Phil Saunders

Also Firecrest @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

Pallas's Warbler still present at Avalanche Rd hump & showing well with the tit flock at 1220hrs @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A Ni Moth rests on a white stone.

A Small Marbled rests on a white stone.

A Blair's Mocha rests on a white stone.

A trio of beautiful migrant moths, courtesy of the @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social trap this morning: Ni Moth, Small Marbled, & Blair's Mocha #TeamMoth

A 1st year Caspian Gull rests on a bright green grass sward, with out of focus wire fencing in the foreground.

Absolutely gorgeous 1st year Caspian Gull in the Culverwell gull flock currently @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A rainbow stretches across Chesil Cove, with a sliver of shingle beach viewable on the right, enshadowed scrub in the immediate foreground, and a sea behind eminently lacking in Leach's Petrels.

Single RT Diver, 4,850 auks (based on timed counts), & 220 Med Gulls the only birds of note south out of Chesil Cove during a 3hr seawatch this morning @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

Aww, thanks Sarah. And yep, definitely!

An Oak Rustic rests on the metal rim of a moth trap funnel, sat upon a damp, moss-dusted, wooden tabletop.

A Streak rests on a grey-green egg box.

A Merveille du Jour rests on a red-brown oak leaf set upon a damp, moss-sprinkled, wooden tabletop.

Close up of a Diamondback Moth resting on a grey-green egg box.

The 1st record of Bittersweet Moth at Cold Harbour this morning was quite apt, as it may be some time before I next trap @ the site. My 2nd Oak Rustic, a brace of Streak, & a single Diamondback Moth were the other highlights amongst a welcome 66/20 after a wet & windy night @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

Our colour ringing season at Lytchett Bay is off to a great start with 5 Water Pipit & 5 Rock Pipit marked (under license) already. Please look out for yellow (Water) and white (Rock) marked birds and report all sightings 🙏 #Dorsetbirds

A late-ish Wheatear, a female Merlin, & a smattering of Chiffchaff & Goldcrests were the meagre migrant pickings at St Aldhelm's Head today in a moderate westerly wind, plus the reappearance of a female type Cirl Bunting: the 1st seen for several months @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A Palpita vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl) rests on the pale wooden wall of a moth trap.

A single Palpita vitrealis amongst a paltry 15/3 in the Upton garden trap this morning was the sole migrant, alongside a handful of LBAMs & Black Rustic. Fingers crossed for the Canary airflow later this week! #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

Single Bean Goose species just flew north calling along beach at Sandwich Bay, approximately 1.5km north of Deal, before being lost somewhere over Pegwell Bay @kentishplover.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Nice to find a showy female Velvet Scoter off the Princes Golf Course in Sandwich Bay this afternoon. My first in Kent for a very long time @kentishplover.bsky.social

Pretty chuffed to just have a female Vagrant Emperor in/off at Sandwich Bay beach (opposite the Princes Golf Clubhouse) at 1240hrs. Hawked the beach for a few minutes before heading off inland #Odonata @birdguides.bsky.social

Good news on Dorset Cirl Buntings continues to arrive. Early data from the breeding season confirms they are continuing to re-establish a population in the county. Please submit any outstanding records now. 🙏 In winter our focus switches to feeding flocks - please send us all sightings. 🙏

28/10 - A deep low pressure off of Portugal could propel the migrants northwards fairly quickly.

29/10

30/10

Saharan dust load, next Thursday morning

It's looking more likely than not that a southerly airstream will become established over the UK and Ireland from 28/10. It's possible that it will remain in place until early November. IF this happens we could be set for the most promising spell of migrant weather so far this year. #teammoth

A Mottled Umber rests on a dark wooden wall.

A Vestal rests on a grey egg box.

A Grey Shoulder-knot rests on a grey egg box.

An Acleris cristana (Tufted Tortrix) rests on the flaky metal wall of a metallic moth trap.

An unexpectedly cold night @ Cold Harbour prod'd 80/17 in the office trap, albeit incl'g 44 Pine Carpet. The 1st Mottled Umber of the season were welcome, plus Grey Shoulder-knot & Acleris cristana, with single Vestal, RDP, & 3 White-point the only migrant interest #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

A weather-beaten Golden Twin-spot rests on a grey egg box.

A Large Wainscot rests on a pale wooden surface.

A Barred Sallow rest on a grey-green egg box.

A Green-brindled Crescent rests on the palm of a pinkish hand.

An unsurprising 18/9 in an absolutely sodden Upton garden trap this morning did include the 5th(!), extremely tatty, Golden Twin-spot of the year, plus a rather fine Large Wainscot, Barred Sallow, Green-brindled Crescent, & Cypress Carpet #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

It was pretty much as far away as it could be, to be fair (the other side of the Swannery). The video is a result of extreme zoom and an excellent phone camera!

A slightly trampled Flame Brocade "rests" on a concrete floor.

A Feathered Ranunculus rests on a rough grey wall.

A dawn check of the Worth Mattravers toilet block this morning produced a (sadly somewhat squished) Flame Brocade; the first time I've seen this beautiful species away from Portland, with 10 (more lively) Feathered Ranunculus providing ample back up #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

The Baikal Teal at Abbotsbury did the decent thing and hung around until the weekend. The first female-type individual I've seen, with a striking face pattern even at range & big chestnut thumbprints across the breast. An altogether lovely beast @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Little of note at St Aldhelm's Head this morning, aside from a late-ish Whitethroat & a good passage of 600 Linnet & c.150 Skylark, alongside a smattering of Chiffchaff & crests & a lovely Stoat investigating the drystone walls @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Fab. Is the moth available for viewing at the Ob's at all please?

Fabulous. Can't beat a Mint Choc Chip moth!

A Merveille du Jour rests on a weathered wooden tabletop.

An Autumnal Rustic rests on a grey egg box.

A Red-green Carpet rests on a grey egg box.

A Green-brindled Crescent rests on a grey egg box.

There were some real beauties amongst the autumnal selection in the Cold Harbour office trap this morning #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

A Blair's Mocha rests on a dark brown wooden wall.

A Scarce Bordered Straw rests amongst grass and leaf litter.

A Streak rests, head downward, on a grey egg box.

A Flounced Chestnut rests, head downward, on a grey egg box.

An excellent 166/36 in the Cold Harbour office trap today incl'd a nice mix of migrants & heathland specialities, with highlights of the site's 1st Blair's Mocha, Scarce Bordered Straw, Streak, & an exceptional 7 Flounced Chestnut, plus a nice mix of seasonal fare #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

Some saying Shetland has been 'tough going' this week. Pah! We laughed in the face of 50mph westerlies, saw Glossy Ibises from bus stops, Short-toed Larks in the road and had to peel Redpolls off our lenses #pieceofpish @beardybirder.bsky.social @jameslowenwild.bsky.social @dbradnum.bsky.social

Front cover of the European Butterfly Red List, showing Polyommatus humedasae. The report can be downloaded at https://www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?name=red-list-butterflies-2025

The new European Butterfly Red List is published today, with worrying findings. Over 1/4 (28%) of Europe’s 442 species are threatened with extinction or are close to being so. The situation is far worse for our 148 endemic species, 40% are now threatened or nearly so www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

A few more of the Siberian Thrush at Loch of Asta on Monday - a bit dark, but that's the way I'll remember it! @dbradnum.bsky.social @beardybirder.bsky.social @jameslowenwild.bsky.social

Yellow-browed Warbler at Trondavoe, Shetland - one of the commoner species on the islands at the moment
@dbradnum.bsky.social @jameslowenwild.bsky.social @beardybirder.bsky.social

Bird of the day on Shetland day 3 was a Great Tit - rare in these parts - at Gluss, to where we were spirited by @dbradnum.bsky.social so he could add it to his archipelago list @jameslowenwild.bsky.social @beardybirder.bsky.social