Sunday April 30th and I had planned to visit Rame Head again for a look around but the weather forecast was vile so I decided to give it a miss. However on second thoughts I considered going anyway with the forecast rain and strong winds maybe providing some good sea watching but then I wasn't really in the mood to get soaking wet so stayed at home instead. I checked the bird sighting pages during the morning to find good birds were being seen along the South Devon coast (pomarine skua, Arctic skua, Manx shearwater, puffin, etc) and I was beginning to regret my decision so I headed out to Plymouth Hoe for a look to see if anything interesting might have been blown in. The weather was very wet and breezey but not bad enough to blow any birds into The Sound other than at least 6 gannets along with the usual herring gulls, great black backed gulls and cormorants although 3 whimbrel, 2 noisey displaying oystercatcher and a songflighting rock pipit added some interest. But I shouldn't really complain about the rain because we really needed it as it has been dry for many, many days now.
Tuesday 2nd May and we headed out for a walk around Rame Head on a sunny and still afternoon. There was nothing out to sea except herring gulls, cormorants and shags but on land whitethroats were much in evidence with males singing and songflighting everywhere. A singing male yellowhammer and a singing male cirl bunting were also seen along with a peregrine, a sparrowhawk, a kestrel, 2 raven, a male bullfinch and a male stonechat. Butterfly interest was provided by a male orange tip, 3 speckled wood, a red admiral, a small tortoiseshell, a holly blue and at least 6 wall brown and I also saw a speckled yellow moth flitting over the gorse covered cliff side.
Wednesday 3rd May and I decided to head off to Grenofen Woods for a walk on a sunny but cool and breezey morning. I was hoping to find some garden warblers after no sight or sound of any on my 2 spring visits last year and I wasn't disappointed with excellent views of 4 birds, 2 very vocal and mobile males and a third less vocal male with a female in close attendance. I was concerned about my lack of sightings at Grenofen Woods last year but maybe I was just unlucky with birds present but not singing or showing on the days I visited.
Garden Warbler
Garden Warbler
Garden Warbler
I also hoped to see tree pipits after only getting flight views at Yarner Wood last Saturday and again I was in luck with 3 birds seen well - a songflighting male with a female in close attendance and a second male songflighting nearby.
Tree Pipit
Tree Pipit
Tree Pipit
I also had some nice views of 2 or possibly 3 singing and mobile male redstarts along with a female, always a nice bird to see.
Redstart
Redstart
Also seen were 3 marsh tits, a male great spotted woodpecker, a male yellowhammer, 2 nuthatch, 2 male bullfinch, willow warblers, blackcaps and swallows, with chiffchaff, green woodpecker and tawny owl also heard.
Along the river there was no sign of any dippers but a pair of grey wagtail were busily feeding 2 fledglings.
Grey Wagtail
Grey Wagtail - Fledgling
Green veined whites, 3 speckled wood and a tatty looking male and at least 6 female brimstones were on the wing but there was no sign of any small pearl bordered fritillary after last years first ever sighting.
Male Brimstone
Female Brimstone
Female Brimstone
Female Brimstone
Another oil beetle trundling along the path was a nice surprise, they are such lovely looking things, and again I carefully moved it off the footpath and away from peoples feet, and a dor beetle was also found having dug itself out of the ground.
Oil Beetle
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