Wembury Walks

The good weather has broken but a walk along the coast path at Wembury on the 9th September was warm and humid despite the clouds.

Best bird was a whinchat feeding from the top the brambles near the footpath at Wembury Point before it disappeared when some blackberry pickers turned up. Other highlights were a single bar-tailed godwit feeding on a sandy piece of beach near the sewage pipe as the tide went out and a juvenile wheatear feeding on the short grass in the horse field.  Single clouded yellows flitted by along the walk but it was difficult to count accurate numbers as they were very mobile and fast flying, and a single painted lady was feeding on some buddlea flowers.

 Whinchat

Whinchat

Wheatear



In contrast the walk along the coastpath on the 11th September was cooler, cloudier and breezier. A yellow wagtail was heard overhead and briefly seen before it disappeared from view, never to be seen again. 4 bar-tailed godwits were now feeding along the sandy piece of beach, and a 2nd winter Mediterranean gull was preening itself on the rocks. A chiffchaff was seen with a second bird heard singing (always very mournful sounding in the Autumn!). Swallows and house martins were hawking over the valley to the beach where it was sheltered from the wind but where they had to contend with the attentions of a sparrowhawk. And with a taste of Autumn yet to come, 3 meadow pipits flew over West.

 2nd Winter Mediterranean Gull

3 of the 4 Bar-tailed Godwits



With the cooler and wetter weather and work shifts I have not had the moth box out in the back yard much but I have caught my first large ranunculus of the year, one of my favourite moths, and my second (for the garden ) garden rose tortrix.

 Large Ranunculus

My second garden Garden Rose Tortrix