Wembury 22nd October 2011

A surprise find was an angle shade moth in the kitchen in the evening on the 21st October, my first of the year. The window was only slightly open, not open enough for a moth to fly in, so I don't know where it had come from.



Angle shade moth in the kitchen

I was feeling groggy after 4 night shifts but the 22nd October was beautiful with bright sunshine and not a cloud in the sky although it was quite breezey. David had boobed and was called by work to ask where he was, he thought he was working Sunday for out of hours but it was Saturday so off he headed for a long day shift and off I headed to Wembury on the bus.

The toilet block held 2 brindled green which I caught and released outside.



Brindled green

Brindled green

Heading off along the coast path I bumped into my mate Mavis on a bird walk with the Plymouth RSPB group, I had forgotten that there was a walk organised for today. They were heading back to the car park after their walk so I carried on along the coast on my own.

A little egret flew by and a curlew was seen roosting amongst the oystercatchers on the rocks at high tide. The turnstones were roosting on the sewage pipe and scattered when a female sparrowhawk swooped unsuccessfully at them. A male sparrohawk was later seen alongside the road heading up to the bus stop, it was unsuccessfully swooping at woodpigeons roosting in a tree which scattered in all directions as it twisted and turned through the tree branches.

A juvenile common gull was found amongst a flock of black headed gulls resting on the sea and 21 mallards fed around the sewage pipe, 12 males and 9 females. 2 male stonechats were seen, 1 in the valley to the beach which is the first one I have seen here for some time and 1 in the HMS Cambridge field. Also seen were 2 male cirl buntings and a male yellowhammer along with females in nervous and flighty groups along the walk, a kestrel, 2 ravens and a meadow pipit along the beach with the rock pipits. Offshore there were quite a few gannets, most way out but a few quite close to shore and all busy diving for fish.

3 common lizards were seen sunning themselves before the sun disappeared and red admirals were seen flying around. A fox moth caterpillar was sunning itself amongst the grass by the side of the path.



Fox moth caterpillar

I enjoyed a pasty and coffee on the beach although the sunshine had gone by this time and it was quite cool so it was time to head off home.