Portland Bird Observatory - wildlife diary

30th June	Two Silver Y, 1 Plutella xylostella, 1 Dark Spectacle and 1 *Perinephela lancealis* were the only immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning.
29th June	More of the same in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning, where the only immigrants were 3 Silver Y, 1 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Plutella xylostella and 1 *Nomophila noctuella. Hummingbird Hawk-moths* today included 3 in a garden at Reap Lane and 1 in the Obs garden.
Tawny Cockroach - 28th June 2004 © Martin Cade
28th June	The handful of immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning included 3 Silver Y, 2 Dark Sword Grass, 1 *Plutella xylostella, 1 Nomophila noctuella* and 1 *Udea ferrugalis. Tawny Cockroaches* are also quite regular visitors to the moth-traps at the moment (this species is not listed as occurring on the island in Marshall and Haes Grasshoppers and Allied Insects of Great Britain and Ireland but it has been recorded at the Bill for a number of years and appears to be increasing. Three Hummingbird Hawk-moths were seen in a garden at Southwell this evening, with another single seen at Reap Lane earlier in the day.
27th June	A lone Silver Y was the only immigrant in the Obs garden moth traps this morning
26th June	A single Marbled White-spot (a scarce visitor to the island) was the best of a poor selection of moths in the Obs garden traps this morning.
25th June	A single Nomophila noctuella was the only immigrant in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning.
Barred Red and *Selania leplastriana* - 22nd June 2004 © Martin Cade
22nd June	The first moth-trapping for a couple of nights in the Obs garden produced a few more wanderers including the eighth island specimen of the conifer-feeding Barred Red and the first record of *Selania leplastriana* for the garden (the latter species occurs elsewhere on the island although it has not previously been seen away from the close proximity of its foodplant, wild cabbage; it is usually on the wing in mid-July). The only immigrants recorded were 1 Nomophila noctuella and 1 Dark Sword Grass.
Scarlet Tiger - 21st June 2004 © Martin Cade
21st June	Scarlet Tigers are now on the wing in quantity at their recently established colony at Culverwell, whilst the first Ringlets of the year were on the wing at France Quarry, Easton.
Ley's Hawkweed - June 2004 © Alan Lewis
20th June	Ley's Hawkweed - a species/microspecies endemic to Portland - has been in flower at West Weare this month.
Four-spotted - 19th June 2004 © Martin Cade
19th June	The Obs garden moth-traps remained rather quiet, with the pick of the contents being 2 Straw Dot, 2 *Plutella xylostella, 2 Udea ferrugalis, 2 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Pearly Underwing* and another Four-spotted (the latter species seems to be having a good year at the Bill, whilst elsewhere on the island a single was recorded at a light-trap at Broadcroft BC reserve on 16th June).
18th June	Another cool, windy night saw interest fall even even further in the Obs garden moth-traps, where the only worthwhile captures were 3 Straw Dot and 1 Udea ferrugalis.
17th June	What a difference a day makes. The arrival of cooler, windier weather knocked moth numbers and variety right back, with the only noteworthy captures in the Obs garden moth-traps being of 9 Straw Dot, 1 Bordered Straw, 1 *Plutella xylostella, 1 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Pearly Underwing* and yet another Green Silver-lines (the fourth different individual in as many nights). The first Lulworth Skippers of the year were on the wing near Church Ope Cove this morning and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth was at Reap Lane.
Small Elephant Hawk-moth and Bordered Straw - 15th June 2004 © Martin Cade
16th June	At dusk yesterday evening a Striped Hawk-moth and a Bordered Straw (along with good numbers of Small Elephant Hawk-moths) were nectaring on Valerian in the Obs garden. A Red-veined Darter was in Top Fields at the Bill this morning. The Obs garden moth-traps again produced an excellent selection of infrequently recorded species, with the best being 42 Straw Dot, 4 Spruce Carpet, 4 Elephant Hawk-moth, 1 Green Silver-lines, 1 Green Arches, 1 Marbled White-spot, 1 Figure of Eighty, 1 *Bactra furfurana, 1 Narrow-winged Pug* and 1 Ruddy Carpet; the only long-distance immigrants recorded were 5 *Plutella xylostella, 4 Nomophila noctuella, 2 Udea ferrugalis* and 1 Dark Sword Grass.
*Dolicharthria punctalis* and *Synaphe punctalis* - 15th June 2004 © Martin Cade
15th June	The Obs garden moth-traps were again very busy, with plenty more evidence of dispersal from the mainland; another Green Silver-lines showed up, along with 7 Straw Dot, 2 *Bactra furfurana, a Swallow Prominent, a Pale-shouldered Brocade, an Orange Footman* and a Brown Silver-line (all infrequent visitors to the Bill). Continental immigrants remained scarce, with totals of 8 *Plutella xylostella, 4 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Silver Y* and 1 Bordered Straw, whilst local specialities on the wing included 3 Four-spotted and good numbers of *Epischnia banksiella, Dolichartria punctalis* and *Synaphe punctalis*.
Green Silver-lines - 14th June 2004 © Martin Cade
14th June	Silver-studded Blues were on the wing in good numbers at the Admiralty Quarries near the Grove. Another warm night with light northerly winds produced some quality wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning. A Green Silver-lines constituted only the second island record of this woodland species, whilst a Pine Hawk-moth was a good record of a species that is only just about annual at the Bill; the only immigrants recorded were 2 *Plutella xylostella, 2 Udea ferrugalis* and 1 *Nomophila noctuella*.
13th June	The first Marbled Whites of the year were on the wing at the Grove and the Bill, and the first Small Skippers were flying at the Grove. Hummingbird Hawk-moths were seen at the Bill and the Grove. Immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning included 24 *Plutella xylostella, 4 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Udea ferrugalis, 1 True Lovers Knot* and 1 Dark Sword Grass.
12th June	The only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning were 26 *Plutella xylostella, 3 Nomophila noctuella, 3 Udea ferrugalis* and 2 Dark Sword Grass.
Marbled Coronet - 11th June 2004 © Martin Cade
11th June	Despite a windy night, immigrants continued to arrive in small numbers in the Obs garden moth-traps, where the highlight this morning was a well-worn specimen of Marbled Coronet (there is a vague reference to this species having occurred on the island in the 19th century, but there are no modern records); also recorded were 58 *Plutella xylostella, 3 Nomophila noctuella, 2 Silver Y, 2 Dark Sword Grass, 2 Pearly Underwing, 1 Tortrix viridana, 1 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Green Arches* and 1 Small Mottled Willow.
Striped Hawk-moth - 10th June 2004 © Martin Cade
10th June	Painted Ladies continue to be seen in small numbers at the Bill, where there was also a Hummingbird Hawk-moth today. There was another fair catch of immigrant moths at the Obs this morning, where there were totals of 45 *Plutella xylostella, 3 Dark Sword Grass, 3 Nomophila noctuella, 2 Silver Y, 2 Nephopterix angustella, 1 Pearly Underwing, 1 Udea ferrugalis* and 1 Striped Hawk-moth.
9th June	Yesterday's flurry of immigrant butterflies seem to have been accompanied by a few moths: overnight, the Obs garden moth-traps produced totals of 42 *Plutella xylostella, 3 Udea ferrugalis, 2 Silver Y, 2 Tortrix viridana* and 1 *Nomophila noctuella*.
8th June	Three Silver Y and a single *Tortrix viridana* were the only immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning. However, as the day went on it became apparent that there was a small influx of Painted Ladies taking place, with more than 50 counted around the southern half of the island; a single Clouded Yellow was also seen at the Bill.
Portland Ribbon Wave - 7th June 2004 © Martin Cade/Duncan Walbridge
7th June	A Basking Shark was off the Bill early in the morning. Still plenty of moths being attracted to the Obs garden moth-traps but the only immigrant species recorded this morning were 3 White-point, 2 Silver Y and 1 *Plutella xylostella; elsewhere on the island, the first Portland Ribbon Wave* of the summer was caught in a garden moth-trap at the Grove.
5th June	Another bumper haul of resident species in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning, but the only evidence of any movement from off-island was the capture of 3 *Bactra furfurana* - an inhabitant of damp places that turns up in small numbers most years at the Bill. Large Skippers were on the wing for the first time this year at the Bill.
Seraphim - 4th June 2004 © Martin Cade
4th June	The first Meadow Brown of the year was on the wing at the Bill. An overcast, muggy night produced a good haul of moths in the Obs garden moth-traps, among which the best was a single Seraphim - the first island record of this woodland species; 6 White-points, a Silver Y and a *Plutella xylostella* were the only immigrants recorded.
3rd June	A single Bottle-nosed Dolphin was off the Bill this morning.