Portland Bird Observatory - wildlife diary

31st August	A slow end to an otherwise cracking month of moth-trapping in the Obs garden with 10 Silver Y, 8 Dark Sword Grass, 5 Udea ferrugalis and a single Delicate the only immigrants recorded in the traps there this morning. Elsewhere in single Convolvulus Hawk-moth was trapped overnight at Fortuneswell.
30th August	Pretty empty moth-traps at the Obs this morning after a very windy night; the only immigrants recorded were 8 Udea ferrugalis, 2 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Silver Y and 1 Pearly Underwing.
Porter's Rustics - 29th August 2004 © Martin Cade
29th August	The bumper run of rare moths continued with the capture of 2 Porter's Rustics in the Obs garden moth-traps overnight; other immigrants trapped were 31 Udea ferrugalis, 17 Silver Y, 11 Dark Sword Grass, 3 *Nomophila noctuella, 1 Pearly Underwing, 1 Straw Dot* and a Red Admiral butterfly.
28th August	Much improved numbers of commoner immigrants but little in the way of scarcities in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 35 Silver Y, 28 Udea ferrugalis, 22 Dark Sword Grass, 9 *Nomophila noctuella, 5 Pearly Underwing, 2 Plutella xylostella* and 1 Delicate.
27th August	A poor night in the Obs garden moth-traps, with 3 Dark Sword Grass, 2 Silver Y and a Straw Dot the only immigrants recorded.
Convolvulus Hawk-moth - 26th August 2004 © Martin Cade
26th August	Another very unpromising cool and windy night nonetheless produced a fair selection of immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps: 11 Silver Y, 7 Dark Sword Grass, 5 Udea ferrugalis, 3 *Plutella xylostella, 2 Straw Dot, 1 White-speck, 1 Delicate* and 1 Convovulus Hawk-moth.
The Passenger - 25th August 2004 © Martin Cade
25th August	The conventional wisdom that it wouldn't be worth running the Obs garden moth-traps on a cool night with blasting north-westerly winds and torrential rain showers was spectacularly refuted with the capture of a specimen of The Passenger this morning; the only other immigrants in the traps were 4 Silver Y, 1 *Cydia amplana* and 1 *Udea ferrugalis*.
24th August	The only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning were 6 Silver Y, 4 *Udea ferrugalis, 2 Dark Sword Grass* and 2 Delicate.
23rd August	A wet and windy night produced 16 Silver Y, 3 Dark Sword Grass, 3 *Udea ferrugalis, 1 Plutella xylostella, 1 Pediasia contaminella, 1 Scarce Bordered Straw, 1 Latticed Heath, 1 Delicate* and 1 Pearly Underwing in the Obs garden moth-traps.
Crescent Striped - 22nd August 2004 © Martin Cade
22nd August	There were encouraging signs of some fresh immigration in the Obs garden moth-traps, notably with the capture of the first island specimen of Crescent Striped; other immigrant totals included 19 Silver Y, 6 Dark Sword Grass, 6 *Udea ferrugalis, 3 Nomophila noctuella, 3 Plutella xylostella, 2 White-speck, 2 Delicate, 1 Cydia amplana* and 1 Pearly Underwing, whilst the total of 92 White-point was the highest ever recorded at the Bill and perhaps included some new arrivals that bolstered the small resident population on the island.
20th August	A Bordered Straw and a *Udea ferrugalis* were the only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning.
Latticed Heath - 19th August 2004 © Martin Cade
19th August	A wet and windy night produced surprisingly good numbers of moths in the Obs garden traps; the catch included nothing of great note but indications that immigrants were still on the move were provided by the presence of 6 *Cydia amplana, 5 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Plutella xylostella, 1 Latticed Heath, 1 Pearly Underwing* and 1 Silver Y.
18th August	Three *Cydia amplana* and a Great Dart were surprise captures in the Obs garden moth-traps on what was otherwise another poor night, with a single *Nomophila noctuella* being the only other immigrant recorded.
17th August	The poorest night for a long time in the Obs garden moth-traps, with nothing more in the immigrant line than 2 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Nomophila noctuella and 2 Silver Y.
16th August	Breezy conditions spoilt moth-trapping at the Obs, where the only immigrants recorded were 8 *Udea ferrugalis, 4 Plutella xylostella, 2 Nomophila noctuella, 2 Silver Y* and a Dark Sword Grass.
15th August	An overcast, still night produced plenty of moths in the Obs garden traps but signs of fresh immigration were limited to the third Tree-lichen Beauty of the year and a Bordered Straw; other totals of interest included 2 *Udea ferrugalis, 2 Plutella xylostella, 2 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Silver Y, 1 Cydia amplana, 1 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Straw Dot* and 1 Delicate, whilst the second generation of White-point is at its peak with a total of 72 caught.
14th August	Two Hummingbird Hawk-moths and a single Clouded Yellow were at the Bill today. It was a quieter night for immigrants and wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps, with totals of just 3 *Udea ferrugalis, 3 Plutella xylostella, 3 Silver Y, 2 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Cydia amplana, 1 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Straw Dot* and 1 Delicate.
Great Dart - 13th August 2004 © Martin Cade
13th August	Despite less than promising breezy and cool conditions there was more than a little interest in the Obs garden moth-traps, notably with the capture of a Great Dart - the first record for several years of this former Portland speciality, a Hoary Footman and the first record for the year of Delicate; other totals of immigrants included 4 *Udea ferrugalis, 3 Plutella xylostella, 3 Silver Y, 2 Cydia amplana* and 1 Dark Sword Grass.
Carpenter Bee - 7th August 2004 © Michael Taylor
12th August	Continuing the recent immigrant insect theme, some gripping belated news received was of a Carpenter Bee - probably *Xylocopa violacea* - seen and photographed on 7th August at Perryfields BC reserve, Easton. Overnight, wet and windy conditions knocked moth-trapping on the head and the only immigrants/wanderers in the Obs garden traps were 5 *Udea ferrugalis, 2 Silver Y, 1 Cydia amplana, 1 Nomophila noctuella* and 1 Four-spotted Footman.
Pale Shoulder and Four-spotted - 11th August 2004 © Martin Cade
11th August	A vector of moth vagrancy seems to be headed straight at the Obs garden at the moment with a second specimen of *Eublemma purpurina* and a Pale Shoulder caught in the moth-traps overnight; other immigrants and wanderers included 15 Silver Y, 9 *Udea ferrugalis, 5 Cydia amplana, 4 Plutella xylostella, 3 Nomophila noctuella, 1 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Langmaid's Yellow Underwing, 1 Grass Eggar* and 1 Oak Hook-tip.
*Eublemma purpurina* - 10th August 2004 © Martin Cade
10th August	Hot news this morning of a stunning first for Britain: a specimen of *Eublemma purpurina* caught overnight in the Obs garden moth-traps; the traps also produced 46 Silver Y, 44 Cydia amplana, 13 *Udea ferrugalis, 5 Nomophila noctuella, 3 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Plutella xylostella, 1 Conobathra tumidana, 1 Catoptria falsella, 1 Pearly Underwing* and 1 *Evergestis extimalis*.
*Agdistis meridionalis* - 9th August 2004 © Martin Cade
9th August	A still, muggy night produced another phenomenal arrival of 215 *Cydia amplana* in the Obs garden moth-traps; there were otherwise disappointingly few quality immigrants and wanderers, with the best being 28 *Udea ferrugalis, 28 Silver Y, 9 Plutella xylostella, 5 Nomophila noctuella, 2 Small Rufous, 1 Conobathra tumidana, 1 Ostrinia nubilalis, 1 Maiden's Blush, 1 Dark Sword Grass* and 1 Dog's Tooth. Local specialities on the wing at the moment include Four-spotted, Epermenia insecurella, *Sitochroa palealis* and *Agdistis meridionalis*.
8th August	A breezy night again spoilt mothing at the Obs, where immigrants in the traps totalled just 13 Silver Y, 7 *Plutella xylostella, 1 Small Mottled Willow* and 1 Udea ferrugalis.
7th August	Another quite fresh night kept moth numbers down in the Obs garden traps; immigrants/wanderers consisted of 5 Cydia amplana, 4 Silver Y, 2 *Plutella xylostella, 2 Nomophila noctuella, 2 Small Mottled Willow, 1 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Rosy Footman* and 1 Straw Dot.
6th August	A cooler and windier night saw moth interest dwindle, with the Obs garden traps producing just 4 Silver Y, 4 *Plutella xylostella, 4 Nomophila noctuella, 3 Udea ferrugalis, 2 Cydia amplana* and 1 Langmaid's Yellow Underwing.
5th August	A decent mixed-bag of immigrants and wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning, including 22 Cydia amplana, 9 Silver Y, 8 *Plutella xylostella, 4 Nomophila noctuella, 4 Maiden's Blush, 2 Udea ferrugalis, 2 Vestal, 2 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Langmaid's Yellow Underwing, 1 Conobathra tumidana, 1 Narrow-winged Pug* and 1 Pebble Hook-tip.
4th August	The highlight in the Obs garden moth-traps was further evidence of a major immigration of Cydia amplana: the 33 caught overnight were additional to yesterday's 13 that were all still safely potted indoors; also caught were the fifth Langmaid's Yellow Underwing of the year, 14 Silver Y, 4 *Plutella xylostella, 2 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Nomophila noctuella* and 1 Vestal.
Tree-lichen Beauty, *Conobathra tumidana* and *Cydia amplana* - 3rd August 2004 © Martin Cade
3rd August	A rewarding albeit soggy night in the Obs garden moth-traps, with a heavy thunderstorm in the early hours having dropped a good arrival of Continental immigrants, including 14 *Plutella xylostella, 13 Cydia amplana, 10 Silver Y, 2 Tree-lichen Beauty, 1 Udea ferrugalis, 1 Nomophila noctuella* and 1 *Conobathra tumidana*.
Jersey Tiger - 2nd August 2004 © Martin Cade
2nd August	A very disappointing haul in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning, with a stiff east wind wind having spoilt what otherwise looked like a promisingly muggy night; the only immigrants of note were 5 *Plutella xylostella, 3 Silver Y* and a Jersey Tiger (the latter species seems likely to now be established on the island).
*Catoptria pinella* - 1st August 2004 © Martin Cade
1st August	Still just relatively short-distance wanderers in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning, with the best of the catch being 13 Plutella xylostella, 2 Silver Y, 2 Jersey Tiger, 1 *Eucosma obumbratana, 1 Catoptria pinella, 1 Nut-tree Tussock, 1 Maiden's Blush* and 1 Narrow-winged Pug.