Portland Trip

Spent the last couple of days on Portland hoping to catch some rare migrant moths in the mild air being drawn up from the south. It did produce some scarcities in the region but looks like further west with Tunbridge Wells Gem, Scarce Burnished Brass and a few S.recurvalis.  We only had a few regular migrants so overall, in the spirit of autumn 2021 it was somewhat lesser than expectations but was nevertheless exciting and atmospheric and good to meet up with Kojak and the Portland obs gang. Also great to meet Ian Lewington who is also our Oxon county recorder. The system intensified into rather stormy weather especially by today which blew a few seabirds round. 

In addition to a nice little range of migrant moths highlights also included Kittiwakes, Gannets and auks migrating, a Little Gull at Chisel Cove, a Pom off the Bill at first light, an Arctic Skua yesterday,  a couple of flocks of Siskins wheezing around but apparently the rarest thing we saw were hundreds of Black-headed Gulls moving west at the Bill which we only sub-consciously even noticed until Martin told us such a movement is somewhat unprecedented at the Bill (See Portland Blog HERE).   

Kittiwakes (above and below). Had a couple of hundred of these over the last two days. 

Pomarine Skua 

Gannets of different ages (above and two below) 

Juvenile Shag 

First-winter Med Gull battling against the wind 

First-winter Common Gull pelagic style 

Had about 275 Gannets this morning 

Olive-tree Pearl

Gem

Dark Sword Grass- had two of these, one in my trap and one at the obs

Rusty-dot Pearls 

Radford's Flame Shoulder (above and below). The one below was one I actually caught in my actinic- nice to catch your own. 

Feathered Brindle- less of these since a few weeks ago. Also much less Lunar Underwings now. 

Feathered Ranunculus- beautiful variation in these  

Flame Brocade 

Great to have all the mobile gear out at a top migration spot- hopefully if I keep this up I'll catch something good one day. Species list this time included the above and also Delicates, a few Silver-Y,  Mallow, White point, Angle Shades, Turnips, Square-spot Rustics, Lunar Underwing, Beaded Chestnuts, Beautiful Gothics, Large Ranunculus, L-album Wainscots, Red-line Quaker, Green-brindled Crescent, Black Rustics, Large and Lesser Yellow Underwing and Eudonia angustea.