Delightful Dorset,
I have just got back from a short family holiday at Weymouth in Dorset. I managed to do some birding whilst there, mostly on Portland.
May 29th
I dropped the cases off at the B+B and it was straight over to Portland. A hobby flew over at ferrybridge. I was just in time for the woodchat shrike that had been at Coombefield quarry for a couple of weeks. It was showing well on the fence posts and low bushes but this was to be its last day. A report of a hoopoe nearby at another quarry and half an hour later I was watching a hoopoe flying around the rocks and bushes. Was I in Portland or Spain.
May 30th
I was back on Portland early next morning and first I did a bit of seawatching. Nothing special but plenty of Gannets, Fulmars, Guillemots, Razorbills, Shags and cormorants. There was no sign of the Stormies that had been displaced into the Channel the previous few days. A cold northerly was blowing today.
May 31st
A serin today at the obs was seen in flight and calling. A pair of peregrines flew close over.Reed warbler in the obs garden. Later today a marsh warbler was trapped at the obs but I had long gone. We went to Studland point later today and Dartford warbler,Tree pipit, Green woodpecker were seen.
June 1st
A common rosefinch had just been calling in the obs garden when I arrived but was not seen. It was seen briefly later that day and was found to be a first summer male. 2 wheatears. The Cetti's warbers were showing well at Radipole lake today. At Chesil beach later today the little terns and sandwich terns were showing well. 2 Little Egrets also.
June 2nd
The little owl was peering out of a crack in the quarry by the obs. A bee eater was reported calling at Southwell but was not seen. The serin flew over the obs again this morning. A striped hawkmoth and a pine hawk moth had been trapped .

Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans

Female holly blue

Pine hawk moth

Striped hawk moth