were again very scant today, with precious little of note beyond 8 Common Scoter and 6 Mediterranean Gulls through off the Bill.

Little Tern at Ferrybridge this morning © Pete Saunders:  

26th June

Very hot and very quiet again today, with nothing much more to report on the bird front than 9 Mediterranean Gulls through off the Bill.

Although moth immigration remains at a standstill a few dispersers continue to show up, including singles of Bird-cherry Ermine, True Lovers Knot and Green Silver-lines caught overnight at the Obs.

Although there's long been a resident bull Grey Seal off the island's shoreline for the last couple of days two 'extra' Grey Seals have been about at the Bill - both were hauled out on the rocks at the Bill tip this morning © Mike Lockyear:  

25th June

Hardly worth a report today with precious little new showing up in the continuing settled, fine conditions. Twelve Dunlin and singles of Mediterranean Gull and Wheatear were at Ferrybridge and 6 Common Scoter, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and a Black-headed Gull were off the Bill.

At least 3 Harbour Porpoises were off the Bill during the morning.

We haven't checked the date but it must be getting on for 20 years since Wheatear last bred successfully at the Bill so it's pleasing to report the first sighting of fledged young from the pair that have been in residence there this year © Erin Taylor: 

24th June

A potential Portland rarity today with a report of a brief Cirl Bunting during the afternoon in Top Fields - a decent hunt for it later revealed no further sign. Yet another late Reed Warbler was in song at the Bill but the only other new migrant on the land - a Willow Warbler - was certainly heading in the other direction. The other reports were all from the sea, with 45 Common Scoter, 6 Mediterranean Gulls, 6 Sandwich Terns, 6 commic terns, 2 Manx Shearwaters and a Black-headed Gull through off the Bill.

A hint of a little more dispersal overnight, including singles of White Satin at Sweethill and Reap Lane and Barred Red at Sweethill.

Today's Willow Warbler - a female with a brood patch that had presumably failed in its breeding attempt somewhere up-country - was in a right shoddy state; with it already having begun its complete moult it's hard to believe that it would be attempting a Channel crossing right now so perhaps it'll linger about © Martin Cade: 

23rd June

Plenty more sunshine although in an increasingly noticeable breeze not quite a hot as might have been expected today. The sea came up with the best of the numbers, with 65 Common Scoter, 8 Sandwich Terns, 5 Manx Shearwaters, 5 Mediterranean Gulls and 2 Curlew through off the Bill. Three apparently new Chiffchaffs were a surprise on the land at the Bill, whilst 24 Dunlin, 3 Mediterranean Gulls and 2 Shelduck made up the list from Ferrybridge.

Singles of Delicate and Cream-bordered Green Pea were the immigrant/wandering moths making it into the Obs traps overnight.

22nd June

The unbroken sunshine and increasing warmth of today weren't really the conditions likely to drop a surprise and a new Reed Warbler at the Bill was the best of the few new arrivals. A few Swifts also trickled over there, 8 Common Scoter, 4 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Mediterranean Gull passed through on the sea and 17 Dunlin and a Sanderling were at Ferrybridge.

Moth immigration remained at a standstill but a White Satin at Weston was the best local record amongst a few strays making it out to the island.

21st June

A day with no compensations for the absence of the Royal Tern: 2 Bullfinches and a Wheatear were new at the Bill, 8 Common Scoter, 5 Manx Shearwaters and 2 commic terns passed through on the sea there, 50 Swifts passed over at Portland Harbour where singles of Gannet, Curlew and Mediterranean Gull were logged and 9 Dunlin, 4 Sandwich Terns, 3 Shelduck and 2 Curlew were at Ferrybridge.

We're not sure that Billy Winters Café beside Portland Harbour really qualifies as the sort of elemental location that usually lures life's fruitcakes out to witness a mid-summer's day dawn but today it hosted a gaggle of birders hoping to clap eyes on the Royal Tern as the sun rose - sadly, their vigil went unrewarded © Martin Cade:

The days of Dark Green Fritillary being a frequent sighted butterfly at Portland are very long gone so this afternoon's discovery by Andy Dyball and Erin of this one at Inmosthay Quarry was a notable event; whether it's still hanging on as a resident insect remains to be established - vagrancy from the Purbeck Hills seems just as likely when there's a brisk northeasterly blowing like there was today © Erin Taylor:

20th June

 

A reminder that there's an In Focus field event at the Obs between 10am and 4pm this Saturday, 23rd June.

A day that had looked - like most of the other just lately - to be fizzling out uneventfully ended in spectacular fashion when the American Royal Tern that's been roaming northern France and the Channel Isles for the last 18 months and was in Sussex yesterday evening and early this morning showed up long after sunset in Portland Harbour. The day's other reports were of 12 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Common Scoter and a Storm Petrel through off the Bill and 19 Dunlin and 2 Sanderling at Ferrybridge.

For the second year in succession the island's most visible/accessible Little Owls in the Obs Quarry disappeared just as they were looking to be well settled in for the breeding season. Fortunately there are still quite a few other pairs dotted about the island although, to avoid unnecessary disturbance, for the time being we think it'll be prudent not to publicise the precise locations of any of these © Erin Taylor:

Lots of Rock Pipits now have recently fledged youngsters in tow © Erin Taylor: 

After a night when the moth-traps produced not a sniff of immigrant activity it was nice to see a Hummingbird Hawkmoth on the wing during the evening at the Grove - this was only the second one we've logged this year © Martin Cade:

19th June

Today's only migrant interest concerned an increase in (returning?) Dunlin at Ferrybridge where they were up to 28 in the evening.

18th June

An announcement for Obs members that this year's AGM - the first AGM since our change to Charitable Incorporated Organisation status - will be held at 4.30pm on Saturday 14th July; buffet refreshments - weather permitting, including a barbeque - will be provided after the meeting. Our new charitable status does bring with it the need to be as open to scrutiny by the membership as we have been in the past and we're hoping for a good attendance at the meeting. An agenda for the meeting can be found by clicking here.

Hardly anything worth a mention today: a few Manx Shearwaters, 5 Common Scoter and an unidentified skua passed by the Bill and 2 lingering Chiffchaffs were still about on the land there.

A Delicate at the Grove was the night's only noteworthy immigrant moth.

17th June

A day of increasingly grim conditions, with the fog blown in on a freshening wind so thick by the late afternoon that the sea was no longer visible from the Obs. The only reports were of 50 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Common Scoter and singles of Arctic Skua and Mediterranean Gull through off the Bill and 2 Arctic Skuas through over Ferrybridge.

Two Delicates were the only immigrant moths trapped overnight at the Obs.

16th June

Very little to report that would be of even the slightest interest to anyone from off-island: 44 Common Scoter passed through off the Bill, a Turnstone was new on the land there and 2 Dunlin, a Black-headed Gull and a Mediterranean Gull were at Ferrybridge.

Since it's looking like the spring passage of all but the tardiest individual common migrants has fizzled out we thought it'd be timely to have a quick review of how the season's panned out for some of our most numerous migrants; as before, this is perhaps easiest to gauge by having a peek at the Obs ringing totals. From what we've heard from elsewhere we get the impression that the numbers of both migrants on the coast and breeders inland are considered to be well down this year, but this wasn't entirely reflected at Portland. Willow Warbler and Whitethroat were perhaps the most conspicuous losers - as much because they're usually so numerous here - but maybe a little more under the radar were the notably poor totals of Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. Chiffchaff, Redstart and Pied Flycatcher were right on par with recent years, whilst Blackcap has been doing so well lately that the slight drop in their numbers was, arguably, only what might have been expected in an indifferent season. Garden Warbler looks have bounced right back from a series of poor years and Spotted Flycatcher was the biggest winner of all among the long distance migrants, with not far off record numbers ringed this spring. Finally, bearing in mind the severity of the late winter it was a welcome surprise that both 'crests looked to have survived really well.