Portland Bird Observatory

AUTUMN ACCOMMODATION AT PBO

19th June. Having just received a late cancellation of a Cottage booking we thought it would be timely to post an update regarding the accommodation situation for this autumn. The cancellation frees up the week of Friday 24th to Thursday 30th July incl for the Cottage; the only other dates that the Cottage is available for between now and early November are Monday 31st August to Thursday 3rd September incl and Tuesday 27th to Thursday 29th October incl. As regards the rest of our accommodation the following weekends are already full: 10th/11th July, 14th/15th August, 4th/5th September, 11th/12th September, 18th/19th September and all of the weekends in October; there is still limited space available during most of the mid-week periods through the autumn.

Further update 26th June: the Cottage week in July and the three dates in October have now been filled as have all available lighthouse beds for the weekend of 25th/26th September (so barring any late cancellations all of the September and October weekends are now full).

3rd July

Early afternoon update.

Just a few minor snippets from the Bill so far today: a few Swifts were leaving out to sea, 2 Lapwings were new arrivals on the land and 7 Common Scoter, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Sandwich Terns and a lone Balearic Shearwater passed through on the sea.

In fresher, breezier conditions the selection of immigrants/wanderers attracted to the Obs garden moth-traps overnight was a little less interesting than in recent nights: 206 Diamond-back Moth, 3 Rush Veneer, 3 Silver Y, 2 Bird-cherry Ermine, 2 Water Veneer and singles of European Corn-borer, Evergestis extimalis, Cream-bordered Green Pea and Dark Spectacle.

Mediterranean Gull & Dunlin and Wood Carpet - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, 1st July 2009 © Paul Baker (Mediterranean Gull & Dunlin) and Martin Cade (Wood Carpet)

...the Wood Carpet was another of yesterday's moths. We were having trouble convincing ourselves that it wasn't a Common Carpet but today Phil Sterling kindly confirmed that it really is a Wood Carpet. The species was reported to be present on the island in Victorian times but the only record in the modern era concerns a specimen light-trapped at Church Ope Cove in 1974.

2nd July

The only reports of any interest were of 3 Dunlin and 3 Mediterranean Gulls still at Ferrybridge, a few commic and Sandwich Terns lingering off the Bill and 4 Common Scoter passing through on the sea.

Immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 278 Diamond-back Moth, 3 Bird-cherry Ermine, 2 True Lovers Knot and singles of Tachystola acroxantha, Brown China-mark, European Corn-borer, Rush Veneer, Tawny-barred Angle, Buff Footman, Small Mottled Willow and Dark Spectacle.

Gymnancyla canella and Blackneck - Portland Bill, 1st July 2009 © Martin Cade

1st July

The Obs garden moth-traps again provided most of the interest today. A Blackneck was a first record for the island, whilst singles of Gymnanclya canella and Mere Wainscot were the best of the rest of the overnight catch that also included 1224 Diamond-back Moth, 7 Silver Y, 6 Rush Veneer, 5 Endothenia quadrimaculana, 3 Bird-cherry Ermine, 3 European Corn-borer, 3 Dark Sword Grass and singles of Zeiraphera isertana and True Lovers Knot.

On the bird front there were 3 Dunlin and 3 Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge, a Whimbrel at the Bill and 17 Common Scoter, 10 Manx Shearwaters and 4 Black-headed Gulls passed through on the sea at the Bill.

30th June

On a nice overcast, muggy night the Obs garden moth-traps produced plenty of interest, notably 2 White Satin and a Rosy Wave (both of which are second records for Portland); the catch also included by way of other immigrants/wanderers 435 Diamond-back Moth, 5 Silver Y, 2 Bird-cherry Ermine, 2 Dark Sword Grass, 2 Dark Spectacle and singles of Tachystola acroxantha, Limnaecia phragmitella, Water Veneer, Brown China-mark, Rush Veneer, Grey Pine Carpet, Tawny-barred Angle, Orange Footman and Marbled White Spot. Elsewhere on the island a garden moth-trap at Southwell came up with another White Satin and a Cream-bordered Green Pea.

Migrant birds were hardly conspicuous, with just 2 Sand Martins and a Common Sandpiper at the Bill, although a visiting birder there did report tapping into a richer vein on the sea, which produced 8 Common Scoter, 4 Manx Shearwaters, a Balearic Shearwater and a Sooty Shearwater in a little over an hour first thing in the morning.