No moths in the toilet block but plenty of butterflies were on the wing - red admirals, large whites, speckled woods, small coppers and 2 very smart looking clouded yellow. There were 5 common lizards and a dark bush cricket also making the most of the warm sunshine as they basked on the wooden fences.
Clouded Yellow
Dark Bush Cricket
In the evening we enjoyed a meal at The Dock with Julie and Matt before boarding the Amorique ferry to Roscoff in France for our usual yearly short break away. The crossing was very calm and still but I didn't sleep that well, probably due to too much food and alcohol before going to bed, and on arriving in Roscoff in the early morning it was dull and grey. The sun did eventually appear and it was pleasently warm before the wind picked up and the clouds rolled in but it did at least remain dry. We broke from tradition and instead of visiting Morlaix we caught the ferry across to the Ile de Batz from Roscoff, a 10 minute trip and something we haven't done before. The Ile was very beautiful, peaceful and quiet and with a feel of the Isles of Scilly but without the crowds. We eventually found a cafe that was open where we had a beer and then had a walk up to the lighthouse on the highest point of the island at just 44 metres above sea level before we caught the ferry back to Roscoff for an over night stay at the Hotel des Arcades.
The usual birds were seen along the shore from Roscoff and from the ferry - a kingfisher, 4 brent geese, Sandwich terns, a lone Mediterranean gull amongst the black headed gulls, little egrets, 4 greenshank, turnstones, shags, grey herons, great black backed gulls, curlews and herring gulls with a few gannets noted distantly offshore. The highlight though was a female marsh harrier battling against the wind on the Ile de Batz as viewed from the lighthouse in what has been a very marsh harrier year.
Roscoff
Ile de Batz Lighthouse
It was still misty and mizzly as we set sail at 9:15am on the Pont Aven ferry but the sea was flat and calm and I wasn't sure how successful my wildlife watching was going to be. I needn't have worried though as I had my best Roscoff to Plymouth ferry trip ever - the previous days strong winds and the overnight rain had made for some interesting conditions.
As we left port I picked up 2 adult winter Mediterranean gulls flying by in the gloom looking even more ghostly white than usual and as we passed by the last rocky outcrops offshore a few gannets drifted past. I then picked up 2 shearwaters heading west across the front of the ferry and was pleased to see they were Balearic - I ran across to the other side of the ferry where I picked up one of the birds as it continued west before it was lost to the mist and I was very pleased to have seen them considering the poor weather conditions. Shortly after 4 guillemots flew past with more gannets followed by a razorbill and then I picked up another shearwater heading west which I was delighted to find was a sooty shearwater and which was closely followed by another Balearic shearwater allowing good comparison especially in relation to size. 2 more single Balearic shearwaters were picked up heading west with more gannets and then the mist finally cleared and the mizzle stopped and the visibility improved as we headed on into the English Channel.
Another sooty shearwater was picked up heading west and gave some great views as it passed across the front of the ferry and eventually I picked up 3 great skuas, 2 sat on the sea together and a third bird flying around nearby before settling on the sea as well. I decided it was time to get a cup of tea and a cake so headed down to the cafe but quickly realised my mistake as I looked out of the cafe windows to see more great skuas flying around and a large raft of gannets sat on the sea which included a Manx shearwater and a great shearwater - bugger! I quickly headed back up on deck where more great skuas were flying around with gannets and I soon picked up a pod of common dolphins splashing around and leaping out of the water before moving off away from the ferry. Another raft of gannets on the sea included yet another sooty shearwater and I picked up another less showy pod of common dolphins before it quietened down and I finally got to have my tea and cake in the cafe - however I had to quickly wolf it down when I noticed a storm petrel fluttering over the water right in front of the ferry and so I headed back up on deck as quickly as possible.
Yet more great skuas and gannets were seen and I managed to find more storm petrels including a flock of around 10 birds together in front of the boat. A Manx shearwater was seen flying north and more guillemots and razorbills were seen flying past. Fulmars and kittiwakes were also noted along with more pods of common dolphins, there seemed to be small pods everywhere and they were very showy, coming in to the front of the ferry to bow ride - I must have seen 300+ common dolphins in total.
Common Dolphin splashes
Common Dolphins
Gannet and Common Dolphin
Gannets, great skuas, fulmars, herring gulls, guillemots, great black back gulls and common dolphins continued to be seen right up to the Eddystone Lighthouse and as the ferry sailed across The Sound to Millbay Docks a pair of common scoters were near Drakes Island before flying off out to sea, my first sighting in Plymouth Sound and a nice end to the journey.
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