Will it Ever.....

Tuesday October 15

Will it ever stop raining. 

We open our moth trap whilst sitting inside the partially open French windows - hoping nothing gets too wet. At least the moths are passive so that few make a break for freedom.  Caddis flies are a different matter.

We had two more Vestal

Pine Carpet, Green Brindled Crescent

Black Rustic, Beaded Chestnut, Square-spot Rustic, SHC and LYU.Our first Blair's Shoulder Knot at the site was new for Martin, Portland's warden, this year.
Delicate seems to be good for us here as well as at home.

What a surprise. We drove to Portland, starting at the Bill car park. 

En route I snatched a quick photo of a tall ship fast disappearing into the marina. The large lens hood prevented the lashing rain getting on the lens.

High rise storage for boats, ingenious.

There were many Swallows swooping around the Bill lighthouse to-day, Shags, Gannets, Cormorants and Meadow Pipits flying by whilst scoping the sea. Pam walked out to the point, adding a Wheatear and a Raven to the list.

There had been reports of a Death's Head Hawkmoth and a Cosmopolitan from Portland, both new for us. It was with some anticipation that we parked at the Observatory and Pam went off to look in the fridge - where 'good' moths are stored in pots. Nothing there. The warden appeared, stating that, disappointingly, the moths had not been trapped at the Obs but by a private trapper who had not retained them. Martin was interested in our Vestals as they haven't caught any yet. Sitting on the back patio binning the garden, a Peregrine swept through, fortunately returning for a short visit so that Pam could see it.

The expectation of many migrant moths in the forecast favourable conditions did not occur. There was some disappointment all along the south coast moth-ers. We're happy with what we have seen so far.

Even happier after going through the Obs bin. A beautiful Flame Brocade amongst the debris. 

and another Radford's Flame Shoulder. 

Back to Chesil, turning towards the Lookout before leaving the Bill. The views are great. We had to park where there was vegetation in the way but the sun appeared, lifting the view and our spirits.

Another Stonechat, a group of Linnets and the usual gulls were the only birds seen.There was some very favourable habitat along from the Lookout, towards the High-Angle Battery. The battery was built during the Napoleonic Wars and a scheduled ancient monument, considered to be a prime example of Victorian military engineering, and was built in 1892.

We turned round at the prison, a Young Offenders' Institution  on the Grove clifftop. This was the original prison,  built for convicts who quarried stone for the Portland Breakwaters from 1848.  

Portland limestone was used for both St Paul's and the United Nations headquarters.

Still no WiFi. I phoned again and was promised a visir by the engineer to-morrow.