Autumn continues to arrive with birding now becoming the main focus of my activities instead of butterflying but with Mum and nephew Jack arriving for a few days stay at relatively short notice, work and the usual ongoing family issues I've not had much time to get out and about.
Mum and Jack arrived on August 19th and the following day we headed off to Hope Cove for a wander around and some lunch. It was very busy on a warm and sunny day but Jack and myself managed to get away for a quick walk along the clifftops to South Huish Marsh for a brief look around. With a wood sandpiper reported on the marsh the previous day I had a good scan around but only managed to find a ringed plover hunkered down at the waters edge and the only other birds of note were a sand martin hawking over the marsh with swallows and house martins and a flyover raven and kestrel.
Wednesday 21st August and it was off to Bude for the day despite the cool breeze and mostly cloudy skies. We had a great day there and I managed a brief look at Maer Lake too where 2 spotted redshanks and 4 flyover yellow wagtails were the highlights along with 10 black-tailed godwits, a small tortoishell and a peacock butterfly.
Spotted Redshank, Maer Lake
Spotted Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Friday 23rd August and with Mum and Jack having departed for home we caught the ferry across to Mount Batten for a walk where the highlights were painted lady butterflies and a Volucella zonaria hoverfly which looked very large and very orangey/yellow amongst the other hoverflies and bees feeding on the ivy flowers.
Painted Lady, Mount Batten
Volucella zonaria
Volucella zonaria
After working all of the August Bank Holiday weekend I headed off to Wembury on the bus on Tuesday 27th August for a walk on a warm and mostly sunny morning. From the bus I saw autumn ladies tresses flowering in the grass verges by Laira Bridge and on arriving at Wembury there was a very autumnal feel in the air and I had a very enjoyable walk.
There were 3 rusty dot pearl moths on the outside window of the toilet block and 2 oak bush crickets inside (1 unfortunately squashed on the floor and the other caught and released outside) and along the walk I also found a Jersey tiger, a hummingbird hawkmoth and a faded Pyrausta despicata.
Oak Bush Cricket, Wembury
Hummingbird Hawkmoth
Hummingbird Hawkmoth
Pyrausta despicata
Pyrausta despicata
Waders were on the move and amongst the oystercatchers along the beach I found a short billed whimbrel, 2 curlew, 2 dunlin, 2 redshank and a good count of 7 turnstone. 3 little egret, a grey heron and a pair of mallard were also seen while offshore in flat calm conditions I picked up a couple of adult gannets and a fulmar.
Redshank
There were many chiffchaffs flitting about in the bushes and trees with a few birds heard singing, always sounding mournful in the autumn, and there were also good numbers of whitethroats and 2 male blackcaps seen. 3 wheatears were feeding in the horse field with Alba wagtails and linnets while stonechats were very noticeable along the walk especially at The Point. The usual nervous and flighty cirl buntings were also seen flitting about in the now harvested wheatfield and surrounding hedges.
White Wagtail
Small whites were very noticeable along the walk and I also found 2 small coppers, a red admiral, a meadow brown, 2 speckled wood, 2 painted lady, male common blues and a small tortoiseshell. The highlight though were 2 clouded yellows, an all too brief flight view of one dashing past and a slightly less brief view of an hellice form female flying past being chased by an amorous small white.
Small Copper
Painted Lady
Meadow Grasshopper
I had a good search for wryneck and yellow wagtail along my walk but with no luck before David and mother-in-law duly arrived to pick me up for lunch at the nearby Otter Garden Centre, a nice end to a pleasant late August walk.
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