By the time I arrived at Wembury it had clouded over but it soon cleared up again and became another very hot day with the beach crowded by the time I left to catch the bus home. Plenty of bloody nose beetles were seen along the footpath and St.Marks flies were buzzing around but surprisingly no moths were found in the toilet block despite the hot weather and warm nights and the only butterflies seen were a couple of brief flyby whites (probably green veined) and my first 2 speckled woods of the year.
Speckled Wood
Speckled Wood
There was a lot of seaweed washed up on the beach around the sewage pipe but despite searching there was no sign of the wintering water pipit which has presumably now moved on. I did however find 2 rock pipits and a male pied wagtail along with 6 male and a female mallard, 2 Canada geese and 8 whimbrel feeding on the rotting mass, the whimbrel giving some nice views despite being mobile and flighty and delightfully vocal.
Whimbrel
It was very nice to see and hear whitethroats back on territory and also heard were a willow warbler quietly singing from cover at The Point, chiffchaffs and blackcaps. A pair of cirl buntings were feeding unobtrusively on the ground at The Point, a raven was mobbed by 2 carrion crows as it flew out to The Mewstone, 22 oystercatcher were roosting on the rocks at The Point on the high tide, a song thrush was singing in the valley to the beach and 2 pairs of stonechats were feeding from the pathside bushes.
Cirl Bunting
Sloe Blossom
Sloe Blossom
It was too hot for a pasty for lunch from the cafe and so I headed home on the bus to cool down and prepare for a dreaded night shift but it had been another enjoyable if hot wildlife walk.
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