Dorset - Portland - Doing the Island Rounds!

I completed the rounds at Portland today with the early morning stop (post moths) at Ferrybridge where the breeding plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit was still present. There were also good numbers of Sanderling and Dunlin, Ringed Plover and over thirty Little Terns making up the tern colony. A couple of Wheatear were also noted near the Wild Chesil Centre early on.

The gardens to Portland Castle held a single Spotted Flycatcher that was very active within the understory of the trees that overhang the small boat yard. A Dolphin was loafing in the harbour by one of the boats its behaviour was reported to Portland Port Authority as I thought it may have been caught up in ropes but from CCTV it was playing in the harbour and had been for a couple of days! 

Once on the island I covered The Verne, Fancies Farm, Newground and finally Church Ope Cove in the vein hope of finding something special!

Bordered Straw (Heliothis peltigera)

As is traditional with all visits to Portland I popped into the Bird Observatory where I had a look through the collection of moths many of which I could name! I was introduced to a Bordered Straw by Martin and Jodie which is a migrant and new for my growing list of species of moth. UK Moth list Here are a couple of other species that are new:-

Common Swift (Korscheltellus lupulina)

                                                      Marbled Minor (Oligia strigilis)

Cream Spot Tiger (Arctia villicia)

Now that I have fallen down the slippery slope into Lepidoptera, I am finding it surprisingly addictive! I do appreciate it is not every-ones cup of tea! It wasn't mine until a short time ago!

I have several sources of information starting with A Gateway Guide to British Moths by James Lowen which is a paperback beginners guide to the regular species. The book is set out by season and I have found it very useful thus far! Dorset and UK Moths websites the former giving a flying tonight summary on one of its pages.

I upload my garden moths onto Observation.org with Hugo Wood-Homer, Pete Alfrey, Janice Grove and the Portland Bird Observatory as my human sources for identification!