Portland Bird Observatory - wildlife diary January to May 2003

Orange Footman - 31st May 2003 © Martin Cade
31st May	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 79 Plutella xylostella, 7 *Nomophila noctuella, 6 Eudonia pallida, 2 White-point, 2 Silver Y, 1 Orange Footman* (the second island record) and 1 Dark Sword Grass; also the first records for the year of *Cacoecimorpha pronubana, Cochylis molliculana, Crambus lathoniellus, Scoparia pyralella, Dipleurina lacustrata, Evergestis forficalis, Eurrhypara hortulata, Grey Pug, Scalloped Hazel, Yellow-barred Brindle* and White Ermine.
30th May	Counts of at least 50 Painted Ladies and 20 Red Admirals at the Bill today represented a considerable increase on numbers reported in recent days. Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 9 *Plutella xylostella* and 1 *Eudonia pallida; also the first records for the year of Emmetia marginea, Tinea trinotella, Cochylimorpha straminea, Syndemis musculana, Platytes cerusella, Myelois circumvoluta, Purple-bar, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Chamomile Shark, Bordered Sallow* and Spectacle.
29th May	The first Clouded Yellow of the year was seen in the Obs garden. In the Obs garden moth-traps, *Elachista argentella, Garden Carpet, Least Black Arches* and Large Yellow Underwing were all new for the year.
28th May	The first Small Blue of the year was at the Bill. Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 1 Silver Y; also the first records for the year of Silver-ground Carpet, Fox Moth, The Mullein and L-album Wainscot.
27th May	In the Obs garden moth-traps, Platyedra subcinerea, *Crocidosema plebejana, Mullein Wave, Sharp-angled Peacock, Common Marbled Carpet, Cream-spot Tiger, Cinnabar, Small Square-spot, Marbled Minor sp, Vine's Rustic* and Mottled Rustic were all new for the year.
26th May	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 1 Nomophila noctuella; also the first Pale Tussock of the year.
25th May	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 1 *Nomophila noctuella* and 1 Plutella xylostella; also the first Lychnis and Celypha lacunana of the year.
24th May	Two Bottle-nosed Dolphins again lingered off the Bill during the morning and the first Small Heath of the year was on the wing at the Bill.
23rd May	Two Bottle-nosed Dolphins lingered off the Bill during the morning.
18th May	The first Adonis Blue of the year was seen at the Bill this afternoon.
17th May	Resident moths remain exceptionally scarce in the Obs garden moth-traps; just one species - Treble Lines - was new for the year this morning.
Painted Lady and Cocksfoot Moths - 12th May 2003 © Mary Snell and Charlie Moores
12th May	A few Painted Ladies remain on the wing around the island and Cocksfoot Moths *Glyphipterix simpliciella* are now visiting buttercup flower-heads in great abundance.
*Aspilapterix tringipennella* - 11th May 2003 © Martin Cade
11th May	Aspilapteryx tringipennella was new for the year in the Obs garden moth-traps.
10th May	In the Obs garden moth-traps *Elachista rufocinerea* was new for the year.
*Grapholita jungiella* - 8th May 2003 © Martin Cade
8th May	In the Obs garden moth-traps Grapholita jungiella was new for the year.
*Incurvaria masculella* - 7th May 2003 © Martin Cade
7th May	In the Obs garden moth-traps Common Swift, Muslin Moth and Heart and Dart were all new for the year. The first Dingy Skippers of the year were flying at the Bill, and the day-flying *Incurvaria masculella* was also on the wing for the first time at Southwell.
5th May	Painted Ladies remained well distributed in small numbers around the island. The only new species for the year in the Obs garden moth-traps was a Rustic Shoulder-knot.
4th May	At least 10 Painted Ladies and a single Red Admiral were at the Bill today.

Broad-bodied Chaser - 30th April 2003 © Martin Cade
30th April	Broad-bodied Chaser and Wall butterfly were both seen for the first time this year today.
Whiskered Bat - 29th April 2003 © Martin Cade
29th April	A Whiskered Bat was caught in one of the Obs garden mist-nets this morning.
27th April	Four Bottle-nosed Dolphins lingered off the Bill this afternoon.
25th April	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 6 *Plutella xylostella; also the first records for the year of Chinese* Character, *Cochylis atricapitana* and *Eudonia angustea*.
23rd April	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 1 Dark Sword Grass; also the first Pale-shouldered Brocade of the year.
Brackish Water-crowfoot - 22nd April 2003 © Peter Mowday
22nd April	The total of 52 species of plant found in flower in the north and east of the island today included the discovery of Brackish Water-crowfoot in lorry tracks near the Grove (this species has been recorded only once before on the island). Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 1 Plutella xylostella.
19th April	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 1 Silver Y; also the first Yellow Belle of the year.
Orange-tip - 18th April 2003 © Martin Cade
18th April	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 1 Plutella xylostella; also the first *Alucita hexadactyla* of the year.
Blossom Underwing - 17th April 2003 © Martin Cade
17th April	The first Orange-tip of the year was in the Obs garden during the afternoon. Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 11 Plutella xylostella and 1 Dark Sword Grass; also a single Blossom Underwing (the first record since 12 were caught in April 1999), and the first records for the year of Knot-grass, Pale Pinion and Brimstone.
Borage - 16th April 2003 © Peter Mowday
16th April	Green-veined White and Large Red Damselfly were both on the wing for the first time this year in the Obs garden. Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 4 Plutella xylostella; also *Scrobipalpa costella* was recorded for the first time this year. Borage is now in flower at several sites around the island.
Brimstone - 15th April 2003 © Martin Cade
15th April	A Brimstone butterfly was in the Obs garden during the morning. Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 1 *Plutella xylostella; also the first V-pug* of the year. The day-flying Anthophila fabriciana was on the wing for the first time this year at Southwell in the afternoon.
14th April	The first Red Admiral of the year was at Avalanche Road today.
Sweet Violet - 13th April 2003 © Mary Snell
13th April	National Moth Night was conspicuously unproductive, with the first few Shuttle-shaped Darts of the year being the only faintly interesting captures in the Obs garden moth traps. Sweet Violets are in flower at a number of sites around the island.
12th April	A Small Copper butterfly at the Bill was another first record for the year.
*Esperia sulphurella* - 11th April 2003 © Martin Cade
11th April	The day-flying *Esperia sulphurella* was on the wing for the first time this year in the Obs garden.
*Agonopterix rotundella* - 7th April 2003 © Martin Cade
7th April	In the Obs garden moth-traps Bright-line Brown-eye, Tawny Pinion and *Agonopterix rotundella* were all recorded for the first time this year.
6th April	Two Bottle-nosed Dolphins were off the Bill during the afternoon. Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 1 Dark Sword Grass and 1 *Plutella xylostella; also the first Clouded Drab* of the year.
Wall Lizard - 5th April 2003 © Bill Urwin
5th April	A Brimstone butterfly was present in the Obs garden for much of the day (this species is a less than annual visitor to the Bill area). Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 1 Dark Sword Grass; also The Streamer was caught for the first time this year. Wall Lizards continue to be seen regularly in Duncecroft Quarry (surveys in recent years have revealed that this species is also much more widely distributed on the island than previously suspected, with records at several sites between Sheat Quarry in the south and Tout Quarry in the north).
Slow-worm - 4th April 2003 © Mary Snell
4th April	A Small Quaker in the Obs garden moth-traps and a Large White butterfly at Reap Lane were both first records for the year, the first Slow-worm of the year was seen in a garden at the Grove and a lone Bottle-nosed Dolphin passed east off the Bill during the morning.
3rd April	Holly Blues were on the wing for the first time this year in the Obs garden.
1st April	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 1 Dark Sword Grass.
31st March	A Comma at the Obs and a Speckled Wood at Broadcroft were both first records for the year. Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 4 Dark Sword Grass.
30th March	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 6 Dark Sword Grass, 2 Plutella xylostella and 1 *Nomophila noctuella; Dotted Border* and Powdered Quaker were recorded for the first time this year.
The Herald - 29th March 2003 © Martin Cade
29th March	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 7 Dark Sword Grass, 1 *Nomophila noctuella* and 1 *Plutella xylostella; The Herald* was recorded for the first time this year.
*Plutella xylostella* - 28th March 2003 © Martin Cade
28th March	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 2 Dark Sword Grass and 1 Plutella xylostella.
*Agonopterix subpropinquella* and Agonopterix arenella - 27th March 2003 © Martin Cade
27th March	Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 2 Dark Sword Grass; *Agonopterix arenella* and *Agonopterix subpropinquella* were also both recorded for the first time this year.
Dark Sword Grass and *Nomophila noctuella* - 26th March 2003 © Martin Cade
26th March	A Painted Lady was seen at the Bill, where the first Small White of the year was also present. Immigrant moths in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 5 Dark Sword Grass and 1 Nomophila noctuella; Early Thorn and Angle Shades were also recorded for the first time this year.
Weasel - 25th March 2003 © Martin Cade
25th March	A Weasel that has been seen regularly in the Obs garden lately showed well there again this morning, the resident bull Grey Seal was at Church Ope Cove and the first Peacock butterfly of the year was at the Bill. Despite promising-looking weather conditions, no immigrant moths were caught in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning (no immigrant species have been caught yet this year); among the resident species, a lone Red Chestnut was a first record for the year.
24th March	A single Common Quaker in the Obs moth-traps was a first record for the year.
22nd March	Two Bottle-nosed Dolphins lingered off the Bill again today. In the Obs garden moth-traps both Early Grey and *Epiphyas postvittana* were first records for the year.
21st March	Two Bottle-nosed Dolphins were off the Bill today.
20th March	A bull Grey Seal off the East Cliffs at the Bill was presumed to be the individual that has been present around the island for several years.
17th March	A lone Small Tortoiseshell at the Obs was the first butterfly seen this year.
10th March	A single Hebrew Character on the Obs lounge window after dark was a first record for the year.
5th March	Four Bottle-nosed Dolphins passed the Bill.
23rd February	Five Bottle-nosed Dolphins were off the Bill today.
22nd February	A single Bottle-nosed Dolphin was off the Bill.
8th February	A Bottle-nosed Dolphin was off the Bill today.
26th January	A Mottled Grey and a Double-striped Pug on the Obs lounge windows after dark were the first moths noted this year.
5th January	Four Bottle-nosed Dolphins were off the Bill.