The long-established anticyclone that's brought us more than a fortnight of really nice summery weather finally begun to lose its influence today, with the passage of a fairly weak weather front introducing a spell of patchy rain early the afternoon. The change did little for the quality of the birding: the Hooded Crow was again at the Grove, 14 Mediterranean Gulls and 3 Dunlin were at Ferrybridge and 50 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Common Scoter and a Black-headed Gull passed through off the Bill.
The main moth news of the day concerned another addition to the island list: a Brown Oak Tortrix Archips crataegana was caught yesterday at Reap Lane. Immigrants hardly featured today, with 2 Rusty-dot Pearl and 2 Silver Y the only species making the tally at the Obs; singles of Scallop Shell, Round-winged Muslin and Green Silver-lines were all noteworthy wanderers there.
Brown Oak Tortrix and Round-winged Muslin (left) & Muslin Footman - Reap Lane and Portland Bill, 25th and 26th June 2014 © Martin Cade
