Portland Bird Observatory - wildlife diary

29th February	Two Painted Ladies were in a garden at Southwell and the group of about 10 Bottle-nosed Dolphins were again off the East Cliffs at the Bill for much of the day.
Bottle-nosed Dolphins - 28th February 2004 © Martin Cade
28th February	A Painted Lady was in a garden at Southwell today and at least 10 Bottle-nosed Dolphins were off the East Cliffs at the Bill for much of the day.
25th February	A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was seen at Portland Port and a Painted Lady was in the Obs garden.
24th February	A single Painted Lady was at East Weare.
Painted Lady - 23rd February 2004 © Martin Cade
23rd February	Despite the temperature having dropped to below freezing overnight, several Painted Ladies were still on the wing today: four were in the Obs garden and another single was at Weston Street.
21st February	A single Painted Lady was seen at the Bill today.
19th February	All good things must come to an end, and it looks like the supply of immigrant moths is petering out as cold easterly winds send night-time temperatures plunging; just 5 *Nomophila noctuella* and 2 Dark Sword Grass were trapped in the Obs garden moth-traps overnight. Despite the chilly wind a few Painted Ladies were again on the wing in the Obs garden.
18th February	Much lower numbers of immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning after a chillier night: 6 *Nomophila noctuella, 4 Dark Sword Grass* and 1 Turnip Moth. Quite a few Painted Ladies were still on the wing at the Bill and at Weston.
*Euchromius ocellea* - 17th February 2004 © Martin Cade
17th February	A slightly milder night saw a few more immigrant moths on the wing, with totals in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning of 29 *Nomophila noctuella, 8 Dark Sword Grass, 2 Euchromius ocellea, 1 Turnip Moth* and 1 Plutella xylostella. A single Painted Lady was in the Obs garden and several Bottle-nosed Dolphins were again off the East Cliffs during the morning.
16th February	A handful of immigrant moths remain around, with the Obs garden moth-traps this morning producing 10 *Nomophila noctuella, 7 Dark Sword Grass* and 1 Pearly Underwing. The lingering group of about 10 Bottle-nosed Dolphins were off the East Cliffs for most of the day.
Grey Seal - 15th February 2004 © Martin Cade
15th February	A chillier night saw immigrant numbers drop still further in the Obs garden moth-traps, where there were totals of 20 *Nomophila noctuella, 9 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Turnip, 1 Angle Shades* and 1 Small Mottled Willow. During the morning a young Grey Seal was hauled out on the rocks below the Trinity House obelisk at the Bill and a group of around 10 Bottle-nosed Dolphins lingered off the East Cliffs.
Cosmopolitan - 14th February 2004 © Martin Cade
14th February	The migrant bonanza certainly slowed up last night when, despite good moth-trapping conditions, many fewer immigrants were recorded in the Obs garden traps. A single Cosmopolitan - the first winter record for the island - was the highlight; other totals included 76 *Nomophila noctuella, 22 Dark Sword Grass, 6 Small Mottled Willow, 4 Plutella xylostella, 2 Bordered Straw* and 1 Pearly Underwing. A few Painted Ladies took advantage of the first sunshine for a couple of days and were on the wing at several sites around the island.
Levant Blacknecks, Ni Moths, Bordered Straw and *Euchromius ocellea* - 13th February 2004 © Martin Cade
13th February	There was another tremendous selection of immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning. Three more *Euchromius ocellea* and 2 more Levant Blacknecks were the quality, whilst the back-up totals, although rather lower than yesterday, were still amazing for the time of year: 136 Nomophila noctuella, 50 Small Mottled Willow, 26 Dark Sword Grass, 4 *Plutella xylostella, 4 Bordered Straw, 1 Ni Moth, 1 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Turnip* and 1 White-speck; additionally, the first Hebrew Character of the year was trapped and a single Early Moth constituted only the fourth modern record for the island. Yesterday's party of at least 7 Bottle-nosed Dolphins were seen off Church Ope Cove this morning.
Levant Blackneck and Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 12th February 2004 © Martin Cade
12th February	Migrant madness at the Obs this morning, with quite probably the most extraordinary and unexpected overnight catch of immigrant moths ever recorded at Portland. Two Levant Blacknecks (there are only 10 previous British records) were the highlight, but equally impressive were counts of 164 Small Mottled Willow and 12 *Euchromius ocellea* (both presumably the highest single-night totals of these species ever recorded in Britain); the supporting cast consisted of 202 *Nomophila noctuella, 28 Dark Sword Grass, 28 Plutella xylostella, 5 Nutmeg, 4 Bordered Straw, 3 Ni Moth, 1 Pearly Underwing, 1 Silver Y, 1 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Turnip, 1 Oak Nycteoline* and 1 Dotted Chestnut; a single Early Thorn was the first recorded this year. During the morning a group of at least 7 Bottle-nosed Dolphins lingered off the East Cliffs at the Bill.
11th February	In pleasantly warm and sunny weather Painted Ladies were reported in numbers everywhere, including some that were watched flying north across the mud-flats at Ferrybridge - it was estimated that there were more than 100 on the island as a whole; the first Small Tortoiseshells of the year were also on the wing at the Bill and Weston.
9th February	Painted Ladies remain on the wing in some numbers throughout the island. Three hours moth-trapping from dusk (by which time the traps were covered in frost!) at the Obs produced 2 Small Mottled Willows.
dead Common Dolphin - 8th February 2004 © Martin Cade
8th February	Three dead dolphins - a Common Dolphin and two unidentified specimens in poor condition - have been washed up at Chesil Cove today. At least 7 Painted Ladies were on the wing in sheltered spots at the Bill.
7th February	Just 1 Small Mottled Willow and 1 Nomophila noctuella in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning after a much colder night of gale force winds and heavy rain. Several Painted Ladies were on the wing at the Bill during the day.
Small Mottled Willow and Painted Lady - 6th February 2004 © Martin Cade
6th February	Although trapping conditions were less than ideal - thick mist, a strengthening wind and heavy rain late in the night - the Obs garden moth-traps attracted another bumper haul of unseasonable immigrants, with totals of 23 Small Mottled Willow, 16 *Nomophila noctuella, 2 Dark Sword Grass* and 1 Pearly Underwing; a single Double-striped Pug was the only resident species that was new for the year. In warm sunshine during the afternoon at least 6 Painted Ladies were on the wing in the Obs garden.
Turnip Moth - 5th February 2004 © Martin Cade
5th February	Seven *Nomophila noctuella* and 2 presumably immigrant Turnip Moths were caught in the Obs garden moth-traps overnight.
*Nomophila noctuella* and Dark Sword Grass - 4th February 2004 © Martin Cade
4th February	Despite gale force winds and heavy rain overnight there was more immigrant interest, with 2 Dark Sword Grass and 2 *Nomophila noctuella* caught in the Obs garden moth-traps. During the day, single Painted Ladies were seen in Top Fields and at the Obs garden.
Hummingbird Hawk-moth - 3rd February 2004 © Martin Cade
3rd February	A very active Hummingbird Hawk-moth was found indoors at the Obs this morning (it was released outdoors and flew off strongly) and a Painted Lady was seen several times in flight in the beach-hut fields near the Obs this afternoon.
Winter Moth and Mottled Grey - 21st January 2004 © Martin Cade
21st January	The first moth-trapping for a while at the Obs produced the first few Mottled Greys of the year and several Winter Moths.
18th January	A group of 8 Bottle-nosed Dolphins were off the East Cliffs at the Bill early in the morning.
8th January	A Grey Seal and a pod of 5 Bottle-nosed Dolphins were off Grove Point this morning.
Winter Moth - 7th January 2004 © Martin Cade
7th January	Winter Moths, including an example of the rarely seen 'wingless' female, are currently regular visitors to the Obs lounge windows after dark.
*Crocidosema plebejana* - 6th January 2004 © Martin Cade
6th January	The first moth-trapping of the year in the Obs garden produced just specimens of Crocidosema plebejana and the ubiquitous *Epiphyas postvittana*.
Winter Heliotrope - 1st January 2004 © Martin Cade
1st January	Winter Heliotrope is currently in flower above Freshwater Bay.